Millions Of Musicians Protest War — Million Musician March Parades From State Capitol To Austin City Hall

AUSTIN Playing trumpets, washboards, bells, tambourines, clarinets, guitars, fiddles, tubas, saxophones and drums, a mixed group of Texans ranging from Buddhists to war veterans protested the fourth anniversary of the Iraq War Saturday, March 17.

The Million Musician March for peace paraded from the state capitol to Austin City Hall playing songs like “When the Saints Come Marching Home” and chanting things like, “Cut the funding for the war what the hell is Congress for?”

The organizers of the event, Richard Bowden and Barbara K hung out beforehand playing the fiddle, and the bell, respectively.

Both agreed that the fourth anniversary of the Iraq War was something to be commiserated with the rest of the world.

“There are protests going on all over the world,” said K “I think there are protests in 1,000 cities to commiserate the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.”

Bowden, fiddle player, and the director of Instruments for Peace, said he was saddened by the day.

Shaking his head he said, “I think it’s pretty clear (the war) is a disaster.”

Although Bowden doesn’t think protesting on one day will change foreign policy he said the protest was more about continuing the fight to bring awareness to the average person. His big concern is that the war will continue because of dollars.

“Why would people want to leave when they’re making so much money?” he said.

Some average people who are already aware and there on Saturday were Austinite Mary Kay and her 18-year-old daughter Annie Sexton.

“I’m here for peace,” said Kay. “We’re all in this together, whether we’re from Iraq or the United States; we’re all from the same planet.”

And some folks who are more directly affected by the United States’ foreign policy were there to help protest the war for more specific reasons.

Iranians, and Dallas residents, Bruce and Zena Asadi said they drove in to participate in Austin’s protest because of fear.

Bruce Asadi, 48, a builder, has lived in the Texas since he was 19.

Asadi said he fears for the average Iranian and for his family who still live in Iran. He fears the U.S. will not stop with Iraq and will continue on into Iran with the war.

“We oppose the war because it brings death and destruction to the people, the regular people. Our sisters and brothers in Iran will not benefit from the war, but from stopping the war. It’s why we’re here,” he said.

Some Austinites at the protest just wanted to protest the government in general.

George Ramsey, the leader of The Long Hair Revolution to Restore the Constitution, said, “Everybody loves our Constitution we just have to enforce it.”

And Nevyn McKinnon, carrying a cross on his back, emblazoned with a Star of David, and decorated with bottles of oil said he was protesting the influence religion has on government.

“This whole thing is about how religions have failed miserably to relieve us,” he said. “It’s primarily about war. They instigate; they foment; they collude and cozy themselves with kings, presidents, and prime