ILWU longshore locals along the Columbia River and in the San Francisco Bay Area moved their March stop-work meetings to the first shift Saturday, March 20 so members could join in the anti-war demonstrations marking the one-year anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

About 12,000 people representing more than 120 organization's, including ILWU locals, participated in the Portland march and rally, making it one of the largest protest demonstrations the city has ever seen. They gathered in downtown's Pioneer Square and marched around the city. Organizers arranged for volunteers to pull a mobile stage with a P.A. system that allowed speakers along the route to address the crowed at strategically chosen locations.

Palestinian-American Hala Gores addressed the crowed beside the Oregonian building criticizing the city’s main newspaper for its support of the repressive Israeli policies in the occupied territories. Barbara Dudley, a PSU professor, spoke of the government’s attack on civil liberties in front of the Federal Courthouse, and the need to repeal the Patriot Act. Nancy Gonzalez of SEIU 49 talked about the "janitors for justice" campaign in front of the Commonwealth Building in downtown Portland and of the importance of getting a contract with management there that would require the bosses to provide health insurance for janitors.

Jack Mulcahy of ILWU longshore Local 8 spoke of how the American occupation forces in Iraq busted into the headquarters of the Iraqi Federation of Workers Trade Unions Dec. 6, destroyed much of the building and contents of the office, and arrested eight union leaders. Mulcahy continued on to say that "while the government is waging war against the unions in Iraq, it is doing the same thing here in our own country. Last April 7, during a peaceful anti-war protest at the Port of Oakland police opened fire on demonstrators picketing SSA and APL."

In San Francisco ILWU members joined tens of thousands of demonstrators marching from Dolores Park to Civic Center for a rally. There ILWU longshore Local 10 President Henry Graham and Business Agent Trent Willis addressed the gathering, announcing, to the roar of the crowd, that they had closed the local ports that day in protest of the war.