WASHINGTON, D.C. — Grandparents, parents, students and children all converged in Washington, D.C., on Saturday in the shadow of the Washington Monument and the Vietnam War Memorial to protest a possible war in Iraq.

An estimated tens of thousands of people attended the peace protests demanding “No, United States of America, take no military action.” The rally, organized by the international organization Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, began at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Federal Triangle in Washington, D.C. This protest coincided with protests in San Francisco and many countries throughout the world.

A march that circled around the White House followed the rally for a few hours. So many people marched that the front of the group finished the march before some of those at the end had begun.

A heavy police presence was felt throughout the march, including National Parks Service officers, Washington, D.C., police and Washington, D.C., S.W.A.T. team members. Several groups of protesters played hand drums and danced. The event was completely peaceful aside from one lone instance of violence.

Karl Meyer of New York City became involved in a physical confrontation with members of the Black Panthers, who initially guarded the front line of the protest. Many in the crowd began chanting, “Peace.”

Several prominent speakers expressed their opinion about peace in Iraq, including Rev. Jesse Jackson, President of the Rainbow/Push coalition, Rev. Dr. Al Sharpton, President of the National Action Network and Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D – Georgia).

McKinney said it is essential that people make their voices heard.

“We know that when good men do nothing, evil triumphs,” she said.

McKinney said that the protesters may hold an unpopular position, but that they must voice their views.

“Don’t be fooled by what they say about you — you are the true patriots,” she said.

Sharpton echoed the sentiments of many protesters who carried signs and chanted “No blood for oil” when he said he attended the rally because President George W. Bush had, “put the interests of big business ahead of the interests of the U.S.”

He noted the historical successes of protests within the civil rights movement and the Vietnam war movement, and said this anti-war protest was important because it, too, could lead to success.

“(Bush) will not carry out this wicked war in our names,” he said.

Jackson said Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “heart would swell” at the sight of so many people from so many ethnic backgrounds engaged in peaceful resistance. He warned of the possible ramifications of an attack on Iraq.

“If we pre-emptively strike Iraq then we loose our moral authority,” he said. “If we can do it, why can’t China do it to Taiwan and North Korea to South Korea? We must maintain our moral positioning in the world community.”

Jackson said some wars are necessary, such as the Civil War and World War II, but that another war in Iraq would not be necessary. He said this war would be about oil and defense contracts and that would be unacceptable.

“To attack Iraq and kill a lot of innocent people to get to Saddam would be a stain on American for a long time,” Jackson said.

Among the protesters was a group of about 50 Syracuse University and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry students. Several of the students carried a banner which read, “No blood for oil. War is not the answer.”

Sam Alcoff, a junior history major, said many people are afraid of criticizing the U.S. government but rallies such as the one in Washington, D.C., show them they are not alone.

“This is really going to show people that it’s a broad spectrum who are very very critical of us going off in this hair-brained war,” he said.

Alex Billet, sophomore drama major and SU branch organizer of the International Socialist Organization, said the rally and march made him more excited about a growing anti-war movement.

“I think it’s the beginning of a movement,” Billet said. “I’m having flashbacks to learning about the Vietnam War in history class.”

Several speakers throughout the rally compared the protest to Vietnam era anti-war protests. Iney Byfield, of Charlotesville, Va., said some major differences exist between the Vietnam war movement and the anti-war movement today.

“This is strictly self interest. We can’t even camouflage it as Americans fighting for poor underdeveloped countries that we have to free from oppression,” she said. ”It is just blatant, ugly, war-mongering and oppression; it is totally unconstitutional.”

Lindsay Cray, a freshman environmental studies major, said her father protested the Vietnam War protester and she felt she was “reliving” his past.

Kelly Evans, of Dobson, N.C., a marine during the 1960s who did not see action in Vietnam, attended anti-war protests in 1969 and 1970. He said everyone needs to know they can make a difference and protesting is a way to make one. The great diversity in the crowd amazed Evans,which contained people of all ages and many ethnic backgrounds.

Several protesters believed Bush was not pursuing the war in Iraq for national security but for money, and that the United States could better spend its money and resources elsewhere.

Abdullah Salhia, a Palestinian, said he was trying to get the word out against fighting for money. He added that the media often misrepresent Islam.

“There is always a bias in the mainstream media,” he said. “They always associate terrorism with Islam.”

Criticism for Bush prevailed. Tom Sager, an associate member of Veterans for Peace, reiterated what many signs said, “Regime change needs to start at home.” Sager said the current situation in Iraq stemmed from the “illegitimate president trying to wage an illegitimate war.” Sager said 5,000 Iraqi children die each year because of United Nations sanctions and the United States should try to be a positive influence in the world instead of waging war.

Dr. Erik Erginer, a former educator also from Dobson, N.C., said money spent on war could go to healthcare.

“$434 billion for a war machine is obscene when 50 percent of our children’s parents don’t have health insurance,” he said.

Speakers also discussed the great variation in age and the potential of the youth in the United States.

“People often say our youth is our future but I beg to differ — you are ours right now,” Jackson said. “The young American moves, the whole world moves.”

Cray said one of her reasons for not wanting the United States to go to war with Iraq is more personal.

“I’ve got friends in the military right now and I don’t think they really know what is going on and I don’t want to see anybody die,” Cray said. “I grew up with them and I’d like to grow old with them.”

Published on October 27, 2002 at 12:00 pm