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One day after Afghanistan became the first military theater of the Bush Administration’s “war on terrorism,” hundreds of UC Berkeley students took to Sproul Plaza to denounce the American and British bombing campaign, while a few dozen dissenters held  

lags, chanted support for the men in uniform and sang the national anthem. 

An unidentified person vandalized the Berkeley College Republicans’ megaphone. “That is not an action we support at all,” said Jose Palafox, a member of the Berkeley Stop the War Coalition, which sponsored the rally.  

The megaphone’s demise left war opponents with the majority of the crowd and the only functioning loudspeakers. 

More than one speaker pointed out that the reverse situation prevails in the rest of the country. 

“We do not live in a climate where it is easy to oppose this war,” said Snehal Shinyavi, a student and the main spokesman of the Berkeley Stop the War Committee. “Even the Democrats don’t do it... (the media) are pumping up as much hysteria as they can.” 

Anti-war speakers described U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and elsewhere, stretching back decades, as comparable in criminality and violence to the Sept. 11 attacks. They criticized not only the present bombing campaign – which most termed racist and akin to state-sponsored terrorism – but also the new political climate within the United States. 

“Bush is telling us that criticism of government policy is tantamount to terrorism,” said Ameena Ahmed, a recent graduate who spoke for Students for Justice in Palestine. Drawing a parallel between the conservatism of the U.S. administration and of the Muslim fundamentalist Taliban, which rules Afghanistan, she added, “The choice we make is to refuse to be caught in the crossfire between right wing and right wing.” 

Eventually, some 500 to 600 people packed the plaza, according to U.C. Police Lieutenant Adan Tejada. Anti-war cheers grew impassioned as the large group advocating support for the military campaign advanced as far up the Sproul Hall steps as police would allow and competed with chants of “U.S.A.” and “Support Our Troops.” Green armbands, Palestinian checkered kefirs, and tie-dyes competed for attention with flag-emblazoned shirts and bandannas. 

“I think a vast amount of the student body is siding with President Bush and the United States,” said Trevor Buckingham, a senior in electrical engineering and computer science. He held a sign that said, “Terrorize Terrorism.” 

“We believe our country is a peaceful country and we’re going to stand by it,” said Robb McFadden, the Berkeley College Republicans president. 

As the gathering stretched past 1 p.m. with no signs of flagging, students faced off in heated arguments. A half-dozen university police kept watch over people in heated discussions, poking their fingers in the air.  

“Someone comes up and punches you, then sticks a knife in you – wouldn’t you defend yourself?” said a young male student in the pro-war camp. “Yes,” an older man responded, “and that’s why this country spends billions every year on intelligence services.” 

Over at the microphone, Karen Folger Jacobs, a visiting lecturer in the African American Studies department, directly addressed the nucleus of flags amidst the sea of peace signs.  

“I support America and I think we should feed people,” she said. “I support the troops – let’s have them all give out food. Let’s feed the people of Afghanistan.” 

After her speech, she looked over at the counter-demonstration and said, “It doesn’t look that big and it looks from here like it’s all white men.” 

Over at the counter-demonstration, Soodtida Tangpraphaphorn, a molecular biology senior holding a small flag, said such an assumption was “the most racist thing I ever heard. And they’re the ones throwing around the race card.” 

Tony Banks, a sophomore in the pro-military camp, described himself as a “Christian male” with white, African-American, and Native American blood but no particular political orientation. 

“No country is perfect and there are things in the U.S. I disagree with, but now is not the time for that because there was a strike against our country and we need to unite as a people and do what we need to do,” he said. 

Most of the rally’s speakers, however, drew explicit links between the new “war against terrorism” and anti-immigrant sentiment. “Not one of those terrorists was an immigrant,” said Carlo Petroni of the Movement for the Rights of Immigrants. “They were issued visas by the consulates in their countries. Why don’t the media tell us the truth?” 

Hoku Jeffrey, a senior in ethnic studies and a member of the Campus Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action By Any Means Necessary, said he hoped the revulsion at the disregard for human life represented by the Sept. 11 attacks would be “translated into anti-war and anti-racist sentiment.” 

As the rally ended, the debates at the Sproul steps grew into a cacophony of voices, with only shreds of arguments audible above the din. 

“What if they do it again?” 

“What evidence do you have?” 

“You cannot have a war without casualties...”