Activists are joining efforts being held nationwide against the war in Iraq.

By Shirley Ragsdale
Des Moines Register [1]
September 19, 2006

Des Moines-area peace activists will ramp up their anti-war efforts with a week of events and demonstrations they hope will persuade Congress to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.

The flurry of activity is set to coincide with a series of nationwide anti-war events that begin Thursday, the United Nations’ International Day of Peace.

Four events, from an ecumenical prayer service to threatened nonviolent acts of civil disobedience, are planned through Sept. 27.

Locally, more than a dozen faith and political-action groups have collected signatures that ask Iowa’s congressional delegation to commit to a “comprehensive, concrete and rapid end to the U.S. war in Iraq.”

“We had a booth at the Tom Harkin steak fry over the weekend, and at times people were standing in line waiting to sign the ‘Declaration of Peace,’ ” said Charles Day of Johnston, national chairman of Stop the Arms Race Political Action Committee. “Only one or two walking past declined to sign.”

If Congress doesn’t take action, Iowans are prepared to stage “creative nonviolent expressions” at regional offices and in Washington, D.C.

“We’ll be witnessing at the congressional offices of Iowa Rep. Leonard Boswell and Sen. Charles Grassley,” said Chet Guinn, a member of the Des Moines Ecumenical Peace Ministry. “Basically, they’ll be holding a sit-in until something happens. Sen. Tom Harkin gets a pass because he has introduced a bill that calls for U.S. troops to leave Iraq by the end of this year.”

Kathleen McQuillen, Iowa program coordinator for the American Friends Service Committee, said the group has permits to demonstrate at the federal building in Des Moines.

The peace declaration is sponsored by more than 330 national, regional and local religious, peace, veterans and student groups that include the United Church of Christ justice and witness ministries, Iowa Peace Network, Iowa chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, American Friends Service Committee, Methodist Federation for Social Action, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Catholic Peace Ministry and the Des Moines Area Ecumenical Committee for Peace - groups that demonstrated even before U.S. troops were deployed in Iraq.

“There’s no satisfaction in knowing we were right about the war,” said Brian Terrell, director of Catholic Peace Ministry. “The reason people are on the street goes deeper than just believing that this war isn’t going the way the Bush administration thought it would. People are looking deeper and they’re horrified.”

Iowa peace groups will participate in a weeklong nationwide campaign to persuade Congress to demand a timetable for troop withdrawal from Iraq. Some local events:

• THURSDAY: International Peace Day interfaith prayer service, 7 p.m., Oak and Willow rooms of the Des Moines Botanical Center. Sponsored by the Des Moines Area Ecumenical Committee for Peace. For more information, call 225-2314 or e-mail .
• SATURDAY: Peace Fair, noon to 5 p.m., Gateway Park, downtown Des Moines between 12th and 13th streets. Sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee. Call 274-4851, extension 22.
• MONDAY: Central Iowa Declaration of Peace rally and sit-in, noon, Nollen Plaza, downtown Des Moines. Groups will also demonstrate at the offices of members of Congress. For more information, call 274-4851, extension 22.
• SEPT. 27: “Iowa’s Role in Stopping the Iraq War,” a public meeting featuring Ron Volk, executive secretary of Friends Committee on National Legislation, 7 p.m., First Unitarian Church, 1800 Bell Ave. Sponsored by the Friends Committee and STAR*PAC. For more information, call 276-5060 or 279-7312.