Anti-war Rallies losing steam as activists regroup

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | April 5, 2003 | ADD SEYMOUR JR.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Mohammad Braiwish attended an antiwar teach-in at Emory University a week ago Saturday, a march on Sunday at Piedmont Park then a prayer vigil Monday in downtown Atlanta.

By Tuesday, the Georgia Tech graduate student and campus antiwar leader had had enough.

"I had to take a break," said Braiwish, head of Students Organized for Justice.

He's jumped back into the fray, but others have not. Demonstrations have become smaller and less frequent, slowing the momentum the local peace movement gained in the days immediately after the war started.

As a result, local antiwar activists are reassessing their strategy. Instead of raucous protests, many of the groups associated with the movement are searching for ways to educate the public about the war without appearing unpatriotic.

That mirrors what's happening nationally as many antiwar groups move away from events that disrupt daily life in an effort to appeal to mainstream Americans who aren't on the streets protesting in favor of or against the war. On Saturday peace activists planned to hold a candlelight vigil commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.

'Sign of maturity'

Don Reid, a member of the citywide Faculty Network for Peace and a professor at Georgia State University, said the period of reflection is a "sign of maturity in the antiwar movement."

"Once the war started, [the movement] has begun to shift a little," Reid said. "I think for the peace movement there has to be a concerted effort to educate the public about middle Eastern issues and analyze critically the various aims of the war. "

Izzy Moore's antiwar group, Peace Human, Environment, Animals and Drug Rights, had taken part in antiwar protests. Now he believes the peace movement should do as his group has done -- stop marching and start supporting.

"The time to protest the war was before the war started," he said. "Since the war has started, we have to get behind the troops and the president, even though I don't like the guy. I want peace, but once we dropped bombs, it became kind of pointless."

Most Americans agree with Moore, according to an ABC News/Washington Post telephone poll of 508 adults across the nation. On March 20, 53 percent strongly supported a war in Iraq. That rose to 58 percent a week later and has remained there.

There are still a bevy of metro area antiwar events, from weekly marches to teach-ins on college campuses. But the energy hasn't been the same.

Attendance waning

The weekly march at the Five Points intersection in downtown Atlanta has gone from a few hundred loud, sign-waving protesters two weeks ago to less than a fourth of that at a mostly-quiet event in the same spot Wednesday.

"It is kind of like in a downward spiral," said Issac Silver, head of Georgia State's Students Against War. "But it doesn't indicate a dwindling in the antiwar movement. I think people are definitely reassessing where we're headed."

"It's not surprising," said Fregano Ledgister, an assistant professor of political science at Clark Atlanta University. "I think right now, many of the people in the movement are starting to wonder what to do."

There have also been some signs of dissension among the roughly 25 groups that make up the Georgia Peace Coalition.

Efforts have been stepped up to have the groups meet and discuss their strategies. Representatives of 10 campus organizations met Thursday at Georgia State to figure out how they'll get on the same page while members of more established peace organizations held similar meetings last week.

"Social movements by nature are amorphous," Ledgister said. "The movement is simply the sum of these perspectives, so you'll have very different responses from these people."

Braiwish agreed and added that the groups must do a better job at working together.

"It's definitely time to put all the ideologies to the side," he said. "This is not the time to debate which ideology should take the lead. We all should unite in one voice."

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Linda Putz (R) squares off with an anti-war protestor at the head of march in opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in dowtown Los Angeles, March 30, 2003. Hundreds of the some 1,000 people chanted, 'support our troops, bring them home now' as they marched to a rally at the Federal Building. REUTERS/Jim Ruymen

German couple sporting matching peace signs listen to peace songs during an anti-war demonstration at the U.S. Rhine Main airbase on the outskirts of Frankfurt March 29, 2003. Some 2000 peace protestors blocked the entrance to the airbase as they demonstrated against the U.S.-led war in Iraq. REUTERS/Michael Dalder

Saddam's 'gruesome' Kuwaiti war crimes - Power drills, axes used at a dozen 'torture sites' during prior conflict

[goldstategop]

Its fizzled since the speed of the war and the low casualty toll has deprived the pro-Saddam folks of much of their raison de etre for opposition to the war. Plus no one wants to be associated with someone who's destined for the dustbin of history. Even the anti-America idiots can read the writing on the wall.

[Green Knight]

As a result, local antiwar activists are reassessing their strategy.

Better hurry up. Might not have anything to protest a week from now.

[xm177e2]

"The time to protest the war was before the war started," he said. "Since the war has started, we have to get behind the troops and the president, even though I don't like the guy. I want peace, but once we dropped bombs, it became kind of pointless."

Most Americans agree with Moore, according to an ABC News/Washington Post telephone poll of 508 adults across the nation. On March 20, 53 percent strongly supported a war in Iraq. That rose to 58 percent a week later and has remained there.

58 - 53 = 5%. Five percent. FIVE PERCENT of Americans apparently agree with Moore. 53% supported the war from the very start. 47% opposing the war is not MOST Americans agreeing with Moore. 5% changing their minds is not MOST Americans agreeing with Moore. What a load of crap.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Even the anti-America idiots can read the writing on the wall.

Hillary Clinton's staff walking that tightrope. What a photo.

Medea Benjamin, (R) of 'Code Pink for Peace' talks with Tamera Luzzatto, (L) Chief of Staff for Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) outside the senator's office at the Capitol in Washington March 6, 2003. Code Pink for Peace is in Washington to protest against the war in Iraq. The Senators office agreed to meet with the group later. Legislative correspondent Josh Alberts is in center. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump!

[Fresh Wind]

Mohammad Braiwish

This must be a typo. It must be "Mohammad Brainwish", or perhaps "Mohammad Brainwash". Either fits.

[MinuteGal]

In a few hours, I'll be off to a huge rally in Coachman's park across from Clearwater beach. Governor Jeb will be there to speak. A crowd of thousands is expected.

Can you just feel the air of electricity that will be in this park now that our troops pushed into the heart of Baghdad last night?

I'll bet the anti-war war morons won't dare to come within miles of this place.

Wish they would.

Leni

[Rain-maker]

Loser mentality and inept ethics = go home this sucks, these guys are fools.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Flopping like a beached blowfish:

Tue Apr 1,12:27 PM ET Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle told the press "We need to apply the same vigiliance and commitment that we're showing abroad to our anti-terrorism efforts here at home"(AFP/File/Shawn Thew)

[laz17]

Is the peace movement going into an operational pause?

I guess they need to take a week off to rewrite their peace plan.

Maybe they lost all their steam when they lost General Arnett. With no more reports of civilian casualties from him, they lost material for their arguments.

BWAHAHAHAHA!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

In a few hours, I'll be off to a huge rally in Coachman's park across from Clearwater beach. Governor Jeb will be there to speak. A crowd of thousands is expected.

Bump!

Bump!

Bump!

[Petronski]

It must be painful to be so very profoundly wrong, so abruptly abandoned by history. Or it should be painful.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

These anti-American losers hitched their wagons to Saddam's dying regime and should forever be associated with the horrors we will soon learn about the brutality inside Iraq.

[patriciaruth]

They're really going to wonder what they are doing when they play the tapes of Iraqi people in Baghdad yelling "I love Bush!" and "Bush okay" as the tanks roll by.

[twntaipan]

I do believe the peace movement has found itself in a quagmire!

[goldstategop]

Wrong. They aren't a peace movement. History will record the pro-Saddam movement expired of old age.

[Free_at_last_-2001]

Mork calling Orson, Mork calling Orson come in Orson...

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I'll give you a break by not posting a photo of Nancy Pelosi.

US Army soldiers run with their gear during an afternoon training session at a military base outside Kuwait city March 6, 2003. The Democratic Party lost an opportunity five months ago to avert the massive military buildup toward war against Iraq by failing to take a unified stand, U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said on March 7. Pelosi, a liberal California Democrat who voted against the October 2002 congressional resolution to back a possible U.S.-led war, told a foreign policy think tank that President George W. Bush 'is too far down the road and I don't think he's turning back.' (Oleg Popov/Reuters)

[Free_at_last_-2001]

'...that President George W. Bush 'is too far down the road and I don't think he's turning back.' - Great news!