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Rallies, protests show divide over war Anti-war crowd reaches 100,000 in ftew York, spans 30 blocks BY TARA BURGHART THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK (AP) - Anti-war activists marched again Saturday in dozens of cities, mar shaling well over 100.000 in Manhattan and sometimes trad ing insults with backers of the U.S.-led war on Iraq. War back ers rallied too, often by the thou sands, with American flags and chants of “USA!” In Chicago, some of about 800 troop supporters came within 20 feet of a small group of anti-war activists outside a federal build ing. As the protesters shouted “killers, killers, killers,” a mili tary backer yelled back “idiots, idiots, idiots.” Later, about 500 anti-war protesters marched around the same building. Carrying peace signs and wearing costumes, demonstrators in New York spanned 30 blocks as they marched down Broadway to ward Washington Square Park. Unofficial police estimates put the crowd at more than 125,000; United for Peace and Justice, the march organizers, estimated the crowd at more than 250,000. “I believe if you really want to show ‘shock and awe,’ you should show love and justice,”,said marcher Bob Edgar, an officer at the National Council of Churches. baroi baverne wore a pair oi angel’s wings and carried a sign saying “Thou shall npt kill.” Susan Sonz and her 9-year-old son, Ruben, came to the march from their home near the World Trade Center ground zero site. The boy carried a sign saying, “Ground Zero kids against the war.” “We don’t want to see more in nocent people die,” Sonz said. Some celebrities joined in, in cluding actors Roy Scheider, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, and singer Patti Smith. "We support the troops, but we do not support the president,” said Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., a Korean War veteran. About 2,000 police were as signed to the rally, including un dercover officers with beeper sized radiation detectors and oth er counterterrorism measures. After the permit for the march expired at 4 p.m., several hun dred protesters refused officers’ orders to clear the area, and some scuffled with police. Hundreds of police in riot gear and officers on horseback pulled PHOTO BY VICKI VALERIO/KRT CAMPUS A demonstrator flashes the “peace” sign while in handcuffs as police move her in a wheelchair because she refused to walk. one protester after another out of the crowd and placed them in a police truck. Police said about 75 people were-arrested. Protesters said po lice used pepper spray, and po lice said 14 officers were getting medical treatment after being sprayed with an unknown sub stance. Tens of thousands protested in San Francisco after two days of anti-war rallies in which about 2,200 were arrested. San Francisco police on Friday vowed to be more aggres sive in controlling the crowds, but the latest demonstration was peaceful, with no arrests. “Families are coming out, kids are coming out. In deference to that, we want to keep this a posi tive experience,” said organizer Mario Santos of International ANSWER. “There’s no point to civil disobedience. It’s Saturday. Everything’s closed.” In Hollywood, war protesters marched down Sunset Boulevard, complaining that news coverage is slanted. One sign showed a pho to of an Iraqi mother with a wounded child and said, “Collateral damage has a face.” In Washington, several hun dred protesters, chanting “No blood for oil,” strode through the streets and rallied in front of the White House. Their pink and or ange signs read “No war against Iraq” and “Money for unemploy ment, not war.” Two protesters were arrested. One of them pushed an officer off his bicycle, police said. In Chicopee, Mass., 53 of about 1,500 protesters were arrested when they blocked a road to Westover Air Reserve Base dur ing an anti-war rally. Sixteen protesters were ar rested on trespassing charges when they refused to leave Iowa’s National Guard head quarters, in Johnston. One of them, Carolyn Uhlenhake Walker, an elementary school teacher, declared, “I’m a patriot, and I’m offended by people that say we don’t love our country.” Pro-war crowds support troops after massive anti-war rallies BY KAREN MATTHEWS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK (AP) — A day af ter massive anti-war rallies at tracted thousands across the na tion —• including more than 100,000 people in a march down Broadway—hundreds of people gathered in Times Square and other cities Sunday to show sup port for the war in Iraq. About 600 people waved American flags and chanted “U S-A! “U-S-A!” at the Times Square demonstration. “Thank God we have a presi dent who is a real global leader, protecting our liberty and secu rity, relentless in his pursuit of justice and not bending to the ap peasers,” said Republican ac tivist Michael Benjamin, who is considering a run for U.S. Senate against Charles Schumer in 2004. “The entire world communi ty has said time and again that Saddam Hussein is a danger and that he must be disarmed,” said former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler. “But it is the United States and the coalition of the willing which has finally been willing to stand up and say, ’What must be done, let it be done now.'” On Saturday, a throng 30 city blocks long had marched down Broadway to oppose the war. Organizers put the crowd at 250,000; police said it was 125,000 strong. Police said 91 people were arrested, and 16 officers were hospitalized after they were sprayed with an unknown substance. Near Richmond, Va., on Sunday, police said more than 5,000 people showed up to show their support for the war — something veterans Terry Steer said they could have used dur ing Vietnam. “I’m here to support the troops because I know what it was like when people didn't,” said Steer, 55, who fought during the 1968 Tet Offensive with the 1st Air Calvary Division of the Army. “That can’t happen again.” Forrest Winks, a 14-year-old corporal in his high school’s Junior Army ROTC program, said he sees the soldiers on tele vision and hears duty calling. “I really wish I could be out there with them taking part, but it’s very scary, too. I know that,” Forrest said, in his dark green dress uniform and black beret. “I’m stuck here, at home.” Onstage at the outdoor pavil ion, a historical reenactor recit ed Patrick Henry’s “Give me lib erty or give me death” speech. Supporters sang the national an them, removed their hats and bowed their heads in prayer. In Washington, about 300 ac tivists turned out for a pro-mili tary rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, waving signs saying “God bless our troops” and “Freedom is not free.” Republican Congressman Steve King of Iowa said all Americans — even the ones opposing the war — need to stand behind the troops now that the war is un derway, and that some protesters have been displaying “un-American values.” On a day when pro-war sup porters made the most noise, anti-war demonstrators still made themselves heard. In Providence, R.I., about 200 peo ple gathered on the Statehouse lawn, holding snapshots of Iraqi families to symbolize the suffer ing of those impacted by the war. inis is tne tace ot collateral damage,” Karina Wood of Rhode Island Peace Action said of the pictures. About 60 peace activists marched to city hall in Melbourne, Fla., including 9 year-old Ayasia Telesca Whipple, who led them, carry ing a neon pink poster declaring “Save Iraq’s kids.” “There are lots of kids in Iraq just like us, and they shouldn’t get bombed,” said Telesca Whipple, who came with her mother and 6-year-old brother. More than 200 people joined a demonstration in downtown Gainesville, Fla., where the sound of drums and anti-war chants rang through the streets. “We’re defying the United Nations, we are told, in order to enforce the will of the United Nations,” said Pierce Butler, a member of the group Veterans for Peace. “Everything is turned upside down.” PHOTO BY MIKE EWEN/KRT CAMPUS Pro-war advocate Ryan Davis, left, squares off with anti-war protester Matthew Jorn, right, during a demonstration at Florida State University on Thursday In Tallahassee, Fla. Odom CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 the idea from Clemson University. “Athletics is one of those things that I think a lot of people can unite behind,” he said. “I’ve talked to some people about this in ath letics, and the general consensus is they would like to see some thing like this happen.” Although he’s served on the Athletics Committee in SG and as the treasurer for the Student Gamecock Club, Odom is quick to point out that athletics isn’t his only concern. “I think there is lots that needs to be done and a lot that should have already been done,” he said. One such thing is inserting a USC student on the Board of Trustees as a voting member. “The Board of Trustees decides the course of this university,” he said. “I think this will give students an equal vote and this will help stu dents’ voice to be heard a lot bet ter.” Odom acknowledges that SG’s power to improve the parking sit uation at USC is limited, but he still wants to use what influence it has to make a difference. “Student Government is not going to build a parking garage,” he said. Instead, Odom plans to lobby the administra tion to stop eliminating metered spaces; one metered spot, he said, can make $10,000 a year and would equal more money for parking. Instead of eliminating fresh man parking, Odom wants to en courage the administration to build on existing parking garages to create more space. Odom says his plans are possi ble if the right steps are taken to carry them out. “A lot of people are going to pos sibly say that these things can’t happen,” he said. “I think they are possible. They’ve happened at oth er schools, and you’ve just got to know how to go about doing it. You’ve got to know how to work the system.” Hailing from Anderson, Odom decided he wanted to make a difference after his fa ther’s death. Odom was only 13 years old. “It was definitely a turning point in my life,” he said. “It made me realize that, and I know it sounds corny, but that I want ed to do a lot of things and make a difference in any way possi ble.” Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockudesk@hotmail.com Murphy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 weeks before spring break, when elections start picking up.” On the issue of parking, Murphy said he was against tak ing parking away from fresh man. He said USC is a commuter school and that it would be unfair to students, especially freshmen, to no longer allow them to park on campus or have the spaces avail able for parking. “I think that the black, barren asphalt expresses doom so much better than big, grassy fields filled with butterflies,” Murphy said. “So I’m actually anti-green space and pro-black space.” Besides the typical fliers-and-T shirts campaigning, Murphy said he has several surprise events planned for this week. One of those “surprises” is a robot army his campaign staff has been working on to follow him around campus; there will even be robot fighting, he said. “It’s rather interesting,” he said. Murphy said he thought about running for Student Government president last year. He said he wanted to know why Student Government was a joke and realized it was because peo ple didn’t pay attention to it. In his campaign of doom, Murphy said, he doesn’t mean “fire-and-brimstone, apocalyptic doom.” “We’re going for the crazy doom,” he said. “When we start doing crazy stuff, stuff to get peo ple’s attention, people will start paying attention, and then they can demand things and get things done.” “And what’s better to follow up a campaign of doom than an admin istration of doom,” Murphy said. He said one of his campaign promises is to grow a beard and dye it black; he said he suggests students look at the Student Government Web page and look at all the candidates’ campaign promises and information. “I encourage all the students to look at all the candidates, see what they’re saying,” Murphy said. “If you’re not going to vote for me, make an intelligent decision.” Comments on this story ?E-mail gamecockudesk@hotmail. com Prisoners CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 diers, “those pictures are a viola tion of the Geneva Conventions.” International Committee of the Red Cross spokeswoman Nada Doumani said the showing of the prisoners on TV violates Article 13 of the Geneva Conventions, which says prisoners should be protected from public curiosity. But she stressed that the priority at the moment is to get access to them. “It does contradict the conven tions because it’s public curiosi ty,” she said. “But our priority is not to put blame on any side but to check that the prisoners are safe.” Each prisoner shown on tele vision spoke American-accented English. tightly in her lap as she was ques tioned, her eyes darting back and forth and her voice very shaky. She said she was 30 years old, from Texas, and part of the 507th Maintenance. At one point, the camera panned back, showing a big white bandage around her an kle. Another prisoner, who said he was from El Paso, Texas, stared directly at the camera and spoke in a clear, direct voice. He often shook his head and cupped his ear slightly to indicate that he couldn’t hear one of the questions being shot at him from around the room. A 31-year-old sergeant from New Jersey sat bolt upright in a chair with brown armrests. His hands in his lap, he answered questions in a clipped fashion and said he was with the 537th. One of the prisoners, sitting up, was interviewed by an unseen person holding a microphone la beled “Iraqi TV” in Arabic. The prisoner at one point said: “I’m sorry. I don’t understand you.” The narrator provided an Arabic translation, but it was pos sible to hear some of the com ments in English. Some of the prisoners looked lerrmea. One cap tive, who said he was from Kansas, answered all his questions in a shaky voice, his eyes dart ing back and forth between the inter viewer and anoth Cl pcisuil who couldn’t be seen on camera. Asked why he came to Iraq, he replied, “I come to fix broke stuff.” Prodded again by the inter viewer, he was asked if he came to shoot Iraqis. “No, I come to shoot only if I am shot at,” he said. “They (Iraqis) don’t bother me, I don’t bother them.” Another prisoner, who said he was from Texas, said only: “I fol low orders.” A voice off-camera asked how many officers were in his unit. “I don’t know, sir,” the man replied. Another prisoner, who also said he was from Texas, was ly ing on an elaborate maroon mat. The camera panned from his feet to his head, showing one of his arms to be wounded and folded across his chest. Iraqi TV attempted to inter view him, at one point trying to cradle his head to steady it for the camera. They eventually helped him sit up, but he seemed to sway slightly. The camera showed four bod ies on the floor of the room. The siauun ocuu xney and the prisoners were captured around An Nasiriyah. U.S. officials said Sunday that U.S. Marines defeated Iraqi forces near An Nasiriyah in the sharpest engage ment of the war. But they said Iraqi forces also am bushed an army supply convoy and 12 soldiers were missing. *\rmy j_ii. uwi. John Abizaid said he believed some of the 12 missing soldiers “ended up on Baghdad TV.” In Cairo, Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri said the ca sualties “showed that we’re not surrendering easily. It is proof , we’re strong and it is not an easy • invasion.” Prior to the hostilities, the Iraqi government said it would give the International Committee of the Red Cross the freedom to move about the country to per form its traditional tasks, which include monitoring the care and treatment of POWs. The U.S. military says it has more than 2,000 Iraqi prisoners of war. * • “We expect them to be treated humanely, just like we’ll treat any prisoners of theirs that we capture humanely. If not, the people who mistreat the prisoners will be treated as war criminals.” PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH ON IRAQI TROOPS' AMBUSH AND CAPTURE OF 12 AMERICAN SOLDIERS