Cheers and jeers met anti-war protesters yesterday as a sizable crowd of over a hundred people turned out at the entrance of the Student Union for a National Day of Action.
Featuring student and faculty speakers, the rally was organized by UB Anti-War.
Carrying signs displaying slogans such as "War Horror Inflicted on Innocent People" and "No Recruiters on Campus," UB was one of numerous campuses across the country participating in the event.
With origins stemming from an informal Facebook group consisting of 265 members, UB Anti-War holds meetings every other week. In preparation for the protest, the group put in long hours creating fliers, posters, signs and pamphlets, and even pulled an all-nighter Monday to finish preparations.
Taking a stand on issues that included governmental policies, military recruiters and defense research on campus, large military budgets and the comprise of civil liberties, the main focus centered around awareness.
"We're here to challenge the ongoing war in Iraq," said Sophia Azeb, a junior history major and co-leader of UB Anti-War. "We need to have a stronger voice against the Bush administration."
A broad range of political ideologies coming together, Azeb pointed out how the group isn't solely made up of primarily liberal, left wing viewpoints.
"We're not affiliated with any political party," Azeb said. "I'm devotedly conservative, and the group is all encompassing. We have people who are anarchists, liberals. We're not hippies."
For those against the war, many say there is little rationale in remaining overseas.
"I think it's great that students are getting together to protest," said Jennifer Wehrfritz, a freshman chemistry major. "I feel it's a bogus cause. So many people are dying everyday to pretend it's a cause. I just want them to come home."
Others pointed out how they believe the war has compromised the government's ability to deal with issues that hit closer to home, especially regarding continual tuition increases.
"We don't have a funding problem, we have a priorities problem," said Colin O'Malley, a senior international studies major and UB Anti-War co-leader. "Politicians are continuing to go unaccountable on the most basic levels of government and we need to do something about it."
Gary Ross, a professor for EOP and guest speaker, urged people to fly flags upside down as a signal of distress. In addition to reading an article to the crowd he wrote about the misdoings of the president, he also talked to the crowd about his son's experience serving overseas.
According to Ross, his son told him "Dad, the people here hate us... we don't need to be here."
But after being entrenched in the country three years after the war first began, some strongly feel it is near impossible to simply pull up stakes. To them, it is imperative to stay the course.
"I believe that it's unfortunate this is happening," said Sean Weppner, a senior math major and member of the Erie County Republican Committee, "but with the creation of infrastructure in Iraq, this allows them the chance to practice what they practice, to live the lives they want to lead without the fear of imminent death."
Whereas some may challenge Iraq's reception of democracy, Weppner also pointed to the high voter turnout during the elections in 2004.
"In the first election, there was a high percentage of voters than during presidential years in this country," he said. "There is a sense of pride, and it showed they wanted to partake in the democratic process."
Other supporters of the war effort reiterated how, according to them, the end goal should always be kept in mind.
"The key is what we want," Weppner said "It's important to see through it to that point. If we don't, it sends the impression that we will give up. We should stick with it because the Iraqi people deserve a chance."
Senior business management major and fellow Marine, Cpl. Shawn McAdams agreed.
"They haven't seen anything," McAdams said. "A lot of people just jump on bandwagons, all they know is what they show on TV."
With big budgets being spent on military funding, Lance Cpl. Timothy Freundschuh, a Marine and freshman business major, questioned the price tag of both the safety of a soldier and the overall ideal of freedom as well.
"There's a lot of people that support the military and don't necessarily agree with the war," Freundschuh said. "Everyone has their own opinions, but how are you supposed to have a free country without a military?"
