Page One

One day after President George W. Bush ordered aircraft carriers fixed with more than 100 bombers to move within striking distance of Afghanistan, thousands of students converged on the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley to protest any U.S. military action in response to last week’s terrorist attacks.  

Maryam Gharavi, a third-year English major, greeted the crowd as if at a rock concert asking, “How are you feeling Berkeley?”  

While many in the crowd responded with enthusiastic whoops, at least one student, reacting to the unimaginable tragedy that inspired the rally, yelled “terrible.”  

Eight speakers – students, professors and activists – addressed the crowd. 

Hatem Baziah, a UC Berkeley lecturer, stressed that denouncing terrorism without calling for retaliation isn’t a cowardly act. “Being a patriot doesn’t mean you have to believe in war,” he said to the day’s loudest applause. 

He also denounced recent hate crimes committed in the wake of the attacks. “As Muslims in America, we are not being treated as equal citizens.” 

There were more than 100 counter-protesters who waved American flags, chanted and held signs that read “Remember the WTC,” “Fight Terrorism,” and “Pacifism Breeds Violence.” 

The small but vocal counter-protest group, a mix of College Republicans and College Democrats, showed rare unity in their support for President Bush, and whatever actions he may choose to take. 

Jereme Albin, a senior math student, holding a sign reading, “Barbara Lee doesn’t represent me. Support the U.S.A.” said the protesters were missing the point, that a response to the attacks is the only route to take. 

“The protesters almost give validity in some ways to the countries that have done this. If bombs were falling on Berkeley, they would still be protesting.” 

The most moving speech came from the first speaker, Yes Duffy, a 22 year-old senior. Before he could speak, Duffy was interrupted by the counter protesters who began chanting “U.S.A., U.S.A.” Anti-protesters drowned them out with yells of “Stop the War.” 

When one of the organizers asked for a moment of silence to remember those who lost their lives, the counter protesters became muted. It became apparent that Duffy was speaking because he had a personal connection to the tragedy. 

“I lost my aunt to terrorism,” Duffy told the crowd, all of whom listened in silence as he told how his father’s sister, Renee Newell, had been a flight attendant on the first plane to slam into the World Trade Center. 

“If she were alive today, she would be standing right here with us.” 

After speaking to the crowd, Duffy told reporters it was the first time he had spoken of his aunt since her death, and that he was still experiencing conflicting emotions. 

“I’m not really sure how to deal with all of this.” 

City Councilmember Kriss Worthington, after addressing the crowd, said he chose to appear at the rally to show his support for the victims of the attacks and to call for the prosecution of the perpetrators in an international court of law. 

“Calling them acts of war is giving the criminals more credit than they deserve. They were horrid, wretched criminal acts.” 

Berkeley city police, and campus police officials said no arrests were made and no problems were reported at the rally or march through the city that ensued. It was one of more than 130 protests occurring at universities across the country Thursday as a part of a “National Day of Student Action.” 

The group organizing the protest, the Stop the War Coalition, came into existence only last Tuesday. Rally organizer Hoang Phan, an English graduate student, said the coalition consists of about 300 students from a wide spectrum of groups who came together quickly. At the first meeting last Friday, they decided to organize a response to what Phan calls, “the racist backlash against Arab-Americans, and war hysteria” which followed last week’s attacks.  

After much debate, coalition members agreed on a platform for Thursday’s rally. They would oppose America’s “new” war on terrorism, racist incidents against Arab Americans and other minorities, and the scaling back of any civil liberties that may occur in the wake of last week’s attacks. 

Although protesters disagreed about an appropriate response to last Tuesday’s attack, everyone agreed that the United States should use restraint.  

“We should try and understand what may have motivated” the attacks, Phan said. 

Among the crowd were veterans of several other anti-war movements, including 60’s iconoclast Wavy Gravy, who said the large turnout bodes well for a new anti-war movement. 

“I am nostalgic for the future with these kids.”