Students and faculty members gathered outside Capen Hall on Wednesday afternoon in a vocal display of opposition to a preemptive war with Iraq.
The student strike rally, called "Books, Not Bombs," was organized by the UB for Peace organization. Over 100 UB students, faculty and local residents gathered to voice opposition to the pending war.
The UB protesters were not alone in their opposition. Over 400 other high schools and colleges held similar "Books, Not Bombs" demonstrations as part of a national demonstration Wednesday.
"One, two, three, four – We don't want another war," chanted students holding posters duct-taped to yard sticks.
Several faculty and student speakers addressed the crowd, voicing various reasons why they believe military action against Iraq is unnecessary.
Bruce Jackson, Samuel P. Capen professor of American Culture, spoke into a megaphone about crying after seeing an article in the newspaper about a zoo in Palestine where all of the animals died as a result of bombings.
"The giraffes died of fear when it heard the bombing. The zebra was killed by gas," Jackson said. "For me, those dead animals emblemize what this is all about. All those dead animals, all those destroyed houses, all those destroyed schools, all those dead children. There's been enough of that.
"It's time to stop that, and that's why we're here today," he added.
Matt Shrantz, a senior history major and member of UB for Peace, helped organize Wednesday's rally. Like the other protestors, Shrantz said war is not the only answer.
"There are several alternatives, one being continuing the weapons inspection process which I think is yielding weapons," Shrantz said. "Since the Gulf War, the weapons inspections run by the United Nations have eliminated more weapons than were eliminated during all of the Gulf War. I think that's the best alternative to the invasion of Iraq."
Shrantz said that UB for Peace is trying to alert students that this war will affect everyone, even UB students.
"Even though this war is thousands of miles away, it can impact and it will impact us," Shrantz said. "You have students who are going to be called on by reserves and family members of students in this."
While over 100 protestors chanted peace slogans and held signs reading "Bush and Blair: They Don't Care," a contingent of pro-war protestors gathered about 20 yards from the mass.
Ryan Parry, a sophomore history major, was one of the protestors in support of the war.
"I'm pro-war," he said. "I want to get out the bad leaders that are tyrants and are killing people who are innocent. These people who are in the military don't want to go to the gulf, they don't want to fight, but they know they have to and that it's their duty."
Michael Brewster, a sophomore industrial engineering major, also was in support of the war. Brewster said he came out to support his friends who were in the military.
"I think [the anti-war protestors] are being pretty ignorant about what's going on," Brewster said. "We've been trying to do things over there through diplomatic ways for a long time now, and obviously it's not working. Something has to be done."
The pro-war demonstrators, made up of military veterans, students and members of the UB Veterans Fraternity, were greatly outnumbered by vocal opponents to the war.
Aaron Stroble, a junior documentary film major, came to support UB for Peace. Stroble has taken part in other anti-war protests around the United States.
"It's very important that UB students come out and show their support against the war," said Stroble. "If we don't show our support, then resolutions will be passed for war. We need to keep negotiating and stop feeding the people all this propaganda."
Dan Cross, a junior majoring in history and Spanish, said he came to the rally, which he said he heard about through of word of mouth and flyers, because he is opposed to the war.
"I don't think it's just, and I don't think it's legal," Cross said. "The Bush administration basically is pushing their agenda to rule this world, and it's time to stop that."
"I think the rest of the world is going to do the same thing," he added. "I think it's time for all of us to stand up for that."
E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
