Monday March 24, 2003
Local protestors gather for first wartime rally
By: Molly Borgstrom
Shouts and drumbeats cut into the thick fog last Thursday night as local protestors took to the streets to condemn the war in Iraq.
About 150 people marched from the Capitol to the Kohl Center and back again protesting the war with slogans like ""Support our troops—bring them home"" and ""What do we want? Peace. When do we want it? Now.""
The marchers, who ranged from young to old, were greeted with mixed reactions from onlookers. One waitress on a smoke break flashed them V-fingered peace signs, while several college-aged men looking out an apartment balcony yelled, ""Fuck you hippies"" and some high-school aged boys on the street yelled ""Yeah for the war.""
The march followed an emergency rally sponsored by the Madison Area Peace Coalition at the Capitol. The Police Department estimated about 2,000 people showed up for the rally.
MAPC member Rae Vogeler said the group planned the rally months in advance in anticipation of military action. After President Bush's war announcement Wednesday, the group put notices up on its Web site and on kiosks around State Street.
Police said the entire rally remained peaceful and there were no arrests.
Monday March 24, 2003
Staff Editorial
War in Iraq will have no easy answers
With Operation Iraqi Freedom less than a week old, emotions are still running high on both sides of the protest line. With the actualization of months, and possibly decades, of threats the beginning of military hostilities demands we look at all the facets this war will touch.
•In light of the coalition's decision to act despite the opposition of major allies, how does the United States proceed to build consensus and relationships on other issues in the future?
•In the inevitable reconstruction of Iraq, how will the ownership of Iraq's vast natural resources be determined?
•How will ""victory"" be defined? What outcome is necessary for military action in Iraq to be considered worth the costs?
•How will the new regime in Iraq be structured? Given decades under an oppressive dictator, what steps will be taken to build democracy?
•How will the financial costs of war and reconstruction be dealt with?
•How are the Iraqi soldiers who are surrendering being dealt with? In a post-Saddam Iraq, how will those who surrendered and those who did not be treated and what roles will they play in government and society?
Friday March 28, 2003
War protestors, police clash
By: Emily Winter
Anti-war cries turned to cries of anger aimed at police when officers arrested two protestors and showered the crowd with oleoresin capsicum, which is a form of pepper spray, at University Square Thursday afternoon.
Justin Bendall roused police when he began torching Army promotional pamphlets in front of an estimated 100 protestors gathered at U.S. Army Recruiting Station, 73 University Square. According to Larry Kamholz, public information officer for the Madison Police Department, Bendall's actions were not only illegal but also unsafe.
In response to police advances, several people interfered with officers by attempting to free Bendall and lying in officers' paths, Kamholz said. Officers also arrested Ivan Welander, a UW-Madison senior, when he obstructed an officer in an attempt to release Bendall.
Kamholz said both Bendall and Welander had been booked at the Dane County Jail. Protestors collected bail money for the two, who were released Thursday afternoon, according to UW-Madison freshman Josh Healey who helped organize the protest.
Due to the heavy resistance by 20 to 30 people, police had to release the pepper spray upon the crowd, according to Kamholz.
""In that type of situation, [using pepper spray] is clearly not uncommon,"" he said. ""We have to ensure the safety of our officers and the community.""
However, Ray Pingree, a UW-Madison graduate student who participated in the protest, said he thinks police were ""overreacting"" when they resorted to pepper spray.
The incident marked the first time police have used pepper spray in Madison since the Halloween riots, according to Kamholz. It marked the first time since the Vietnam War that pepper spray was used on protestors in Madison.
The arrests were the climax of a rally that originated at Library Mall at noon. Kamholz estimated 200 to 300 people had assembled to listen to anti-war speakers. Then, aided by police, up to 200 protestors halted traffic as they marched on Johnson Street, University Avenue and through campus.
