<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content="MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#d8d0c8 style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> <DIV>Well, I think thats exactly why there are no big *protests* per se - no need to protest what people agree on in spirit. Though I think that coming so soon on the heels of the victory of the Vieques struggle, people were pretty worn out and so it was rather low key. There was the big Peace rally in Caguas that we went to --pretty good showing-- and it was aired live on tv (channel 6, maybe?), and other stations gave it decent coverage, as well as the newspapers (both before and after). Can't remember the date exactly -- in March? very close to the beginning - either right before or right after (I was taking my comp. exams so its all a bit fuzzy to me now). But all the usual groups were there -- churches, independence groups, even some politicans  - with Danny Rivera and Roy Brown for entertainment, etc.  It was more like a Peace picnic than anything - my kids enjoyed it.  But, no, it was not confrontational or edgy in any way. I think as you said, in general people are not bellicose in these parts for particular historical reasons but that does not mean that there isn't a lot of violence here - but thats a different story.... </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Sally   </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV>I'm kind of surprised.  My family in Puerto Rico has not mentioned anything (they are anti war, but then they are pro-independence), except for a couple of smal protest here and there, not to the level of Vietnam.  In that case the problem was compulsory service by Puerto Ricans who have no say about the decision of going to war.  We are not a violent people, no matter what TV and Movies show, so a vague anti-war feeling is probably a natural thing for us.  But there has not been a widespread protest movement, AFAIK.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Sergio</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>