Anti-war sentiments and picketed protests will echo throughout several worldwide locations tomorrow, Madison being one of them.

Stop the War!, along with other local anti-war organizations, are sponsoring the rally.

A group of Stop the War! members are also letting their voices be heard in Washington D.C., where the largest anti-war demonstration since the Vietnam era is scheduled to occur this weekend.

Eric Chow, a main organizer of the Madison rally, said Madison is an ideal city in which to hold such a demonstration, pointing out that it possesses the ability to emerge as an influential, leading city in helping to prevent an Iraqi attack.

“It’s our job to take it to the next step and let the government know there are a lot of people who don’t want the war,” he said. “It’s especially important here in Madison, where we have such a strong history.”

With the aid of the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice and its parent organization, the Madison Area Peace Coalition, Stop the War! has spread its word far outside the Madison-area realm.

Chow expects crowds from all over Wisconsin and other surrounding states.

“I think it’s going to be pretty big,” Chow said.

In addition to picketing, several guest speakers will express their opinions regarding the Iraq situation. Stop the War! will also connect with its members in the D.C. protests throughout the day.

Approximately 110 people, half of which are University of Wisconsin students, will arrive in Washington D.C., where hundreds upon thousands of protesters are expected to march from the Vietnam Memorial to the White House.

“I’m excited to go join all the people who are part of a growing peace movement,” said UW freshman Josh Healey who will participate in the D.C. rally.

Melea Carvlin, a member of Stop the War!, said the ideas for such a huge rally have been formulating since early summer, and through word-of-mouth and Internet servers, the number of participants grew.

“The response has been huge,” Carvlin said.

Sari Long, who will also march in tomorrow’s protest, feels that the sheer number of protestors will reach out to those citizens and politicians who are on the fence in regard to an attack on Iraq.

She said she hopes that such a mass movement will teach and inspire these people to take an active stance against war.

“I think there’s just an energy when you get all those people together,” Long said.

Carvlin, Healey and Long all said that war is dire for numerous reasons. They suggested that not only will an attack on Iraq violate international law, but it will result in mass human casualties.

In addition, they said they find the practices of President Bush hazardous to world safety.

Carvlin also said that although Bush may be using international safety as an excuse for war, Carvlin suggested Bush sees war as a way to achieve a stronger economic position.

In addition to the rallies in Madison and D.C., protests will be held in San Francisco and several cities in Great Britain and Japan.

Carvlin said she hopes that with the large numbers of people, the media will pick up on the protests, which will in turn catch the eye of politicians.

The media has indeed picked up on the current onslaught of war protests.

In fact, a recent Stop the War! rally was pictured in The New York Times in its story covering the surge in youthful actions against war.

Healey made it into the picture, but feels that his 15 minutes of fame are beside the point.

“The most important thing is that we’re getting the word out nationally,” he said.