Posted on 04/20/2003 6:40:18 AM PDT by ozone1
Vocal, Civil Protests 300 march in city opposing war
By MECHELE COOPER, Staff Writer
Copyright © 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
AUGUSTA — A truck driver on Saturday leaned on his air horn in support of United States' forces in Iraq as he drove between anti-war protesters marching down Western Avenue and pro-troop ralliers waving American flags across the street from the Muskie federal building.
The rig's bellowing sound and motorists who drove past honking their horns in a show of support for the troops drowned out counter-chants from demonstrators who faced off at the corner of Sewall Street and Western Avenue.
"They have more people, but we have a lot more support," said Chuck Mahaleris, 36, a free-lance writer from Augusta who helped organize the pro-troops rally.
"This weekend, a lot of people are with families, and we're here because a lot of soldiers couldn't be with their families. They've volunteered to put themselves in harm's way for me, and I have a great deal of respect for that."
More than 300 protesters turned out for a short pre-rally at the state Capitol before they marched through Augusta's west side.
Carrying a sign that says "George, You Have Been Very, Very Bad" Susan Connery, 43, marched with other peace advocates to the beat of a kettle drum on wheels that led the parade of flags and banners down Capitol Street to Western Avenue and to Sewall Street.
Timothy Sullivan, 34, of Rockport, one of the organizers of the anti-war protest, said the Maine-based Coalition to Stop the War — which includes the Maine Council of Churches, the Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine and the Maine Green Independent Party —wants to make it known that aggression and violence abroad only increase the terrorist threat around the globe.
"President Bush is using Sept. 11 as a pretext to war," Sullivan said Saturday while Edwin Star's song "War" played in the background. "They've made the American people think we are vulnerable, but in fact, these wars are making us less safe and more vulnerable."
Expecting 500 people to show up for the peace march, law enforcement agencies here called in additional personnel for traffic detail and crowd control. Augusta Police Lt. Dennis Passmore said the extra officers were prepared for anything.
"We got officers to deal with the parade for safety reasons ...," Passmore said. "Other than that, it was business as usual."
Capitol Security Director Donald Suitter said prior to the march that he didn't expect any trouble from anti-war protesters.
"These are Maine people who are tolerant and respectful of people's rights," Suitter said.
Sullivan said his group is suing the city of Augusta for an unconstitutional ordinance covering parades and mass gatherings. He said the city charged his group $1,156 for a permit to march, which is being held in escrow pending the outcome of the lawsuit.
"It's unconstitutional to charge us for our right to free speech," he said. Members of the Bangor chapter of Veterans for Peace were there in protest of the Bush administration. Ronald Warner, 51, a disabled Vietnam veteran from Bangor who belongs to the group, said he is outraged by the administration's $5.3 billion reduction in federal funding for veteran's health benefits.
"It's an outrage that in the middle of a war our president is proposing massive cuts in VA funding," Warner said. "Bush is a hypocrite."
Another member of the group, Robert McElwain, 58, of Eddington said 200,000 troops who fought in the Gulf War filed disability claims to the VA for health-related problems.
"The VA doesn't have enough money to deal with the Gulf War vets," McElwain said. "Now these cuts are going to create greater problems. It's heartbreaking to me because I know they'll have health problems when they come back from Iraq."
A West Gardiner woman joined the peace march Saturday because she said there has been much propaganda against anti-war protesters. Robin Spencer, 46, a social worker, said she supports the troops and feels sorry for the young men and women because they are being exposed to depleted uranium from the bombs dropped in Iraq.
"That doesn't make the news," Spencer said Saturday at the pre-rally.
Mechele Cooper — 623-3811, Ext. 408
mcooper@centralmaine.com
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| Counterprotesters wave flags and signs at the corners of Sewall Street and Western Avenue in Augusta during an anti-war demonstration on Saturday |
Notice no # for pro troops side?
Heck I live in the middle of the corn fields and we had 300 at a rally for the troops Sat.
The war is over!
We don't use depleted uranium in bombs, do we? And if we do, we're certainly not dropping them on our young men and women.
I thought depleted uranium was used in anti-tank shells and other smaller weapon systems.
The war is over!
Maybe you can tell them that the presidential election is also OVER.
How many people would it take to pee on it first?
This is the state where some of its "high minded" teachers attacked children of military personnel while their parents are serving. Tolerant and respectful DOES NOT describe their behavior. Someone should tell these protesters that we had the war, we won, we are "moving on" now, one of their favorite phrases!
So are our regime change operations in Haiti and Serbia. How come they still aren't holding signs up over that? Oh....I forgot they never were.
That's all the war protestors CAN do.........BLOW WIND! They are ALL full of hot air!
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