I am an Iranian-American who loves both Iran and America.

I am Iranian enough to be worried for my people, their cultural heritage, their history, and above all the path towards democracy that they have taken for the past 100 years. I see that today they are closer than ever to reaching this dream: the Iranian women, students, workers, and other groups have worked hard to get here and are willing to even work harder to achieve this dream.

An estimated 1000 Long Islanders journeyed by train and bus to join the October 27 march and rally in NYC. People came from all over the Island: Nassau and Suffolk, the North Shore and the South Shore. There were people of all ages, including students from Hofstra University, Nassau Community College, and SUNY Stony Brook. Those who traveled on peace trains met in Penn Station and marched together, through the rain, to the rally site.

200 people braved the wet weather and marched over the Brooklyn Bridge to join the march and rally in Manhattan. More photos by Diane Lent are available here.

2nd half of the rally before the New York march.

45,000 from throughout New York City, New York State and northern New Jersey withstood the rain to rally and march for peace in Manhattan.

Filmed and edited by Ian Cook.

45,000 stood up to the rain and the Bush administration in New York City today, and marched and rallied for peace. Led by Iraq veterans, veterans of other wars, military families, union members and students, from throughout New York City, New York State, and northern New Jersey, we made our demands to bring the troops home now and no to war with Iran heard loud and clear in the streets of Manhattan.

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2 minutes of silence to honor those who have died will take place at 2:45 p.m. 

The Peace and Justice Fair at Foley Square is an exchange of information and an opportunity to connect with the issues that you care about.  The Fair follows the United for Peace and Justice march down Broadway.  There will be several tents with tables along Lafayette Street and other tables in the center of Foley Square.  The Fair will be from 2:00pm until 5:30. You can register for a table here at http://oct27.org/new_york (Click on the link that says Peace Fair Tabling Registration

Speakers:

James Kelly, Jr., Gold Star father

Marilyn Lambert-Fisher and Bill Fisher – Military Families Speak Out

Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana, Associate General Secretary for Interfaith Relations, National Council of Churches USA

The following is a letter to editor from Paula Rogovin of Military Families Speak Out, Bergen County that appeared in the Bergen Record on Tuesday, October 16.

I am angry. The occupation of Iraq continues -- with about 160,000 U.S. troops and a mercenary army of nearly 160,000 hired by private contractors. We, the taxpayers, have footed the bill of nearly a half-trillion dollars. More than 3,808 U.S. troops and more than 1 million Iraqi people have paid with their lives.

Contingents