UW-Madison students abroad continue to witness firsthand the international effects of the war in Iraq. Students from across the globe shared their experiences with The Daily Cardinal.
[The war] is pretty much everything you read about in the paper, see on the news and talk to other people about. The French government is strongly opposed to the war, so any news you hear from them is why it's a bad idea. It's given me a different perspective on the American government's policy.
A couple of days ago I was walking around by the American Embassy and police had blocked off about six city blocks. I asked them what was going on and they said they were \protecting the American Embassy."" That was probably the moment when it hit home that something really could happen.
Every time we have a security meeting I get a little nervous, but so far there has been no reason to feel unsafe. It doesn't take very much just to blend in, and if you do that no one will bother you.
There is much anti-American sentiment and you see it expressed in political graffiti multiple times in a downtown block. Many times the anti-American sentiment is not so explicit but rather is expressed
in ambivalence and skepticism toward me.
The participants [of anti-war efforts] are of all ages, yet the majority are in their 20s. All manifestations take place directly in front of, or lead up to, the U.S. Embassy.
Ecuador consists of, overall, a very Catholic yet also socially aware population. To hear Bush saying God is supporting him ... makes them think he has no soul. Everyone I know here, be it a struggling anarchist college student or a pompous divorced businessman ... is anti-war. They see [Bush] as an imperialist and a fascist.
I feel safer than if I were in the United States right now. Here it is not like the in the United States where the government trains us
in paranoia.
[Spanish President] Jose Maria Aznar and the government have taken a very pro-Bush stance on the war, and continue to pledge support for it. This is despite the fact that the Spanish people are very much opposed to the war and George Bush in general. Spain has a very large Muslim population, and the war has detrimental effects on the tourism industry here, which are some of the reasons that the Spanish people are so against it.
Classes are continually being canceled because of protests. I am frequently approached by people in class, bars, clubs, parks, basketball courts, my own apartment--wherever. I had a taxi driver who wouldn't let me leave the car until he finished giving me his version of United States history, highlighting all the atrocities the government has committed. I got in the cab to go home at 5:30 a.m., but I didn't get out until 7:20 a.m., when the driver finally finished lecturing me.
If anything, I have become more pro-war, despite all of the anti-war propaganda I read and see on television. Being here and arguing with people nearly every day has definitely helped to strengthen my convictions in regards to this war, since I am continually forced to defend them with logical and moral arguments.
I am definitely not at all afraid to travel, and people at home in the States shouldn't be afraid to come to Europe now either.
I watch Spanish news all the time as well as check CNN.com to keep updated on everything. The difference is that you'll see a lot more of the violence of the war on Spanish television than you will in the United States. For instance, they interview [people from Iraq]... and you see five U.S. soldiers with bullet holes in their heads.
Most people are drastically against the war, and every once in a while you will get a dirty look from people once they can tell that you come from the United States. There are organized protests down some of the main streets in Vienna, but for the most part, it is very peaceful.
Many Americans who do occasionally feel threatened will say that they come from Canada. However ... I think being a good representative as a citizen of the United States is the best thing to do.
The BBC tries almost too hard to show both sides of the story in terms of the political issues and the will of the people.
I feel relatively safe in London. I've tried to limit my baseball cap wearing just to avoid any anti-American sentiment that may arise. I think the only fear of traveling is simply being in new places where if something did happen, I would not know where to go or what to do.
The war is not a primary focus of the Hong Kong people. The most involvement I have seen out of the entire city is a card table set up in the university's atrium with two students behind it ... and a sign stating ""Say No To War.""
The government has taken a pretty neutral stance on the war. As [Chilean President Don Ricardo Lagos Estovar] stated, he is neither for nor against the war; he just laments it.
I feel Chileans are pretty tolerant people and very peaceful. They do like to argue about the war. There are protests, candlelight vigils and marches almost weekly here at the university and in the downtown area.
Some people have negative feelings against Americans right now, but overall we are welcomed. Chileans actually ask if I have come to Chile to hide from the war.
One thing that really bothered me was a sign hanging in our university that said ""Paz en el mediooriente, Yankee go home!"" and picture of the American flag with a swastika in it.
There are seven papers in Chile under the ownership of two men, allowing for little variety in published opinions. The television stations mention the shame of the U.S. government and consequently of the U.S. in general. They believe the war is due to the U.S. government's desire to control Iraq's oil fields in order to control all countries dependent on these fields. The atmosphere is tense and the only thing we can hope for is a fast resolution.
[Anti-American sentiment] was especially prevalent in Ireland, where we were often victims of discrimination.
While in Ireland, we were not let into several bars and clubs for no valid reason, but simply because security could tell we were Americans.
We see lots of PACE [meaning peace in Italian] signs around Italy hanging from people's balconies.
We live in an Italian Villa separated from lots of Italians so we don't run into very much anti-American sentiment. I have heard about some anti-American sentiment occurring in Milan. We have warnings from the state department not to congregate where lots of Americans do.
