Protesters descend on D.C., demanding Iraq troop pullout

Brock Satter

WASHINGTON — Thousands of protesters from across the country converged here on Saturday for the second time in as many weeks, demanding an end to the war in Iraq. The protest, sponsored by the national grassroots Troops Out Now Coalition, spotlighted a new generation of young people opposed to a war that is now in its fifth year.

Among those new dissenters were two busloads of Boston youths that departed for D.C. from Roxbury Community College, many of whom were attending the first protest of their lives.

Comparatively, Desa Larkin, a 19-year-old film and African American studies student at Boston University, is an old pro. This was her second demonstration.

“My first demonstration was two weeks ago for the Jena Six,” a protest at Harvard University held Sept. 20, the same day as the rally in Jena, La., that drew tens of thousands. Placards expressing support for the Jena Six could be seen throughout D.C. during the march.

“A lot of my classmates complain about a lot of things they don’t like, but never do anything about it. I wanted to be able to say I was someone who ‘walks the walk,’” said Larkin. “My friend went to the Sept. 15 demonstration, [and] she told me it was great, so I decided to go.”

That Sept. 15 protest, called by the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) Coalition, also drew a large contingent to the nation’s capital. Organizers estimated more than 100,000 demonstrators attended that day, but that number could not be confirmed. The Associated Press reported that “there appeared to be tens of thousands of people in attendance.”

Solomon Mastin, 16, a junior and starting shooting guard for the basketball team at New Mission High School in Roxbury, took a page from the book of legendary athlete and activist Muhammad Ali, skipping his team’s game to go to the march.

“A lot of my teammates respect what I’m doing and my coach really respects it. I’m trying to start a new movement,” he said.

Mastin’s New Mission classmate, junior Judy Depradine, 16, was also on the bus en route to her first demonstration.

“At the last minute, a lot of my friends wanted to go. I plan to educate my classmates when we get back. Next time, more will go,” said Depradine. “People need to back up their words.”

Joining the young protesters were representatives from two Haitian rights groups, the New England Committee for Human Rights in Haiti and Haitian Rehab.

“You have to take action — it’s like watching a child doing wrong and not doing anything about it,” said Lyssa Transtamar, a mental health worker from Randolph and vice president of Haitian Rehab.

The demonstration also featured speakers from Iraq Veterans Against the War, Katrina activists like Malik Rahim, executive director of the New Orleans-based Common Ground Collective, and immigrant rights activist Teresa Gutierrez of the May 1st Immigrant Rights Coalition.

Representatives from the labor movement were also in attendance, as the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), District 37, the largest public employees union in New York, sent a busload to the protest.

“The union movement is an important part of stopping this war and redirecting our worker-earned tax dollars to social and progressive issues,” said John Lafferty, an officer from Local 1359, which manages rent stabilization and rent control for the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal.

“We need to educate our children better and let them know they have the power to change society,” added Olivia Crum, a health worker from Local 1549, an administrative and clerical union representing nearly 18,000 New York City employees.

Some at the march questioned whether the political change brought on by last year’s midterm elections will make any real difference in the direction of U.S. policy toward Iraq.

“I thought by electing the Democrats to Congress, things would change,” said Laura Brightman, a retired social worker and member of Local 157. “Now I’m not so sure. They seem weak in the knees.”

The United for Peace and Justice Coalition has called for another round of demonstrations to be held in 11 regions around the country on Oct. 27, including one in Boston, scheduled to take place on Boston Common. For more information, visit www.oct27.org.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.