 "Photo: Teresa Getten")
When Gema Guevara was asked why she was taking part in the anti-war protest on Saturday, she didn't say anything.
Instead, her young daughter raised a small sign that read, "Bring my daddy home."
"Apart from my husband being (in Iraq), it's an unjust war," said Guevara, a Spanish professor at the U.
Guevara was one of more than 1,000 people who gathered outside the Salt Lake City Capitol Building to protest the war in Iraq. The anti-war protest was one of 11 rallies the United for Peace & Justice group organized throughout the country, including New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Orlando.
Protesters, including U students, professors and alumni, gathered behind the Capitol building. They were surrounded by a field of makeshift tombstones with the number of U.S. soldier deaths from every state. Utah's tombstone read 21.
Protesters marched down State Street from the Capitol to the City and County Building, chanting, "What do we want? Peace. When do we want it? Now," and "Get out of Iraq -- stay out of Iran."
Previous rallies like the one organized during Bush's visit to Salt Lake City last year had accompanying pro-Bush rallies. This event, however, had no rally in favor of continuing the war in Iraq. Although protesters may have disagreed on the reasons the United States is involved in the war or on different government policies, most agreed the United States needs to withdraw its troops from Iraq.
"We're killing people for no reason. I think it's racist to think Iraqis can't govern themselves," said Summer Wulle, a senior in special education. "I think it's a horrible war. The soldiers' lives are being wasted on nothing."
A mass of people flooded the street with signs reading, "Invest in the poor, not on the war," "Mormons for peace" and "Pray for peace." Some protesters, including members from Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Iraq Veterans against the War and Veterans for Peace, waved peace flags as they marched with the help of peacekeeper volunteers and local police officers.
"I feel it's important for anyone who doesn't support the reasons why we're in Iraq to come to events like these," said Aniko Safran, a senior in film studies and fine arts. "Community apathy or silence is the worst thing we can do."
The Brown Berets, a Chicana/o activist organization with several members who are also U students, were present at the rally.
"It's important to support this event. We believe in the empowerment of people," said Chris Macias, a junior in history and Brown Berets member. "We need to fight the wars going on here at home instead of going out there (Iraq) where we can't do anything."
The U's Campus Committee for Peace and Justice was one of the sponsors of Saturday's rally.
"I believe the war is unjust and based on false pretenses. It's an imperialist war on capitalist expansion," said Ryan Chikaraishi, a senior in international studies and political science. Chikaraishi said the failing war is not the Bush administration's fault, but that it's "a problem with the system itself."
"I feel it's important to make a public statement that there are people in Utah against what's going on (in Iraq)," said Cory Bushman, a U alumni and writer for The Mormon Worker, a newspaper dedicated to "promoting Mormonism, anarchism and pacifism."
Members of Mormons for Equality and Social Justice also tabled at Washington Square as they distributed publications. Carla Heitz from Military Families Speak Out talked about what her life is like with a son serving in the war. Heitz grew up in a military family and expressed her understanding of the inherent risks of military service. Heitz said she respects that tradition and is proud of her son's decision, but she expressed her dismay over her son fighting in a war that she believes is unjustified.
Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, who gave the final rally speech, blamed the current administration, saying that "the threat of terrorism is greater than ever before" because of the war in Iraq. Anderson said, "Students should be raising hell on our campuses throughout the country."
Many students from universities throughout Utah and neighboring states, including Brigham Young University, protested at the rally.
Different speakers also said students can have a direct impact on politics and on war specifically.
"The Vietnam war ended when the student movement, GI resistance and cultural movement came together," said Jeff Key, a United States Marine Corps member and Iraq War veteran. "A firm student movement for peace is essential to achieve what's right for the troops, Americans and Iraqis."
One vocal man said the war is justified and that the protesters were disrespecting the president. People in the crowd nicknamed him "Cheney's brother" because he resembled the current vice-president, they said.
After his speech, Anderson said many students do not feel the brunt of the war today, but that students need to understand the consequences students will feel in the future.
"This is the only way this insanity is going to stop. We need to let Republicans and Democrats know we're not going to tolerate this," Anderson said. "What happened in campuses in the Vietnam war was crucial, but now many students are apathetic."
e.zuniga@chronicle.utah.edu
