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Rally speeches evoke images of Katrina

The Millions More protest draws thousands to the capital, where they are exhorted to go home and organize the poor.

By wire services
Published October 16, 2005

WASHINGTON - Thousands of African-Americans thronged the Mall on Saturday and demanded action to overcome poverty, injustice, joblessness and the effects of substandard schools in black communities.

Speakers, led by Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, embraced an agenda of self-help, celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Million Man March on Washington, demanded reparations for the descendants of black slaves and floated the idea of a new political party to increase the power of blacks and other minority groups.

"The government will never do for the poor of this nation until and unless we organize effectively to make government respond to the needs of the poor," Farrakhan said in an 80-minute speech delivered from the west front of the U.S. Capitol. "We must go back home and organize as never before."

Farrakhan said the delayed relief for victims of Hurricane Katrina showed that poor people and blacks could not depend on the federal government.

"For five days," he said, "the government did not act. Lives were lost. We charge America with criminal neglect."

A crowd of thousands cheered as dozens of prominent speakers spoke, recited poetry and sang songs in the 12-hour program on the National Mall.

Pointing to the broad spectrum of participants, Farrakhan said the march included an "unprecedented" array of black leaders of organizations "coming together to speak to America and the world with one voice."

"This tells us that a new day is dawning in America," he said.

Ten years ago, Farrakhan urged black men to improve their families and communities - women, whites and other minorities had not been invited. On Saturday, all were welcome at the Millions More Movement, which organizers said would build on the principles of 1995 and push people to build a movement for change locally and nationally.

Neither Farrakhan, who spoke for 75 minutes, nor police offered a crowd estimate.

Associated Press photos showed the gathering was significantly smaller than that of 1995, when Boston University researchers estimated between 600,000 and 1-million participants. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said subway ridership by 7 p.m. was just under 368,000, compared with a Saturday average of nearly 220,000.

On the day of the march 10 years ago - a weekday, when regular commuters drove up overall ridership - that number was 804,000, the third-highest ever recorded.

Participants said they were inspired by the gathering.

Georgia state Rep. Tyrone Brooks said fewer attended than 10 years ago when he "could barely move through the crowd."

According to Brooks, who organized the Georgia delegation to Saturday's march, about 10,000 Georgians came to Washington.

"Many told me: "We got the message. We're not going to go back. Instead, we're going to work in our local community,' " Brooks said.

Brooks, who was present for both the Million Man March and the August 1963 protest at which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have A Dream" speech, said protesting inequity and the government is not enough.

"If we really want to address these issues, we have got to be fully involved in our communities," he said. "If you're not a registered voter and you are not voting in every election, you're really not participating in this event."

Farrakhan "is the only one who can pull this magnitude of people together," said Michael Warren, 41, a Washington resident.

Others said the day held echoes of earlier gatherings.

Kelly Callahan, 65, of Newark said he had attended the 1995 march and Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 March on Washington. The movement, he said, is "more universal now."

Mouchettee Muhummad, 38, drove through the night from Detroit with four companions. "We have to show that the spirit from 10 years ago did not die - it's still alive," he said. "We have to show that we didn't forget and we're actually carrying out what we pledged" a decade ago.

Some speakers paid tribute to victims of the hurricanes, and many participants said the storm helped inspire them to come.

During his speech, Farrakhan announced a Millions More Movement disaster relief fund, urging participants to give $1 each week for victims.

He did not repeat his recent suggestions that someone bombed New Orleans' protective levees, deliberately flooding black neighborhoods after Katrina struck.

"We want to know what happened to the levees," Farrakhan said Saturday. "We don't want to guess about it and we don't want to be guilty of following rumors."

Earlier, Jesse Jackson, the president of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, urged people to channel their frustration about Katrina toward change in their communities.

Farrakhan also criticized President Bush, the war in Iraq and Muslims who kill "innocent life for political purposes."

He also had harsh words for Democrats.

"We need to think about a new political party," Farrakhan said. "The Democrats have used us and abused us. They look at the black and the brown and the poor like this is a plantation, and our Democratic leaders are like the house Negro on the plantation of Democratic politics."

Information from the New York Times, Associated Press and Cox News Service was used in this report.

[Last modified October 16, 2005, 01:33:15]