A group of nearly 100 students met in Library Mall Tuesday and marched up State Street to face the City Council in its meeting Tuesday evening. The march was in support of a Madison City Council resolution opposing a preemptive strike on Iraq.
The rally was organized by the Madison Area Peace Coalition, with support from the groups Stop The War! and Food Not Bombs and the radio station WORT.
“We’re here to build a movement,” said junior Josh Healey of Stop the War!, who led the march with a megaphone to the accompaniment of drums and chanting. “This war is not good for Iraqis. It’s not good for Americans. We need to tell our alderpersons.”
With help from the Madison police, who blocked off intersections and redirected traffic along the route, the march went smoothly and safely for the ralliers.
“There was a small conflict. They didn’t have the release they needed,” said Sgt. Charles Weiss of the Madison police. “We kind of found out on the fly.”
The marchers rekindled memories of the Halloween riots at one point with the chant of, “Whose street? Our street,” but according to Weiss, “There were absolutely no problems. I don’t think these are the same people as the rioters.”
The students were met at the Municipal Building by a larger group of supporters who joined them prior to the City Council meeting for chanting and speeches on the steps.
Speakers included Will Williams, a Vietnam veteran, who compared his past war experiences to the conflict today.
“I, too, was naíve to what this country was doing before I went to Vietnam,” Williams said. “It’s up to the people to stop this quest. You can read, and you can see the truth.”
Switching gears, Williams also told the audience, “People in war are considered collateral damage.”
Williams believed this point was proven when “the [United States] began the mass murder of nuclear weapons.”
In addition to hearing the speakers, the crowd was offered free food, bumper stickers, buttons and other paraphernalia. Students were also asked to sign up for an upcoming walkout on campus.
“We are very pleased that Mayor Sue Bauman and Alder Matt Sloan have taken this step to express our city’s opposition to this war,” said Barbara Smith, MAPC member.
Healy agreed, saying, “This is just the next step,” in reference to the council’s resolution.
“This movement is getting bigger and bigger,” he said.
Healy continued by challenging students, in particular ROTC students: “Ask yourself if you’d want to go fight and kill people across the world for large oil companies.”
The ROTC offices were closed for the night when contacted for a response.
Williams said later he especially wanted students to know that “it’s better to stand up and be knocked down than to not stand up at all. If you stand up for the antiwar movement, you’re a true patriot.”
