Weekly actions (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays) have been continuing in the Central Ohio area, though the numbers of participants at the weekly actions are far smaller than during the upsurge of anti-war activities before the beginning of the US invasion of Iraq. They help to keep dissent visible in the street.
From September till late November, there have been many local and national "peace & social justice" activities in which local activists participated (e.g., the Palestine Labor/Stop the Wall speaking tour, Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride, the Journey of Hope anti-death penalty forums and rally, October 25, the Palestine Solidarity Conference, FTAA, SOA, Jobs-with-Justice-organized actions, grad-union rallies for GA health care, weekly educational forums against the empire at OSU, etc.) -- so numerous that most local activists' calendars of action became almost too full.
The fall quarter at OSU is now over, so the campus is now quiet, but community activists are still keeping up various actions.
One of the new local groups formed in response to the US invasion and occupation of Iraq is Faith Communities Uniting for Peace. Here's a local monopoly newspaper article about its latest Prayer for Peace gathering:
***** Peace service speakers still decry war By Nick Juliano THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH December 16, 2003
Peace activists at a prayer service yesterday said the capture of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein didn't change their opinions on the war.
"I'm not sure Saddam's capture brings us any closer to the peace of Christ,'' said the Rev. Ed Miner during the Interfaith Prayers for Peace service at the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
"The peace of Christ means we never go to war with each other.''
Although the service was scheduled months before U.S. troops found Saddam on Saturday, the capture was a hot topic yesterday.
One participant said the service was the first he had attended since the start of the war in Iraq.
"It seemed like an important day (to come) considering all the hoopla,'' said J. Eric Peters, an Army veteran.
The service was sponsored by Faith Communities Uniting for Peace, a group formed when the war started. Speakers discussed Christian, Muslim and Jewish teachings on peace and community. Many participants said they were glad to see Saddam captured alive, so he could stand trial.
"I'm particularly grateful today that they didn't kill him,'' said Leslie Stansbery, who referred to the killing of Saddam's sons as a "barbaric action.''
Although no attendees seemed to think the capture was a negative, many stressed that there are many larger issues surrounding war and peace.
"Well, I'm glad they got him,'' one of the group's conveners, Deanna Stickley-Miner, said with a shrug. "Saddam was never our primary target; Osama bin Laden is still out there.''
Speaker Farouki Majeed said the capture leaves him optimistic.
"Considering where we are at right now, I think this development is helpful,'' Majeed said.
rhanley at dispatch.com *****
Not a very informative article, but at least it gives a different perspective than the triumphalist one that many LBO-talk subscribers saw in the US media. -- Yoshie
* Bring Them Home Now! <http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/> * Calendars of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html>, <http://www.freepress.org/calendar.php>, & <http://www.cpanews.org/> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/> * Al-Awda-Ohio: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio> * Solidarity: <http://www.solidarity-us.org/>