Syracuse University students opposing the United States’ possible war on Iraq will join a city-wide demonstration Saturday to voice concerns, while others will make a trip to Washington, D.C., to join a national protest.

Peace walk and rally co-coordinator Andy Mager of the Syracuse Peace Council said that the main purpose of the demonstration is to provide an outlet for Syracuse-area residents to speak out against the war.

“We think it’s important to encourage people to speak out and let government officials hear them,” Mager said.

The demonstration, organized by the Peace Council, will begin at 1 p.m. with walks starting at four different locations throughout Syracuse: the South Presbyterian Church at the corner of East Colvin Street and South Salina Street, Delaware Elementary School at Geddes Street near Delaware Street, Schiller Park near the pool at the Oak Street entrance near Rugby Road and at the grassy triangle at East Genesee Street and Salt Springs Road, Mager said.

Students will meet at 1 p.m. at the SU quad to leave for the walk. All of the walks will converge at 3 p.m. at Armory Lawn on Jefferson Street in Armory Square for a rally. The event will feature speakers, poetry readings and music.

The council organized this event because many members believe “democracy has failed,” Mager said.

Mager said that New York government representatives had received “overwhelming” opposition to the war yet they had failed to act with that opposition in mind when Congress decided to pursue military action on Iraq.

“Peace Council held an open meeting about four weeks ago for concerned citizens and out of that meeting came this idea,” Mager said.

He added that the council had collected signatures in protest against the war and sent the signatures to Congress.

At this public meeting, every person who spoke did so in opposition to the war, Mager said. This meeting was taped and the tape was sent to New York representatives, but the representatives appeared to ignore it.

Many SU and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry students plan to attend the D.C. protest.

Emily MacMillan, a junior political science and women’s studies major, opposes the war on Iraq and will join the trip.

“I was reading the paper and I was getting angrier and angrier. But I didn’t think there was anything I could do,” MacMillan said.

When she heard about the trip to the nation’s capital, however, MacMillan decided to go because the war on Iraq issue is, “just something I feel strongly about, and I also wanted to get the experience of being part of a protest.”

MacMillan explained that the 40 or so students will leave Syracuse today at different times. They expect to arrive in Washington, D.C., by later that night, and plan to stay at the homes of friends in the area.

The students plan to meet in Washington at 10:30 a.m. Saturday so they can organize before the rally begins at 11:30 a.m., MacMillan said. After the rally, the students plan to return to Syracuse and hope to arrive late Saturday night.

The Syracuse Peace Council decided to focus on Syracuse’s event Saturday and decided not to participate in the capital’s events, Mager stated.

Saturday’s events are “part of ongoing efforts” to influence the decisions that the government makes, Mager said.

“War is not the way to respond to Saddam,” he said.

Published on October 24, 2002 at 12:00 pm