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News :: Peace |
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Champaign Protests Against Bush's Blank Check For War |
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by Kimberlie Kranich & Danielle Chynoweth
Email: kakranich (nospam) yahoo.com (verified) |
14 Oct 2002
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Sixty marchers lined the length of the sidewalk between North Prospect and Marketview Streets in Champaign on Saturday to protest last Friday's passage of Resolution 114 which grants the President broad powers to declare war. |
Sixty marchers lined the length of the sidewalk between North Prospect and Marketview Streets in Champaign on Saturday to protest last Friday's passage of Resolution 114 which grants the President broad powers to declare war.
President Bush may now go to war even if Iraq complies with U.N. weapons inspections. He may wage war indefinitely without coming back to Congress for approval.
All of Illinois' Republican lawmakers voted in favor of the resolution as did two of the state's Democratic representatives, Rod Blagojevich, candidate for Governor, and Dave Phelps, incumbent candidate for US House District 19.
"Congress You Represent the People, Not the President," "Drop Bush, Not Bombs," "No Blood for Oil," "More than Just Saddam Lives in Iraq," "Stop World War 3," "Money for Healthcare," and "U.S. Bombs Are Weapons of Mass Destruction" were some of the signs held by demonstrators.
For two hours, demonstrators engaged people in their cars while they headed to the heart of Champaign's shopping district. Demonstrators approached cars with rolled down windows and held conversations with them. More than 300 flyers with arguments against pre-emptive strikes against Iraq were given away.
Many passers-by honked horns or gave peace signs in support. Two groups of people spontaneously joined the demonstrators. One mother stopped with her two small sons. Several Muslim students also decided to join the rally during their thirty minute wait for a seat at Red Lobster.
A woman from Germany who was visiting the United States talked with demonstrators and took pictures. She told the marchers that because of media bias, most Germans are unaware that there are Americans who are against war with Iraq. She said that she would submit the photos from the protest to a German newspaper so that they saw this side of America.
An employee from the Texas Lone Star Restaurant, with permission from his manager, brought over half a dozen large plastic cups of ice water for the demonstrators.
Support for the demonstrators' message was not unanimous. Some drivers flipped protestors off and others told them to "get a life" and get their "heads out of the sand." One driver repeatedly jumped the curb onto the sidewalk with his truck. He revved his engine and threatened to mow down the demonstrators. One woman, who had her back to the truck, would have been hit by the truck if her husband had not pushed her out of the way. Organizers of the demonstration called the police who took the down the driver's license of the truck and promised to pay the owner a visit. Demonstrators plan to follow-up on the officer's promise.
Another demonstration for peace and a resistance to war as a solution to terrorism will be held on the sidewalks at the corners of North Prospect and Marketview Streets from 2 - 4 pm on Saturday, October 19th.
The demonstration was sponsored by A.W.A.R.E., the Anti-War, Anti-Racism Effort. AWARE meets weekly from 5 - 7 pm at the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center, 218 W. Main St., in downtown Urbana. |
See also:
http://www.anti-war.net
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