Peace Coalition draws the line on U.S.-led attack against Iraq

The Repository (Canton, Ohio) ^ | March 18, 2003 | JAN H. KENNEDY

[ResistorSister]

CANTON — The face of war was symbolically drawn on Stark County concrete Monday night three hours after President Bush gave Iraqi President Saddam Hussein a 48-hour deadline to leave the country or come under attack.

Colored chalk outlines of bodies, similar to those at police scenes, appeared on sidewalks and parking lots in Canton, at Canton Centre and Westfield Shoppingtown Belden Village malls, the Strip, libraries, The Repository, hotels and other places where people will see them the first thing in the morning.

Fifteen members of the Stark County Peace Coalition created the symbolic drawings in protest of the looming war with Iraq, said Jeff Seemann, president of the group.

“We mean no harm to the businesses we drew in front of; we just want people to see the casualties this (war) will bring,” he said. “We hope that what we did Monday night can help shed some light on the fact that innocent people will die because of this.

“In the rush for war, the public seems to forget what is going to happen with this war,” he said. “We’re used to seeing long-distance images of explosions, but we rarely get to see the images of the aftermath of those explosions.”

A group member drew an outline around another member lying on the ground, then wrote statements identifying the symbolic bodies:

• “Innocent Iraqi baby”

• “Innocent Iraqi father”

• “Innocent American soldier”

• “Innocent Iraqi mother”

Before grabbing chalk and hitting the streets, the group gathered to watch President George W. Bush’s address to Americans at 8 p.m.

“We had planned the protest early in the day, but the speech fired us up,” Seemann said. “We were very disappointed.”

SYMBOLIC VICTIM OF WAR. Cathy Lally draws a chalk
line around Chris Lewis while Jeff Seemann, president
of the Stark County Peace Coalition, writes “U.S. Soldier”
on the sidewalk in front of The Repository on Monday night.

Seemann chose places where people would see the outlines first thing in the morning.

“We’re hitting the Starbucks stores in Belden Village and the Strip and Panera’s, where people will be going to get their coffee in the morning, the main branch and North Branch of the Stark County District Library, the Marriott hotel downtown, Central Catholic and several other high schools,” he said.

“We completely disagree, but we understand why Bush and his administration want to go to war,” he said. “They don’t seem to understand why we want peace.”

The group was formed a month and two days ago, Seemann said.

“Our first rally was on the square on Feb. 15, and we’ve had three other rallies. This is our fourth action,” he said.

You can reach Repository writer Jan H. Kennedy at (330) 580-8325 or e-mail:

jan.kennedy@cantonrep.com

[ResistorSister]

Our youngest son saw one of their chalk drawings when he entered his school. He told me that he thought some kids did the drawings and wrote the words.

[prairiebreeze]

He told me that he thought some kids did the drawings and wrote the words.

I think he was right.

Prairie