Editorials

UC Berkeley stages protest of war in Iraq

Melissa McRobbie
Thursday October 10, 2002

About 300 protesters filled UC Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza Wednesday, toting anti-war signs and banners and chanting “stop the war on Iraq.”  

The crowd gathered at noon in front of Sproul Hall to hear a lineup of speakers and performers voice resistance to possible U.S. military action against Iraq.  

Although attendees found turnout to be smaller than expected, speaker Laura Wells, of the Green Party, was optimistic about the power of protest. 

“We can make the ‘60s look like it was preschool,” she said. 

Third year political science major Eric England, who waved a blue flag containing an image of the earth, agreed. 

“Every act of resistance builds momentum, and the bigger the momentum, the better humanity will become,” he said. 

Congress is expected to vote today on President Bush’s war resolution. The resolution, if passed, will allow the use of force in Iraq. 

The rally was organized by the Berkeley Stop the War Coalition and sponsored by the Free Iraq Foundation. 

Further anti-war demonstrations are scheduled in San Francisco today.