marching towards ... more polarization?

Yesterday saw the "biggest mobilization in the history of Colombia" as here in Bogotá and around the world, people took to the streets in protest against the FARC and in favor of freeing the hostages held by the FARC. These world-wide coordinated marches were initially called for by one Colombian man through everyone's favorite way to wile away time in front of the internet, Facebook. And it took off. All around the world. News of the marches in Sydney, Australia and Tokyo were hitting the internet on Sunday afternoon. Marches happened all over the US, in the mid-east, Europe, Asia. We're talking Tel Aviv, in Moscow,and there was even a group of three people in IRAQ holding up anti-FARC and peace for Colombia signs.

Here in Bogotá, large billboards appeared a couple of weeks ago declaring "No Mas" written over the colors of the Colombian flag. And the polarization began. The march which began as a cry for peace and for the end to the terrorism of the FARC, quickly became a cry out in support of President Uribe, a cry out against President Chavez of Venezuela and mainstream media outlets began to suggest that anyone who wasn't in the streets marching against the FARC was obviously in support of the FARC. Chants from the crowd included: "Uribe, Amigo. El Pueblo esta contigo" (Uribe, Friend, The People are with You) and "No Mas Chavez, No Mas FARC" (No more Chavez, No more FARC). You can see and hear some of the sights from the march here.

Many of the people and groups that FOR and like-minded groups accompany and work with here in Colombia organized a counter-march that strove to focus on a less black-and-white approach. The FARC must stop their war on civilians, yes. But the FARC are not the only armed actor in this conflict. Paramilitarism must be truly eradicated and state-sponsored terrorism must be brought to light and to justice. The countless victims of this violence must be acknowledged and given their due. The groups organizing against the march believe a humanitarian accord is the best way to ensure that the hundreds of FARC hostages are freed safely and expediently. The overarching discourse should not be so narrow. In a conflict as tied up and rooted in historical violence as this, supporting the Colombian President and vilifying the Venezuelan President should not be the chant, can not be the answer - no matter how neatly it ties loose ends up. Too many people's lives hang in the balance of that Bushist "with us or against us" mentality. To see more on the Anti-February 4th March, check out the coverage on Indymedia Colombia.

At the same time it is quite a thing to see millions of people take to the streets. The rivers of people flooding the major arteries of Bogotá are obviously ready to exert whatever kind of pressure they possibly can in order to end the cyclical violence they continue to live through. It is just too bad that the large majority only addressed one aspect of that violence. I'm with the tagger who sprayed the wall of a downtown church (wwjd anyway?) with this question - "And when are we going to march against paramilitarism?"