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News :: Protest Activity |
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3/20 - Campustown Erupts In Protest |
Current rating: 0 |
by Matt Reichel
Email: reichel (nospam) uiuc.edu (unverified!)
Phone: (217) 766-9393 |
27 Mar 2003
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On the day after War on Iraq began, students, faculty, and residents of Champaign-Urbana took part in the biggest local Anti-War demonstration since the Vietnam War era.
I think that Thursday, March 20th will go down as an important day in the history of C-U peace activism!
The noon rally was fantastic: a superb speaker list that was topped off by a surprise visit by the legendary Jello Biafra. You simply can't beat that.
Then, the peace community successfully heeded the call for civil disobedience throughout the country.
All Photos Copyright 2003/John Fettig |
While 15,000 protestors in Chicago shut down traffic on Lake Shore Drive and the Kennedy Expressway, 20,000 protestors closed down the Financial district in San Francisco, Berkeley students occupied administrative offices, and UT-Austin students caused all campus classes to be cancelled for the remainder of the week, at the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign campustown traffic was ground to a halt for the better part of four hours. Peaceful protestors occupied several intersections in the immediate campustown area, while also marching through and disrupting normal operations in several campustown buildings. The spirit of these protestors was pristine, caring, and uniting. Never did anyone act in a way that hindered the overall effort, and, amazingly, there were zero arrests.
My personal favorite moments:
Photo#1 above
1) Seeing one of the large accordian MTD buses unsuccessfully attempt a U-turn on Green street. An MTD tow truck had to be called in.
2) Marching through the Union despite the doomed attempt of Union Administration to stop the 400 person march. It turns out that the reason for wanting to stop us is that a Corporate media job fair was being held in the main ballroom. We ended up marching through the job fair, which caused several of the outfits to pack up and leave. The pro-war Chicago Tribune left in a heartbeat.
Photo#2 above
3) The return to the alma-mater. After about 2.5 hours of marching, the protest returned to the alma mater where several students jumped on the statue. One fellow jumped on the shoulders of the alma mater and waved his upside-down American flag. I held an "Impeach Bush" sign and
led the crowd in a brief "Impeach Bush" chant.
4) The March through Beckman Hall, where 5 floors of supporters came out to cheer on the effort.
Photo#3 above
5) Suffocating the front of WCIA with protestors who were demanding to know why the Corporate media wasn't out to viedotape the shutting down of Green Street traffic.
In all, the whole thing was beyond words. I talked to a professor who said that he's been here for 13 years and never seen anything like it. I've been here for 4 years, and certainly seen nothing like it.
Hopefully we can keep this immense peace movement we got going on over here alive and strong and that we can end this war SOON and importantly leave a legacy that says "The American people will NOT put up with violent and undiplomatic foreign policy from its leadership. We are a
people that want principled leadership that sees human dignity as a central goal." |
See also:
http://www.uiuc.edu/ro/peaceaction
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Comments
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Re: 3/20 - Campustown Erupts In Protest |
by Jack Ryan
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 3
29 Mar 2003
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On the day the war began, I was hoping that true Americans, would in their own way pray for the safety of our soldiers. Most did. A few, nostalgic for their days in the 60's or who heard stories about how great their protesting days were, sought out, conflict. They sought out companionship that has eluded them throughout their days in college. To get it, they were willing to turn against all that are fighting for them and all those who died to give them this right.
It saddens me and true Americans that you have taken this action. Go back to trying to get rid of the Chief because this one will do harm to our fighting men and women.
Jack |
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Re: 3/20 - Campustown Erupts In Protest |
by Joe Piscopo
nirvana84208 (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
07 Apr 2003
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I agree with Jack, however, for different reasons. Anti-war movements are not keeping our "fighting men and women" down in morale. That's because anti-war demonstrators are finally starting to realize that it's not at the fault of our brothers and sisters, it's at the fault of the government. No one is attacking the soldiers involved in the war. In fact, they are supporting them constantly. However, protesting does not do anything. It didn't work in Vietnam, and it's not going to work now. The government is so simple-minded, that the truth that protestors are telling is going in one ear and out the other. I know it sounds like a bad attitude, but there's nothing to be done. So let's just hope that casualties are down, and our government doesn't start a government in Iraq (post-war) that's as corrupt as our own. |
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Re: 3/20 - Campustown Erupts In Protest |
by Mike
guitarism9 (nospam) aol.com (unverified) |
Current rating: -2
13 Apr 2003
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I would hardly call a "crowd" of about 120 people in a metroplitan area of over 100,000 an eruption. But if it makes you feel more self important, go for it! |
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Obviously, You Weren't There |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
13 Apr 2003
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Mike, you must not have been here. The crowds during the campus protest numbered around 1,000 particpants and more than 300 attended a vigil later in the evening. Many streets were blocked by the marches, which the police could do nothing about other than stop traffic to ensure safety, since the crowd was so large. If there had been only a handful of people doing this, they might have been arrested. Since the crowd was far larger than you suggest, the police had no choice but to adjust to the fact that they were outnumbered by the masses of protestors. Observors who know what they are talking about agree that these local protests were the largest since the Vietnam War.
In addition, sheer numbers in the streets don't tell the whole story of opposition to this war. Politicans often say that every letter they get represents between 10 and 100 people who feel the same way, but who don't write. I'll leave it to you to figure out how the strength of the crowds represents the many other people who couldn't be there. |
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Re: 3/20 - Campustown Erupts In Protest |
by Mike
guitarism9 (nospam) aol.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
17 Apr 2003
Modified: 08:06:19 AM |
Dear "Obviously you weren't there"
Not only was I there, I was one of the unfortunate ones who had to escort this little cadre of misfits all over town. While I was doing so, out of boredom, I counted them. With all the milling about and repeating thirty year old chants ("1,2,3,4, we don't want your *#@!!ing war") I was able to estimate the number somewhere between 120 and 130. Anyone who estimated this crowd at 1000 is apparently a walking example of outcome based education. The follow-up protest a week and a half later at the Alma Mater statue drew a staggering 35 attendees. Keep deluding yourself if you like but it makes you look silly. |
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More Photos |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
17 Apr 2003
Modified: 05:42:37 PM |
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Picture #1
That afternoon, the crowds were moving along, with people coming and going all the time. Here's another picture from John Fettig, in which the crowd looks like it's obviously higher than your estimate. There are lots more pictures from John at this link so people can make up there own minds:
http://salty.ncsa.uiuc.edu/gallery/dayofwar
Not everyone marched from the Quad, but it was a lot more than the maximum of 130 that you suggest.
Picture #2 and #3
Here's another picture of the scene where the MTD bus was turned back on Green St. Looks like the visible crowd in the street is a little closer to your estimate from what can be seen, but there were also lots of people who marched along and didn't get in the street.
I have a feeling from your comments that in your mind protestors equal those in the street who equal lawbreakers (they weren't, as people, as well as cars, have a right to the public right-of-way and no one was arrested) and anybody who you didn't immediately consider to be a lawbreaker didn't count as a protestor. Both at the Quad event and at the West Side Park event there were far more than a "number somewhere between 120 and 130." The march connected the two events, but obviosulynot everyone attended both or used the match to get from one to the other.
Here's a link to pictures from the West Side Park vigil and another iteration of the march, which by this time, many hours later, had dwindled to approximately the numbers you mentioned:
http://www.ucimc.org/feature/display/10462/index.php
I get the feeling that police intelligence is a lot like military intelligence: it exaggerates or underestimates the opposition according to the desired public relations message it wants to send at particular times to suit its needs, just as you have done here. I'll bet the next time your department has to justify buying some riot shields and tear gas, the number of protestors you are quoting to us today will balloon to closer to the upper estimate of crowd size mentioned here with something like, "there were a thousand of them that day and we really need this gear in case it happens again..." as a justification to fulfill your desire.
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Re: 3/20 - Campustown Erupts In Protest |
by Mike
guitarism9 (nospam) aol.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 3
18 Apr 2003
Modified: 10:04:44 AM |
OK...My Mother taught me a long timer ago never to argue with a fool as others may not be able to tell the difference. For the sake of brevity, (a virtue that you are sorely lacking) I will ignore most of your rant I will leave you with this:
Look at the overhead shot you have of the protest with the group walking by the MTD bus. This is the only one that is at all helpful in estimating the number of persons present. Now, count, better yet, have a friend count, the number of people that can be seen walking by the bus. You'll find that there are about 120 people there. I think even frequent visitors to this sight will know to ignore those people either watching or going from one class to another along the sidewalks.
On a final note: There are always good arguments to be made against going to war. And there should always be vigorous and intelligent debate about anything this important. However, it damages your credibility when you can't even get the small things right. Even if you count every person in that overhead shot, bystanders and observers and undercover police officers included, the number does NOT even approach 500 let alone 1000 people. Sorry, it just doesn't. Take care and good luck. |
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Re: 3/20 - Campustown Erupts In Protest |
by Jack Ryan
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 1
20 Apr 2003
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Mike,
It is useless to argue with the all powerful ML. As you will note, you defeated her with facts and another less challenging article is always coming along. Take Care Dude,
Jack |
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