Students protest war

The sounds of activism and protest filled the air throughout the SCSU campus Wednesday afternoon as students participated in a walk-out/anti-war march hosted by CODEPINK SCSU, as well as a counterprotest.

CODEPINK SCSU president Breanna Swanberg said the purpose of the march was to raise awareness that students have the right to vocalize their opposition to the war.

"We object to end this war, we find it is illegal," she said. "We have lost about 3,400 American troops, and we don't know how many Iraqi civilians and insurgents have been killed, but it's estimated over 650,000."

Swanberg also said the march was to vocalize the need for additional troop assistance when they return from active duty.

"Our soldiers are getting screwed up, and then they come back and we don't offer them the necessary support to make sure they have the care that they need," she said.

Those participating in the march also expressed strong sentiments against President Bush's administration, touting signs that featured his face covered in skull and cross bones.

"We are not for this administration. I believe that the Bush administration has reinforced its funding for state sponsored terrorism on massive proportions and it's affecting our tuition and financial aid funding," Swanberg said.

Prior to the march, the group of protesters gathered in the Atwood Mall for a brief rally to kick off the event. The rally featured students grasping posters that read "War is expensive, peace is priceless," "How many lives per gallon?" as well as those with skull and crossbones and the symbol for peace.

Other visuals at the rally were two cardboard structures in the shape of coffins with the estimated death tolls of both U.S. soldiers and Iraqi citizens written on them.

In addition to the visuals, students were vocal at the rally, expressing their views on the war. One such student was more vocal than others.

"They say it's going to get better. It's not going to get better. Tell me what is different now than a year ago. Nothing, just more dead," said SCSU senior Alex Nester. "But next year we'll have the same opportunity to stand right here because the Democrats won't do s--t because they're not worried about us."

Following the rally, the student protesters began their march through campus, grasping their signs and screaming chants of "No more war," and "What do we want? Peace. When do we want it? Now."

The march's path began in Stewart Hall and moved to Brown Hall, the Wick Science Building, Engineering and Computing Center, Education Building, Miller Center, Administrative Services, Centennial Hall, through Atwood Memorial Center to Kiehle Visual Arts Center, back through Stewart Hall, the Business Building and then returned to the Atwood Mall.

Through the entire march the participants screamed their slogans, except for a brief time in the Miller Center where the protesters lowered their volume to a whisper.

All the while, the group was met with honks from cars passing by, as well as support from faculty and students alike. The group's numbers nearly doubled during the march, growing from the original 30-plus at the Atwood Mall to more than 60 participants at its largest point.

Among the marchers was SCSU student Ben Lucht and his 5-year-old daughter, Jade, who was just as vocal as anyone else expressing her desire for peace. Lucht said he and his daughter were marching to help bring an end to what he considered a senseless war.

"We want peace, we want out of the war right now," he said. "It's a pointless war and we're spending all our money and all our troops lives for no reason."

The demonstration was met with little opposition aside from a handful of students who remained silent at the Atwood Mall for the duration of the march holding signs of support for the war effort.

College Republican Treasurer Bill Jacobsen was one of those in opposition to the march and said the group remained stationary and silent to avoid additional classroom interruptions that he felt were caused by the march. "We didn't want to be disruptive to classes going on, we feel we could have a more positive impact being silent and not following them through classrooms, making noise and clutter, distracting people who are trying to learn."

Jacobsen said he opposed the march because he believed it was necessary for the country to stay the course in Iraq. "We need to stay in Iraq, support our troops, don't under-fund them, let them do the job they need to do so we can get out," he said.

Although Jacobsen recognized the protesters right to express their beliefs, he said he thought some aspects of their demonstration were in bad taste. "There is nothing wrong with being peaceful but some of the signs, the President Bush with skull and crossbones and the coffins, I find them very disrespectful," he said.

Josiah Overfros, vice president of the College Republicans, agreed and said the U.S. presence is necessary in Iraq to help their young democracy grow. "We need to establish infrastructure in Iraq in order for them to do their job, we need to help the Iraqis do what they can, get their police force out, get their military out and the utilities so they're able to run their own country."

Each felt very strongly a premature withdrawal would be catastrophic for Iraq. "I wouldn't be surprised if it would become a terrorist state (if the U.S. withdrew forces) and they're going to be condoning terrorist extremists," Overfors said. "The Iraqi's want a free country, they want to vote and I'm confident they'll be able to do that once they can support themselves."

Following the march Swanberg said she felt it went well and was already planning for future events. "We're going to Camp Casey to protest with Cindy Sheehan and activists from around the nation for Bush's Easter dinner," she said.

In addition, Swanberg said Codepink is working on a lobbying platform that would improve conditions for soldiers when they return from the conflict. Included in the platform is legislation to improve testing for depleted uranium, increase funding for mental health care and overall health care as well as work toward improving the GI Bill.