War in Iraq Coverage from National Public Radio Discuss the conflict Audio Erika Zurawski, U of M student Minnesota Council of Churches service: Clergy read anti-war statement Photos Anti-war rally at the U of M A new face of activism Emergency ops center View full slideshow (6 images) Your Voice Join the conversation with other MPR listeners in the News Forum.

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Minnesota reacts to start of war
March 20, 2003

Several hundred people rallied against the Iraqi war at the University of Minnesota Thursday. (MPR Photo/Mary Losure)

St. Paul, Minn. — A crowd of up to 1,000 students rallied at the University of Minnesota Thursday to protest the war. Most were area high school students who had walked out of classes. Organizers at the rally said students from 40 area high schools walked out.

In a cold drizzle, students swayed to rock music and yelled out responses to chants led by Erika Zurawski, 20, a University of Minnesota sophomore. They held placards, including the the familiar "Say No to War with Iraq" lawn signs.

Some carried less conventional messages, such as "Bomb Iraq, That be Wack!" and one reading "Frodo has Failed, Bush has the Ring," a reference to the J.R.R. Tolkien saga, in which the Hobbit, Frodo, tries to keep a magic ring out of the hands of an evil lord.

	A new face of activism

School officials in Minneapolis say 1,800 out of the 10,600 students in the city's seven major high schools left classes. At South High, which has been particularly active, 550 students walked out of classes, out of a total of 2,000 students. University of Minnesota students are on spring break this week. They plan another rally on Monday, when classes resume.

Elsewhere Thursday, many Minnesotans expressed support for American troops. Gov. Tim Pawlenty appealed to protesters to act "lawfully and peacefully" so large numbers of police don't have to be diverted to the demonstrations.

And he urged people to support U.S. soldiers.

"Whether you agree or disagree with war, the decision's been made, and we are now at war," Pawlenty said.

	Erika Zurawski leads the U of M rally

Students at Duluth's College of St. Scholastica held a quiet protest against the war.

At 10:15 Thursday morning the abbey bells rang, to call those who wanted to walk out of class. About 65 students gathered on the steps of Tower Hall, and tried to keep candles lit in a cold drizzle. They gathered in a circle and took turns sharing their thoughts about the war.

Student Abbey Francois says she's never participated in a public protest before, and she's not sure how much difference it can make.

"But it's the one thing that I can do. And I feel like that's enough. And if enough people gather together and say this is the one thing that I can do to promote peace, who knows how big our force can be," Francois says.

	Prayer service in Minneapolis

In Winona, war veterans continued a vigil begun at midnight in Veterans Memorial Park to support American troops. The vigil is for "true patriots to show support for our troops, their families, and the country," Gerry Krage, a Gulf War veteran, said.

In downtown St. Cloud, students from St. Cloud Technical High School carried signs and chanted anti-war slogans.

The Minneapolis protest drew at least three counter protesters, one waving an American flag and another with a flag that said, "Don't tread on me." One carried a sign that read: "Traitor, how many more?"

"If they have a problem with our country, they might as well go over to Iraq and live with them other people," Matt Cooutier, 21, a St. Paul Technical College student, said angrily.

	Prayer circle in Duluth

"I don't agree with the idea of war," Cooutier said. "I think it's stupid. I don't think we should be over there telling people how to live their lives, but we should annihilate Saddam. We should get him out of there."

"They have their freedom of speech," said another of the counter-demonstrators, 17-year-old Brady Taipale. "I totally support that, but I don't think they know who Saddam Hussein is and what he has done in the past."

The Minnesota Council of Churches held a candle-lighting ceremony and called on President Bush to return to exploring diplomatic means of diminishing the threat posed by Saddam Hussein.

About 100 people gathered at another service at Westminster Presbyterian Church in downtown Minneapolis. The interfaith service included songs and prayers representing Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths.

	Emergency ops center

The Rev. Craig Lewis of Central Lutheran Church said despite advances in global communication, countries around the world aren't listening to each other. And he asked for forgiveness for the human propensity for war.

"Lord, we have broken and fragmented your creation since the day we left the Garden of Eden. Today we have turned the promise of United Nations and world order into global catastrophe and global chaos," Lewis said.

At a news conference at the state's emergency operations center in St. Paul, re-opened for the first time since the Sept. 11 attacks, Pawlenty urged people to be respectful of all ethnicities.

Ten National Guard members were staffing phones at the center, with representatives of key state agencies nearby. Call volume was light, in contrast to when the center was first used after the Sept. 11 attacks, said Kevin Smith, a Department of Public Safety spokesman.

(The state emergency operations center hotline numbers are 651-297-1304 in the metropolitan area; 800-657-3504 statewide; 800-657-3822 for hearing-impaired.)

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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