Tens of thousands of protesters, including more than 100 GW undergraduates, law students and professors, peacefully gathered on a soggy, muddy National Mall Saturday to voice their opposition to a possible U.S. war with Iraq.
The demonstration, organized chiefly by International Act Now to Stop War and Racism, a coalition of anti-war groups, drew nearly 100,000 people from all over the country, according to organizers’ estimates. The D.C. rally and subsequent march around the White House coincided with smaller marches in San Francisco and several foreign capitals.
GW student groups, including Students Against War in Iraq and the Muslim Student Association, endorsed the protest. Members said they disapproved of how the White House is handling the Iraq situation, noting the administration is “rushing to war.”
“I’m opposing the doctrine of a preemptive strike and Bush’s foreign policy in the Middle East,” said sophomore Micha Sogut, a Students Against War in Iraq member. “This is a new form of imperialism.”
Some students expressed dismay that their views have not been given proportional coverage and saw protesting en masse as a way of making their opinions heard.
“The majority of Americans aren’t for this war, but might not be very vocal,” Muslim Student Association President Amna Arshad said. “These kinds of events provide a voice for people.”
Activists of all ages showed up for the rally, some of whom protested the war in Vietnam 30 years ago. Attendees included peace advocates, labor unions, socialist groups, Palestinian rights supporters, veterans and a number of religious organizations.
Some held signs reading “Drop Bush, not bombs,” “Depose King George” and “No war, now way.” Many accused President Bush of ignoring the counsel of the international community.
“The hypocrisy is more than I can stand,” said Baltimore resident Paul Rubenson, who waved a United Nations flag. “Bush’s main complaint is that Iraq is violating the UN, but he’s ready to bypass the UN completely.”
Gail Gilchrist and Carol Perine, both 65-year-old grandmothers from Richfield, Conn., said Saturday’s rally was the first protest in which they had ever participated.
“It’s a no brainer,” Gilchrest said. “We’re clever enough to figure something out besides going to war.”
Perine called possible military intervention “morally unconscionable,” noting that she would like “a diplomat, not a cowboy” as president.
Others perceived the issue of international arms control as a double standard, pointing out that several countries other than Iraq have stockpiles of nuclear weapons and have also violated United Nations resolutions.
“It is unfair,” protester Rashid Pharoan said. “If they want to stop nuclear weapons in the Middle East, they should start with Israel.”
As the day progressed, the crowd was addressed by a number of guest speakers that included Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.), former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark and human rights activists who had worked in Iraq. Demonstrators handed out flyers while wandering musicians staged impromptu jam sessions on the lawn.
After a few hours, protesters began to move into the streets, preparing to make their way to the gates of the White House. A sea of homemade signs, flags and banners flowed down Constitution Avenue.
Signs called on Americans to remember Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), who had been a staunch opponent of the war before he died in a plane crash Friday. As they marched, demonstrators chanted things like “vote no war” and “money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation.” Metropolitan Police reported no disruptions.
The only noticeable counter-protesters were staked out at the corner of Constitution Avenue and 17th Street, numbering little more than 50 people.
Demonstrators representing FreeRepublic.com, a right-wing organization, stood alongside a cluster of Arab-Americans waving the Iraqi flag and holding posters equating Saddam Hussein with Osama bin Laden. The group received some puzzled looks from anti-war protesters, considering many members were Arab-Americans.
“We want freedom and democracy for the Iraqi people,” said Salman Al Hamidy, an Iraqi-American from Dearborn, Mich. “We don’t like war, but if it gets Saddam out, we (will) accept it.”
Some older protesters said they were pleased to return to Washington for what was dubbed the largest anti-war demonstration since Vietnam, though there were some obvious differences.
“There are more cell phones and a lot less drugs,” said Dan Croteau,
47, from Northfield, Mass.
Despite House and Senate resolutions condoning the use of force in Iraq, demonstrators said they do not believe a war is inevitable.
“Living in a democracy gives us the freedom to question our leaders’ decisions,” protester Bonny Anderson said. “And war should always be questioned.”
-Mosheh Oinounou contributed to this report
