Students, faculty and community members gathered on the Tisch Library Patio at approximately 11:45 a.m. yesterday to rally for an end to the war in Iraq.
The rally followed a week of anti-war events sponsored by the Tufts Coalition Opposed to the War in Iraq (TCOWI) in preparation for what graduate student and TCOWI leader Joe Ramsey called a "global weekend of action to oppose the war."
This Saturday will mark the two-year anniversary of the beginning of the war. Large protests are scheduled to be held in New York City and on the Boston Common, on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
"We expect thousands of people to be in the Boston Commons on Sunday," Ramsey said. "Our goal is to educate, agitate, organize ... and push members of the Tufts community, who are on the fence now, to protest the war."
The first people to show up at Tisch, primarily members of TCOWI, held up signs, hit water jugs like drums, and chanted slogans as students and faculty members walked by. Physics Professor Gary Goldstein was among those present.
"I've been opposed to this war since before it started," Goldstein said. "The fact that the reasons [to invade] were bogus was clear to me two and a half years ago."
The messages written on the signs ranged from bashing the war to supporting the right to protest. One sign read: "We support the troops, bring them home now!" while another read: "Dissent is Democratic."
The protestors recited chants such as "Stop the war, it's about time - Bush's war is still a crime!"
By 12:15 p.m., between 20 and 25 people had assembled on the Tisch steps. At that point the marching and chanting stopped, and the floor was opened for short speeches.
Graduate student and member of TCOWI Dan DiMaggio, was the first to speak. DiMaggio briefly explained the purpose behind the rally and introduced each speaker in turn.
Senior Jesse Lessinger and freshman Sarah Lawson - the only undergraduate speakers - followed DiMaggio's lead.
Lessinger discussed the "Not in our Name Project" and its "Statement of Conscience," which condemned many of the policies of the Bush administration, including but not limited to the war in Iraq.
Lawson focused on her friend's experiences as an American soldier in Iraq. She said that while her friend had some good experiences there, the situation was worsening and he was being forced to stay longer than he had originally been assigned.
Other speeches came from History Professor Gary Leupp, Veterans for Peace member Mark Alston-Follansbee, St. Paul, Minn. resident and The Socialist Alternative member Brent Perry, as well as Ramsey.
Topics ranged from brainstorming ways to encourage people to support the anti-war movement, to the problems with the U.S. Army recruiting in high schools.
Between each speech, the group broke back into chants and engaged in some informal chatter. English Professor Deborah Digges said she was "appalled" by the lack of support Tufts students were showing for the cause.
Graduate student Erin Dwyer responded to Digges' comment and said that the war in Iraq may not be relevant enough to the lives of Tufts students since "they are the future CEOs of Enron."
Digges said that "we are living in 1984," in a society filled with fear.
Ramsey closed with a poem entitled "Low Road," and said that TCOWI is working to "turn hearts and minds against this war."
