Article in the December 11, 2002 Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Santa Rosa anti-war protest draws nearly 200

Activists block military recruiting office lobby, oppose school recruiting

By RANDI ROSSMANN
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Almost 200 people gathered Tuesday outside a Santa Rosa military recruiting office to protest a possible war in Iraq.

The protest was one of about 120 across the country, timed to coincide with International Human Rights Day.

Santa Rosa's protest lasted about four hours. Participants blocked the lobby of the recruiting office and stood along both sides of Mendocino Avenue.

A huge white banner was hanged over the front of the office. It read, "Hey recruiters, leave our kids alone."

Protesters briefly sat in the middle of Mendocino Avenue, blocking traffic. They moved when asked by police to return to the sidewalk.

Erin Gwynn, 23, of Rohnert Park was driving by when she saw the protest under way and stopped to participate. "It's the least I can do," she said.

Gwynn, like several others, said in addition to opposing a war in Iraq she wanted to protest the recently signed homeland security bill, which allows military recruiters direct access to high school students.

"I don't want them trying to recruit my little sister," Gwynn said.

Others said they believed the real intention of President Bush is to get at Iraq's oil supply. And they feared that no matter what the current hunt for weapons of mass destruction turns up in Iraq, Bush will take the United States to war.

"The federal government should give (the inspections) a chance to work. They're going to do this without the consent of the people," Schuyler Erle, 25, of Sebastopol, said.

Nationwide, more than 100 people were arrested in protests, mostly for blocking buildings and disorderly conduct.

In Sacramento, nine people were taken into custody for blocking the entrance to a federal courthouse.

Although recruiters in Santa Rosa requested that protesters in the office foyer be arrested, and some protesters wanted to be arrested, none was taken into custody.

Police officers had requested that they not force arrests because it would have required more officers, who would have been pulled from other duties around the city.

The protesters agreed to go after recruiters quit early for the night and closed the office.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 521-5249 or rrossman@pressdemocrat.com.

Copyright © 2002 The Press Democrat