Madison residents took to the streets Saturday afternoon to make their case for change in a rally sponsored by UW-Madison student group Stop the War. Beginning on Library Mall and continuing with a march to the Capitol, the rally was intended to promote awareness of the consequences of U.S. actions both domestic and abroad.
The rally began when Mike Wunsch of the Madison Area Peace Coalition took the stage, speaking to a crowd reaching back to University Bookstore. Wunsch emphasized the frustration created by results of the election, ranging from feelings that the election was stolen to the belief that the whole system is corrupt.
\Whatever you think, we can agree on one thing,"" Wunsch said, ""that to unite behind this president is capitulation ... to acquiesce in murder.""
Signs reflected such dissatisfaction over the election results for Bush, including ""Bush = Terrorist,"" ""War is a fascist choice"" and ""Don't mourn-organize."" However, Kerry was also a target of criticism, with a Kerry-Edwards campaign sign put together to read ""Kut and run.""
According to Seth Adams, UW-Madison freshman and member of Stop the War, though the election is over, there are still issues with U.S. foreign policy that matter, including the occupations and troop activity in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine.
""The goal is tying all the bad parts of American foreign policy together-saying we shouldn't support this,"" Adams said. ""We planned it before the election-for either Bush or Kerry-it's kind of a 'the election is over but you still need to do things.'""
Madison resident Diane Kvidera, carrying aloft a ""Badger Fans for Peace"" sign, said she was there to get one simple message across: Give peace a chance.
""You got to do the other stuff, but we need to recognize that it's peace instead of war-it's a major concept shift,"" Kvidera said.
Wunsch further said while Republicans feel they have a mandate to impose their environmentally and economically damaging policies on the American people, there is still the possibility for change if people unite. Citing Richard Nixon as another right-wing president, he said protesters in that era were able to end the Vietnam War, secure civil rights legislation and create the Environmental Protection Agency.
""If you believe that an opposition that is vocal and organized can stop them, then you will be right and we will stop them,"" Wunsch said. ""These are the seeds of the movement that will stop Bush and Cheney ... spread the message that peace, justice and equality are ours if we are willing to fight for it.""
