SOME REFLECTIONS
Although most of the people in the previous day's demonstration, including the organizers, were young, I noticed that about half of those on the speaking list were middle aged or even elderly. This is something you probably wouldn't have seen back in the 1960's, in an era when the antiwar movement seemed to be synonymous with youth culture and rebellion against the values of the older generation. There was something called "the generation gap" back in those days; it was a time when young and old had somehow ceased to communicate, and "Don't trust anyone over thirty" seemed to be an underlying assumption if not a slogan. Such had been the pervasive culture of 35 years ago - but not today. No, not today, thank goodness.
The young people packed into the meeting chamber around me were certainly adding their voices to the hearing. They were applauding and shouting comments from the balconies, and many of those who took the mike and spoke from the floor were young. But they also seemed glad to have older people take a role in the presentation.
And it wasn't just this evening; it's something I've seen throughout the antiwar movement during the spring of 2003. Young and old seem to be pretty much on the same wavelength.
Although many unions had joined in the coalitions sponsoring the huge antiwar rallies of January and February, there was something new in this meeting tonight, something I hadn't noticed or been aware of till now. That was the solidarity with the protesters being expressed by the trade unionists, every one of whom made it unconditionally clear that they saw the police attack on the antiwar protesters as an attack on themselves. "An injury to one is an injury to all" was the unionist attitude which was being expressed here today.