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August 23, 2005-- The Peace Rally at Pioneer Park in downtown Salt Lake City took place yesterday two blocks from the Salt Palace Convention Center where George Bush gave the keynote address to the Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention. Three to four thousand people assembled on a hot and humid Monday in opposition to this unjust war, not bad for a workday and a larger Salt Lake turnout than the Viet Nam antiwar protests of the 70's. The show of support from the passing motorists was overwhelming. Horns sounded throughout the day, sometimes making it nearly impossible to hear the speakers over the din.
Veterans for Peace Chair Aaron Davis introduced the keynote speaker, Celeste Zappala of Gold Star Families for Peace. Mrs. Zappala and Cindy Sheehan are co-founders of Gold Star Families for Peace. Surrounded by members of the clergy, Celeste delivered an address that brought tears to the eyes of many in attendance. Salt Lake City resident Edwin Firmage, Sr. followed Mrs. Zappala. Dr. Firmage has an outstanding background in public service. He is best known for being instrumental, along with support from the LDS Church and others, for bringing a halt to the MX Missile program. Attendees also heard from speakers who have family members in Iraq, the Mayor of Salt Lake City, the Vice Chair of the Utah Democratic Party, and three members of the clergy. The common thread that bound the participants together was their desire to bring our troops home before any more troops or civilians are killed or injured in Iraq.
The organizers of the rally included military families that have lost loved ones or have a family member who has or is serving in Iraq. The coalition included people of faith, people of color, the Utah Democratic Hispanic Caucus, Stonewall Democrats, Utah Democratic Progressive Caucus, Progressive Democrats of America, Code Pink, Democracy for Utah, the Wasatch Coalition for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Gold Star Families for Peace, Veteran's for Peace, Shundahai Network, the Green Party, and People for Peace and Justice.
Piano man Rich Wyman opened the event with an original song and then moved onto more traditional protest pieces. Also performing was Marv Hamilton who sang a new profanity-free rendition of the Fish Cheer. Jerry the Slickrock Stranger concluded the program. Afterwards, many audience members marched to Washington Square. The audience represented a cross section of Utahns, including elected officials, past and present candidates, clergy members, a BYU professor, teachers, doctors, small business owners, public servants, veterans and community volunteers.
The protest signs showed support for Cindy Sheehan in her quest to speak with the President. There were signs protesting the war, signs opposing Bush's Social Security plan, No Child Left Behind Act, his environmental policies, as well as the national deficit. Pete Litster of Shundahai Network, an organization focusing on indigenous people of the Great Basin through anti-nuclear efforts, wore a large papier- mache George Bush puppet and milled around the crowd throughout the day despite the blistering heat. Another man wearing a George Bush mask was accompanied by his friend carrying a sign that said "I'm with Stupid".
The peace rally organizers decided to stay clear of the Salt Palace. They wanted to send a message: "we support our troops, past and present", and "we oppose the current policies that have put our troops in harm's way." Among the organizers were veterans of past wars, men who made great sacrifices for future generations, men who actually saw combat, unlike the current Commander in Chief and his advisors. The protests that occurred outside the Salt Palace were an independent, unaffiliated effort. The rally organizers were happy to see these protestors move to the park to hear speakers and musicians perform.
Last week, Mayor Rocky Anderson sent out an email to several advocacy groups calling for a mobilization of citizens to protest President Bush's visit. Anderson is a renowned liberal, commonly criticized by the press, often denigrated for being outspoken. The local press publicized his use of government email to send the call to action. While Anderson can take credit for helping to ensure widespread participation, it was the organizers of this event and the thousands who turned out who deserve credit for the peaceful demonstration at Pioneer Park.
Although the local and national news on the ground gave much of the credit to Anderson, the truth is that over a dozen different groups came together to organize a grass roots event long before the mayor sent out an email calling for a protest. The organizers should be recognized and honored for pulling the peace rally together in little more than a week and leaving the park in spotless condition at its conclusion.
The results of this successful event have led to coalition building across party and religious lines. As the September 24th National Day of Mobilization Against the War approaches, organizers are well ahead of the game and Utahns can expect this momentum to build. The Salt Lake venue is tentatively set for Pioneer Park and the organizers hope to double the attendance. Laura Bonham, Co-Chair of the Utah Democratic Progressive Caucus and PDA National Organizing Committee member will head to Washington DC for the September 24th event. She hopes that yesterday's event will inspire other Utahns to make the trek to DC with her or to attend the local Salt Lake demonstration. Either way, Utah voices will be heard loud and clear on September 24th.
Even the reddest state in the union is growing more and more uncomfortable with this president and his short-sighted policies. Utah voters supported Mr. Bush by a larger margin than anywhere else in the union. Mr. Bush would do well to listen to these constituents. The enormity of these demonstrations should serve as a wake-up call. Utah can no longer be identified as a safe place for a misbegotten policy that has entrenched this nation in debt, spilled the blood of over 1800 dead US troops and nearly 20,000 injured US troops and taken the lives of tens of thousands innocent Iraqi civilians.
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