35 years ago, an activist handed me a leaflet for an anti-Vietnam War protest, and I thought, "What can I do about it? I'm a teenaged, gay, factory worker. I have no power in this society." Well, I was wrong. Behold, the power of the people!
It's not just our huge numbers today that makes us powerful, it's our unity. It's that we're Muslims and Jews together. We're women and men together. We're gay and straight together! We are-
[pause, applause continues]
We are able-bodied and disabled together. We are older generations who know a lot, but not everything - and youth, who have a lot to learn, and a lot to teach.
Solidarity - Solidarity is what cements us together. It's our strength - and Bush and Ashcroft know that too. That's why they'll try to divide us, to pit us against each other. The way McCarthy in the 1950's used red-baiting, and gay-baiting, and antisemitism during the 1950's anti-communist witch hunt. The way Nixon and the FBI unleashed a dirty war to break up the movement in the 1960's and 1970's. So here is my pledge for unity! As a US anti-war activist, I stand up for the people of Iraq against the Pentagon.
As a Jewish revolutionary, I continue to fight for Palestinian freedom.
[applause continues, louder]
Zionism is my enemy, too! As a leader in the lesbian, gay, bi, and trans movement, I stand shoulder to shoulder with my Muslim, Arab, and south Asian sisters and brothers against Ashcroft's racist roundups and trampling of civil liberties. As a militant trade unionist, I stand with my longshore sisters and brothers against Bush.
[pause, as applauding continues in background]
Bush wants to use to his weapons of mass distraction, to divert us from the capitalist economic crisis. He doesn't want us to realize that we're the ones that do the work of the world everyday, and we have the power to stop work and shut down the system to halt the war - so I end! Now it's your turn - all of you here! And the millions who are watching around the world- will we stand up for unity?
[the crowd shouts "Yes!" in response]
Then behold, the emerging power of the people!
[applause, end transcript]