On the south side of the State Capitol building in Raleigh, five-year-old Zuzu Feller held up her half of a large white banner reading "Four Generations for Peace." Her grandfather, a World War II veteran, sat in his wheelchair supporting the other end of the sign, and her mother stood behind.
"Zuzu asked me today where the bombs are," said Feller's mother, Katy Munger. "I told her if we came here today, then there would be no bombs."
The members of the Munger family were among thousands of North Carolina residents who assembled in the capital Saturday afternoon to demonstrate against the impending war with Iraq. Event organizers from the North Carolina Peace and Justice Coalition estimated almost 5,000 people turned out for the general rally, with 4,000 of those marching in the following protest parade.
The day began and ended with interactive, percussion-based music. Attendees beating old paint cans and plastic water bottles with sticks joined African-style drummers and professional musicians. Children and adults danced and mingled with two protesters on stilts dressed as large white birds of peace.
New activists and protest veterans, seasoned by civil rights and anti-Vietnam war protests years ago, comprised the diverse crowd.
"It's the same people as Vietnam, the same energy, the same importance, the same message: We have a government that is out of control," said Wendy Wexberg, a Raleigh resident. "I don't know if I remember such a mixture of ethnicity in the early days of the Vietnam War protests, such a mixture of ages."
The variance of demonstrators led to an eclectic mix of protest styles. People carried signs with what have become the catch phrases of this protest movement--"No blood for oil" and "Not in my name"--but most of the signage was innovative.
"Stop the troops.
One man walked around dressed in a Speedo, wound in plastic wrap. Many protesters carried peace parasols, umbrellas hand-painted with peace signs and slogans.
"The creativity and fluidity of the protests is like the early days of the Vietnam War," said Richard Ward, from Hillsborough. "But it's the first time, I think, that we've ever protested before the war, so there's a lot more chance to be effective."
A small podium was set up on the east-side lawn for an official program of speeches. Community leaders and regional activists using megaphones attached to speakers attempted to inspire the crowd. The lack of a public address system, however, hindered their ability to rally the mass of people gathered in front of them. The crowd remained fragmented, talking to one another in small groups.
"I have no idea what they're saying," said one woman carrying a "For Sale" sign with "America" written in block letters across the bottom. "I just know when everyone moves, I'll start moving with them."
Despite the shortcomings of the formal speeches, protesters were inspired by the turnout at the rally and garnered support from one another.
"It's really validating to not feel like you're the lone voice crying in the wilderness," said Cara Forster, a first-year student in the Nicholas School of the Environment who marched with 10 of her classmates. "It's part of a movement that's bigger than the 10 people at the Nicholas School, the 1,000 people in Durham."
A half block away from the main protest, a smaller group of demonstrators gathered at a
"Go hate America somewhere else!" yelled citizens from the patriotic side. "How do you think the troops feel knowing you're against them?"
Brian Parsons, a Garner resident, stood next to a sign with "War solved Hitler" printed in black ink. "We're not here to advocate war," he said. "We're here to support our nation, our president, our troops."
At 1:30, the anti-war demonstrators rejoined the thousands of people at the primary protest, and they all began to flood the streets to walk a loop through downtown, beginning and ending at the old Capitol Lawn.
The line was remarkably quiet, punctuated by small pockets of singing and chanting. In the middle of the dense crowd, a group of 15 students from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro led one of the larger factions of chanters.
Their cries of "Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation!" died after 60 seconds, to be replaced by an attempt at "Hey, Bush, kiss my ass! I won't die for the price of gas!"
The demonstration and march were part of a worldwide series of anti-war protests that took place Saturday. Millions of people assembled in hundreds of cities across the United States, Europe and Australia, braving rain and cold temperatures to express their dissent.
"I want them to know that I, personally, don't want this war," said Rockymount resident Joan Sharpe. "I got a loud voice, but I'm just one. There are thousands here. We need to bring all of us to let them know. Whatever tools we have, we got to use them."
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