So I was at an anti-war protest today...

[RebelSansCause]

with the newly formed and resurrected SDS supported by World Can't Wait. it was mainly a college students march but there was a smattering of high school students as well as some older people from groups such as Labor Against the War. we started out at Union Square and marched up to 38th street where we then turned east and took the street! it was amazing, completely blocking out one street for a few blocks. after this we took over madison avenue for maybe 3 blocks. eventually we got to L-3 communications where we had people dressed as detainees in orange jumpsuits kneel down with black hoods over their head while people in fatigues loomed over them. then we shouted slogans and chanted like we had been doing the whole time.

next, we marched to bechtel corporation and after that on to times square where we surrounded the military recruiting headquarters. the whole time we were followed/escorted by many police officers, i would say there were at least 10 of them and only about 150 of us. despite the brisk and chilly day it was a wonderful turn out and i am now completely hoarse from the chanting and screaming. there were so many people on the streets today it being a friday afternoon in new york city and it was quite amazing. there were people clapping and cheering and whooping us and saying things like "you go!". the energy was unreal.

all these people were so passionate and it was so enjoyable, so this is my question to you. what has happened to the anti-war movement and why are there no students involved? the movement needs college students, or else it is doomed for failure. i know that code pink is still active but they are pretty much the only ones i ever see. when i was at the ANSWER coalition march in september in DC the numbers were underwhelming. why has the movement nearly puttered out and died? it is depressing as hell. we seem locked in a never ending cycle of warmongering and war profiteering under the watchful eyes of the corporations.

and one other thing, please, do something in your community to stop the war.

[graywarrior]

1. SDS has resurrected?

[RebelSansCause]

4. yes, in 2006 n/t

[graywarrior]

10. Way cool.

Glad you are involved in it.

[malaise]

2. K & R

Good news

[alstephenson]

3. No anti-war college kids = no draft (eom)

[RebelSansCause]

7. see, that is frustrating

as hell. i mean i am involved with other left-leaning causes such as the disclosure of my school's budget. but the idea that people will only care about the war if it directly effects them sucks. i mean, why is there such large opposition to it from the general publc? it seems to me that a large part of the problem is that no one is reaching out on college campuses even though they could provide a great deal of new energy and blood. do you have any idea how to turn said apathy around?

[alstephenson]

12. I wish I did, RSC. It is frustrating as hell.

I know my comment was a generalization, but I, too, am surprised and frustrated by the apathy of younger people, especially regarding the illegal and immoral war.

[kas125]

18. Some of the Viet Nam veterans from my group have been reaching out to college kids

and they are interested, they just don't know what to do. We've got people working with groups of kids from three different colleges now and it was the same story at all of them - at the first meeting there were a few kids, but with each subsequent meeting or rally, there are more. College students do know that even if they aren't drafted, their friends are fighting the war and their generation is going to have to pay for this mess, so there are many of them who are as frustrated as we are. They just need a few volunteers to begin meeting with them and pointing them in the right direction, I think.

[Klukie]

8. exactly

[Kip Humphrey]

22. I was an old-time SDSer and never met a fellow SDSer motivated by the draft.

[Warren Stupidity]

5. K&R

Good. More protests. The regime will not fall until everyone is out in the streets.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

6. Thanks for all you do.

I live in a small south coast Oregon town ( 1200 people ) we have a strong anti-war group here. Peace be with you and all of us.

[Breeze54]

9. Awesome and thank you for braving the cold to protest!

:D

The movement has NOT petered out and died. There were regional
protests on Oct 27th too and there are protests daily across America.

People can't be out there all day, everyday. Many have to work and gas
prices and airline ticket prices are going up and winter is coming on.

I think the regional protest might be the way to go for now.

Getting that message out locally can and will be crucial and
we both know that the MSM isn't covering the protests at all!

I'm proud of you! :D

:kick: & Recommended

and to DU! :hi:

[RebelSansCause]

11. it's so sad

that the system we try and oppose is the exact one that restricts us so much. i suppose you are right. so long as there is one person who opposes the war with a breath left in them, the movement will never be dead. i think that much of the movement put a lot of effort to put the dems in control of congress and that has not gone anywhere.

never fear, we will persevere and i am sure you will too.

and thanks for the welcome :hi:

[tavalon]

13. What is SDS?

[Love Bug]

15. Students for a Democratic Society

which was an anti-war group in the 60s made up of college kids. Otherwise known as "draft-dodging hippie scum" to the right-wing establishment of the time.

On edit: make that "bell-bottom-wearing, pot-smoking, granola-eating, peace-sign-flashing, draft-card-burning, get-a-haircut, draft-dodging hippie scum" :D

[Breeze54]

16. Actually, the SDS were very straight and clean looking geek types!

They really weren't the 'hippie type' at all.

The SDS started in the early 60's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Students_for_a_Democratic_Society


Walter organized student volunteers to work with Baltimore's
inner-city poor. He had been influenced by the Students for a
Democratic Society (SDS), which had socialist leanings. SDS wanted
to mobilize the unskilled and the unemployed to fight for social justice.

Walter Hall Lively

Civil Rights Activist & Black Liberationist (1942-1976)
http://www.nathanielturner.com/walterlively.htm

[Love Bug]

20. True, but it was the perception

that all anti war protestors were hippie scum.

[tavalon]

17. LOL

Thanks.

[ThatsMyBarack]

14. Good for you!

:patriot:

[L. Coyote]

19. Photo Gallery: Peace Demonstration at the Benton County Courthouse.

http://jqjacobs.net/politics/impeach/index.html



Download the 1280 pixel deskpicture of the Impeach Team.

[treestar]

21. Why is it doomed if there are no college students?

College students are no more valuable than anyone else. Baby boomers are a large bulge in the population, ergo, these days, a protest should include a large number of people in their 50s, or maybe it is "doomed" by not having enough people.