Daily Iowan

Issue date: 3/21/07 Section: Metro

Media Credit: Ed Bornstein/The Daily Iowan

More than 350 demonstrators beat on buckets, shouted slogans, and stood in rows of four as they stretched along two blocks to march from the Pentacrest through downtown Iowa City during an antiwar rally on Tuesday evening.

Organized by the UI Antiwar Committee, the rally fell on the National Day of Student Action marking Monday's fourth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, and the event drew the highest number of local protesters in recent years.

"The nature of social movements is to be constantly evolving," said UI sophomore Ryan Merz, as leader of the UI Antiwar Committee. "It's a good rule to have different tactics."

Locals convened on the Pentacrest at 5 p.m., and others trickled in during the first speeches and listened to the band Illinois John Fever - a self-described musical duo playing the "philosophical blues."

This year's speakers included representatives from the UI Environmental Coalition, Women's Resource and Action Center, and the UI Muslim Student Association.

"It affects us as much as anybody else," said Nadia Igram, the president of the Muslim student group, adding that the organization has worked closely with the Antiwar Committee in the past. "After four years [of war], there's been negative progress. It's time to stand up."




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Political activist Frank Cordaro - who met Merz during a sit-in at the Cedar Rapids office of Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, where they were arrested - also addressed the crowd.

"It's how we do things in this country," Cordaro said about his political activism. "It's things that people need to hear."

Bob Foster, a Korean and Vietnam War veteran, also expressed strong sentiments.

"In Vietnam or Korea, there was not much reason established," he said. "The same thing goes with this war of choice."

Some participants said Iowa City provided a good environment for such demonstrations. Aside from seasoned political activists, many parents brought their children to the protest.

Iowa City resident Kristy Hamdy brought her son, Ibrahim, in order to provide him with some perspective.

"In elementary school he's been learning about Martin Luther King and the history of slavery," Hamdy said. "This is something [kids] can handle."

Though the long line of protesters crossing the street drew impatient honks from 6 p.m. commuters, the participants simply waved and flashed peace signs.

However, Kasie Ver Schuure, who was waiting for a bus by the Pappajohn Business Building when the protesters went by, had doubts whether such displays could be effective.

"It's not my thing," the UI junior said. "But I think they did it at the right time, holding up traffic and everything."

UI junior Jacki Kleen said that though she is antiwar, she supports the troops overseas.

"I don't agree with the war, but I won't say I won't stand behind our troops if they're over there," she said.

Antiwar Committee members said afterwards they were pleasantly surprised by a lack of counterprotesters. Merz said he expected at least 20 anti-protesters, but aside from occasional yells of "hippies," and an alleged verbal assault on Gilbert Street, there were no organized pro-war demonstrators.

The marchers completed their journey after circling the Pedestrian Mall for approximately 15 minutes, and most dispersed by 6:30 p.m. without any legal incidents.

"There's a political shift happening in Iowa City," said UI junior David Goodner. "When the war first broke out, the campus was really polarized, but now the campus groups are coalescing."

E-mail DI reporter Zhi Xiong at:
zhi-xiong@uiowa.edu

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