Students to march in protest of Iraq War

Indiana Students Against War will march today in protest of the current occupation of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The demonstration will begin at 4 p.m. at the red clock between Ballantine and Woodburn halls and will end at the Sample Gates.

The Iraq War started six years ago this week.

“We believe the march helps get the message out,” said Sandrine Catris, a graduate student. “It lets the administration know students want change.”

Catris said ISAW chose the red clock to meet because students will see the protestors while walking back and forth between classes and hopefully join in the cause.

“We want more students to be involved,” she said.

Besides demonstrations, Catris said ISAW also plans educational events. The group put on a teach-in earlier this year and will have another April 2. Three IU professors will speak at the upcoming teach-in on the topics of Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

Catris said the teach-ins are an open form of discussion. The point of the events is not to present only the side of opposition but also to discuss different opinions of the occupation in the Middle East.

ISAW holds protests as a more active way to get its message out, Catris said.

In past years, participants in the protests remained around the same number, Catris said. She said the only difference in this year’s protest is that many people are happy the Bush administration is gone.

“Bush was a president a number of people disliked,” she said. “It’s more difficult to gather support with Obama as president.”

Catris said things are changing, but not drastically.

Although President Barack Obama has promised change, she said she believes everything he has said does not point toward change.

Obama pledged last month to remove combat forces from Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010. Still, between 35,000 and 50,000 will remain in the country for an additional year and a half performing counterterrorism efforts.

“It seems like an endless war,” she said. “There are less people who are pro-war today, but more affiliation does not mean more participation.”