PEACE PROTESTORS IN EASTERN OREGON
Here's a copy of an article that ran in the Eastern Oregonian newspaper in Pendleton, OR on Saturday, January 4th.
Source: eastoregonian.info
PENDLETON — In a basement meeting room of the First Presbyterian Church, 10 people gathered on a recent Sunday
evening to talk about what they can do to stop the United States from waging war on Iraq.
At a time when most folks are worried about immediate concerns like jobs, families and their personal lives, members of Pendleton PeaceNet are trying to raise awareness of U.S. foreign policy they fear will only lead to more violence, terrorism and injustice.
These activists are among a group of about 50 local residents who are part of a growing anti-war movement that has begun to mobilize hundreds of thousands of people around the world. The motivations of the protesters vary. Some believe war is wrong no matter what the circumstances, and that a solution should be sought through peaceful means. Others disagree with the concept of a pre-emptive strike. They don’t like Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, but they don’t believe waging war will defuse the standoff over the development of chemical weapons.
But all agree the best way to show their opposition is to band together with one voice. “This is not a game,” said Ben Talley, organizer of the group. “Knowing we’re getting closer to war, we want to be ready to use everyone’s energy to speak out.” Beginning last fall, when talk of war began to escalate, the group began evening peace vigils to draw attention to their concerns.
The group gathered one evening each week, standing in front of City Hall, rain or shine, to hold candles and pray for peace. As winter weather set in, they decided to cut back the vigils to twice a month, but added an indoor educational program to give participants a chance to learn more about the growing war crisis and the peace movement that’s forming in response.
The Pendleton peace group is small, but growing, Talley said. And they’re not the only group in eastern Oregon that’s organizing in opposition to war in Iraq. In La Grande, a peace group based at Eastern Oregon University is attracting students and locals alike to its weekly candlelight vigils. And in Bend, a pro-peace group drew about 350 supporters for a rally Oct. 26, and another 150 people for a rally on Veteran’s Day in November.
The Bend peace protests began when one local resident grew alarmed over talk of impending war and started circulating a
petition. Ray Duray, a retired general contractor, said the rallies have helped rural residents who are opposed to war realize they’re not alone. “What I heard from people was, ‘I’m so glad someone put this together, because I was feeling angry and isolated and I didn’t know what to do,” he said.
While the rallies in Bend have been big enough to draw a bit of media attention, peace groups in small, rural communities can hardly hope to achieve the visibility of big-city demonstrations around the world. In October, a rally in Washington, D.C., drew 100,000, and a protest two weeks later in Florence, Italy, drew half a million.
In Pendleton, a candlelight vigil is lucky to draw a couple dozen people.
But assembling people for even a small rally is enough to make a statement, Duray said. Following the success of the Bend rally, he said he received calls from people in small towns like Fossil — population 470 — who are interested in organizing protests.
“Even if it’s just a small, spontaneous group, we represent a much larger community of people who want peace but who aren’t out there on the streets demonstrating,” he said. “We’re the conscience of the country.”
To increase their visibility, Pendleton activists plan to hold a vigil on the same day that a pro-peace rally is planned for Portland — Jan. 18. And on Feb. 16, when protests are set to take place around the world, several members of the group plan to drive to Portland to join a second, larger event. The goal is to show their solidarity with people everywhere who oppose a U.S. war with Iraq, Talley said.
“We’re hoping to inspire people to feel they can use their freedom of speech to make a difference,” he said. |
