Sparse protest marks Iraq milestone

With mock corpses, flag-draped coffins and photos of the country's dead soldiers, students gathered on McKeldin Mall yesterday afternoon and demanded an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops.

To commemorate the fourth year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003, an estimated 200 students gathered throughout the day in a call for peace. However, many of those students only joined the protest momentarily, causing the rally to appear much smaller.

"We are up to our necks in it now, but no escalation is needed," said Daniel Dykes, a sophomore sociology major. "'Stay the course' will only bloody America's image."

After the deaths of more than 3,000 American soldiers and daily attacks that continue to plague Iraq's efforts for stability, students at yesterday's rally said they could not suppress their outrage any longer.

The students' shouts of protest were heard across the mall. With chants like "Fight for jobs and education, not for war and occupation!" and "This racist war has got to go," students spread across the mall, beating buckets and metal pots.

Around 1:30 p.m., the rally moved beyond the sundial when the group marched across campus, carrying cardboard coffins decorated with American and Iraqi flags above their heads. The group of 50 made its way over to Stamp Student Union and eventually to the Administration building, where the rally caused a temporary lockdown of the building.

"We hope this sends a message to the U.S. Congress that the U.S. people, especially students, want soldiers to come home because they are in harm's way and not helping in Iraq right now," said Sam Tannouri, a senior neurobiology and physiology major.

Senior Mohamed Abulateb has voiced his opposition to the Iraq War since the first Coalition troops mounted on Iraq's borders more than four years ago. Since then, he has not stopped his fight for peace.

"There are many people with family and friends dying in the war...we are not going to forget [them], no matter how many miles separate us," Abulateb said. "I consider it my duty...to stand up for what's right."

The rally, organized by a coalition of five student groups including the Peace Forum, Feminists Without Borders and the Muslim Student Association, comes during dwindling national support for the war.

But the students' actions may be too little and too late.

"Types of protest of this scale and size will have relatively small impact. Protests on the war in Iraq have been nowhere near size or scope of the Vietnam War," said Geoff Layman, a university political science assistant professor. "A small protest on a college campus will not have much impact. It needs to be bigger and involve a wider range of people than just students."

The demonstration was part of a weeklong call-to-arms to focus students' attention on the war. On Tuesday, Muslim students and Iraq War veterans discussed the war on a joint panel. A gathering of nationwide protesters has camped on the National Mall throughout this week, with Maryland student organizations planning to join them on Friday night. The week will climax on Saturday with a march to the Pentagon.

"It's going to take more than one protest," said Stephanie Tucker, a junior psychology major, while holding a sign protesting the U.S. "occupation" in Iraq. "But I can't live with myself if I do nothing."

As onlookers passed by, they glanced at protesters and momentarily absorbed the conflict before continuing on to their destinations.

"It's great to see people coming together to show support," said Jennie Canter, a junior communication major who was watching from McKeldin Library's front steps. "It's inspiring."

While student organizers found the rally to be a success, some students questioned its purpose and impact.

"It's a waste of time," said Tony Jondo, a junior fire protection engineering major. "It won't help. It won't have any effect on Bush or the Democratic presidential candidates."

Activist Katie Murray, a senior English major, has rallied at several anti-war protests, following the path of her mother, who is currently staging a sit-in at the office of Sen. Barbara Mikulsky (D-Md.) to demand the senator vote against any increases in war funding. While Murray does not support the war, she did not agree with the rally's message of immediate withdrawal.

"I don't think we should have gotten into it. We should have stayed in Afghanistan and fought terrorism. Now that we are there I think we need to stay there," Murray said. "I had friends who joined the army to pay for college, and they're dead now. They joined to support their families, and now the families have to deal with this loss."

Contact reporters Mark Cullip and Kristi Tousignant at newsdesk@dbk.umd.edu.