Posted on 01/16/2005 5:56:44 AM PST by clyde asbury
Published on: Sunday, Jan 16, 2005
On the one-year anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq, hundreds gathered in Fayetteville for what some called the city's largest peace rally since the Vietnam War.
Even more people are expected for the second anniversary.
A rally set for March 19 at Rowan Park is being advertised nationally by United for Peace and Justice. On its Web site, the group is promoting a ''major regional protest in Fayetteville, N.C.''
The day after the rally, Iraq Veterans Against the War plans to hold its national convention here. Mike Hoffman, a former Marine who lives near Philadelphia, is the group's national coordinator.
''People talk constantly about numbers and strategy,'' he said. ''They're forgetting the individual stories of people.''
Organizers said the highlight of last year's rally was the stories from veterans and military families. Chuck Fager said he expects veterans, military families and perhaps even active-duty soldiers to give talks this year.
Fager is director of the Quaker House, an organization that helps soldiers who want to leave the military. It helped plan last year's rally. This year, the Quaker House and Fayetteville Peace for Justice decided to invite people back. Other groups sponsoring the rally include the North Carolina Peace and Justice Coalition, North Carolina Council of Churches, Military Families Speak Out, Bring Them Home Now and Veterans for Peace.
Lou Plummer, co-founder of Fayetteville Peace for Justice, said one of the main reasons he supports the rally is that he has friends and family serving in the military.
''This is my hometown; I grew up here,'' he said. ''This war is not something abstract I read about in the newspaper. It touches my life in a small way every day.''
Plummer and Fager said this year's rally will be similar to last year's. It will start with a march and feature speakers, music, poetry, art and dancing. Fager is hoping for a celebrity speaker.
Last year, many people were scared to come to Fayetteville, Fager said. But the rally - and counterdemonstration across the street - passed without incident.
''People who wanted to come last time but were too nervous to do it probably won't be so nervous this time,'' Fager said.
Fager said it is difficult to measure the rally's influence, but he and other war protesters receive support whenever they are out.
They held their last Fayetteville peace vigil in November.
''We had the same reaction then that we've had since the summer of 2003,'' he said, ''more favorable responses than unfavorable. That reinforces our sense that there are a growing number of people uneasy about the war.''
Plummer said last year's rally was effective because it gave people a voice.
''It was not effective in that we're still in Iraq,'' he said. ''If this rally doesn't help stop the war, we'll have one next year, but I hope not. I want this to be the last one.''
Staff writer Allison Williams can be reached at williamsa@fayettevillenc.com or 323-4848, ext. 331. Copyright 2005 The Fayetteville (NC) Observer
ping
Ft. Bragg, right?
I listened to the speakers last year from the FReeper sky box....... a continuous litany of losers explianing self esteem derived from personal failure. A pathetic group extolling a long gone past with no clue about the future.
Nasty little turds, doing that to our military families. Can't make any promises but if a trip gets organized, I'd like to get pings to that.
From last year's after action report...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1102629/posts
Some who joined us were:
Old North State Chapter:
Constitution Day
mykdsmom
TaxRelief
Huber
TaxDeduction2
TaxDeduction3
Helms
Congressman Billybob
dstarr (and her sister, daughter and husband)
IAmNotAnAnimal
rrrod (and fiancee)
Vinnie (and wife)
Clyde Asbury
funnynurse (new FReeper)
DC Chapter:
kristinn
Doctor Raoul
tgslTakoma
Daughter of tgsl
Angelwood (and husband)
BufordP
BillF
Taxman
always free
SC Chapter:
Dixie Sass
SC Swamp Fox
upchuck (and dog Snoopy)
Mattma
Hillarys Gate Cult
Citizens Coalition For Responsible Media:
bert
Liberty Post:
Cal
Fred Mertz (and his Army buddy)
Darth Sidious
Virginia Beach, VA Protest Warrior Chapter Leader:
hockeyfreak
Last but not least:
Longtime lurker 'Proud AF Dad' who did a very nice thing for a young military wife whose husband was recently deployed.
I will let him share that if he wishes.
3 posted on 03/21/2004 8:45:11 PM EST by Constitution Day (No, mykdsmom is NOT my wife...)
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Here we go again... Can you pull the permit for the hill on Tuesday, Clyde?
Right.
ping
A quick call when the chief's admin gets in in the am, then the rest is a whenever.
It should be about the same, at the most 15 or 20 more...
I vote that STATES be put on titles that have city names!
How many Fayettevilles are in the USA?
My second pet-peeve is CA - Is it Canada? California?
Or how about PA? Pennsylvania or the Palestine Authority -- of course lately they are begining to be one and the same anti-America terrorist states.
A little question for your Sunday after-paper coffee time.
But there is only one Fayetteville in FReepville...It's like cheese, or hugh or series...
My first thought was Fayetteville, Arkansas!
Home of the leftist 'elites' at the UofA. If anything communist leaning happens in Arkansas, you will find in the credits: University of Arkansas ---- all taxes, and leftist acitvism comes from the UofA and it is all taxpayer paid for. Even Accenture, inc - clinton's tax and accounting thieves are tied with the UofA. Want leftist voting scandal? See accenture & UofA!
But then --- guess where I live now?!
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