UW-Madison students are voicing opposition to war with Iraq.
Stop the War!, the student/youth caucus of the Madison Area Peace Coalition, began a series of anti-war events with a teach-in Tuesday at the Humanities Building. Speakers discussed reasons and tactics for an anti-war movement in Madison.
Alanna Blecha, a UW-Madison senior and group member, emphasized a need for education and action.
\We really believe that a grassroots movement is going to stop the war,"" she said.
Concurrently, anti-war activists took action Tuesday at Sen. Herb Kohl's [D-Wis.] Madison office. According to Matthew Rothschild, editor of Progressive Magazine who spoke at the teach-in, protesters intend to stay until Kohl, who has yet to take a public stance on war, announces an anti-war opinion. Similar protests have occurred at his offices throughout Wisconsin.
Stop the War! will host a rally today at 4:30 p.m. on Library Mall.
Rothschild said that Bush is ""exploiting our emotions.""
""We're being emotionally railroaded into believing that this man, Saddam Hussein, is going to attack the U.S.,"" he said.
Rothschild also said he believes Bush wants to continue raising expectations for Hussein so that war will appear imminent.
Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor of the International Socialist Organization shared similar sentiments, saying Bush is using a possible war with Iraq to make a statement about the future of U.S. foreign policy by sending a message to the Axis of Evil. Taylor also raised issue with Bush's idea of regime change in Iraq.
""It is up to the Iraqi people to determine their own fate, to fight for their own freedom,"" she said.
Panelists compared the current anti-war movement to Vietnam protests and emphasized the early start of this movement.
Max Elbaum, a peace activist and author of ""Revolution in the Air,"" said most Americans oppose a war in Iraq. While it may not yet be active, the anti-war movement must position itself for the future.
""When a movement really takes off, people will come for all sorts of reasons,"" he said. ""It has to do with positioning ourselves when people get ready to turn to you.""
Elbaum said people outside the United States are against a war but will not receive the same media attention as anti-war efforts domestically.
""Demonstrations in London of 400,000 are blacked out in the U.S.,"" he said. ""Demonstrations in Madison of 2,000 are broadcast all over.\
