Local Activists Protest Iraq War in Washington
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 – A gray cloud cover darkened the sky over the Mall Saturday but it didn’t dampen the spirit of protesters who came in droves to voice their opinions about the war in Iraq.
“The vast numbers (of protesters) display what people think about the amount of death -not just American but Iraqis too,” said 21-year old Thomas Cobb who attends Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass.
The yard behind the Washington Monument was filled with people-young, old and of every ethnicity – carrying colorful signs, rallying the crowd with cries of “war is not the answer” or simply witnessing the day’s events.
United for Peace and Justice, one of the rally’s co-organizers, had anticipated 100,000 to show up for the rally.
A steady stream of people wandered through a makeshift graveyard of tiny wooden crosses. Beyond the graves were rows of combat boots, each pair with a name tag of a soldier who died in Iraq.
Poster slogans showed the diversity of opinions among the protesters. They ran the gamut from outrage about the war, to criticism of the country’s interest in Middle Eastern oil, to anger about military budgets and to concerns about apathy.
“If you aren’t worried or mad, you’re not paying attention,” read one sign.
In Cobb’s case, he is against the war but he said he was not against the idea of war completely. In Afghanistan “our actions in search of a person, a terrorist were very justifiable.” But being in Iraq, he said, doesn’t make sense.
Meghan Walsh, 21, a student at Boston University who came with Cobb, said, “There is a time for it but now is the time to send out troops home. We aren’t being told the truth.”
The criticisms of many of the protesters focused on President Bush. Behind the White House a loud chorus of people chanted, “Shame on Bush.”
The march was scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. but didn’t begin moving down 15 th Street in front of the Department of Commerce building until an hour later.
Protesters from United for Peace and Justice were slated to lead the march with Cindy Sheehan and the Rev. Jesse Jackson but the congested streets forced them to turn down Constitution Avenue, not part of the parade route.
The group was blocked by 12 horse-mounted police officers and other security personnel. After discussions between police and United for Peace leaders – that left protesters standing around for an hour – the group rejoined the march on the designated route.
Donald B. Abbott, 63, of Andover, met his daughter and two grandsons from Kentucky at the march. He flew from Massachusetts to Baltimore in the morning. Slight hiccups with the subway system meant that he had to jump into a cab with four strangers from a Metro station but he still managed to get to the Mall by 9:30 a.m.
Coming this weekend to express his unhappiness about the war in Iraq was important, he said.
“For me, if there was a time, the time is now,” said Abbott, a member of the Merrimack Valley People for Peace.
He said he is hopeful for change and for legislators to listen to the protesters.
“If they haven’t heard, they won’t be in office much longer,” he said.
“But I’m here doing it for my grandsons,” Abbott said. “I’m glad they got to take part in it.”
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