Posted on 01/11/2003 6:53:22 AM PST by apackof2
Lansing group plans war protest Capitol rally aims to stop possible conflict with Iraq
A Lansing group opposed to a war with Iraq laid out plans Thursday for protests in Washington and in front of the state Capitol.
On the Web
The Progressive Challenge Project: www.ips-dc.org/citiesforpeace/
The Greater Lansing Network Against War in Iraq expects several hundred people to attend a peace walk and rally in front of the Capitol on Jan. 18, said the Rev. Fred Thelen, a member of the anti-war group.
Thelen said the anti-war movement is growing.
"I've been involved in peace and justice since the seminary, and I've never felt this kind of growing energy, positive energy," against a war, he said.
If the United States declares war on Iraq, the network plans to immediately hold a vigil in front of the state Capitol, said the Rev. Peter Dougherty, leader of the Michigan Peace Team, which has sent peace missionaries to Iraq and other countries during conflicts.
Some vigil participants might decide to stand in the way of traffic or commit other acts of civil disobedience, Dougherty said. "We believe civil resistance is a way of harnessing good energy to encourage the government to stay out of war with Iraq," Dougherty said. "The idea is to stop business as usual."
Representatives from the Lansing Police Department and the Michigan State Police weren't immediately available Thursday to comment on their guidelines to handle civil disobedience by protesters.
Some people who attended Thursday's meeting said the United States should especially avoid going to war with Iraq after U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix announced Thursday that no "smoking guns" have been found in inspectors' two months of searching Iraq for banned weapons.
Blix also told the United Nations Security Council that Iraq had acknowledged importing parts for its missile program, a violation of U.N. sanctions.
Ari Fleischer, press secretary to President Bush, said: "The problem with guns that are hidden is you can't see their smoke. ... We know for a fact that there are weapons there."
The Lansing peace network, which includes 38 organizations and around 3,000 people, also is planning to take 100 people to Washington on Jan. 18 to participate in a national protest against a war with Iraq, said Judith Bommer, who is organizing the trip.
"There's a confusion of what the war is about," she said. "People feel like the Iraqis haven't done anything to us and we're confusing the 9-11 situation and Saddam Hussein."
These people are really nut cases
Plan to stop traffic etc
Any servicemen/women Freepers please come in uniform
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS
I went to this site and I didn't find anything either
does make me wonder what is going on since there was no time for protest in the paper either
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