Audio clip
Terry Stulce
Almost 100 protesters marched through downtown Chattanooga on Saturday, marking the five-year anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq.
Chanting “End the War Now” and “George Bush, Uncle Sam, this will be your Vietnam,” protesters walked from Coolidge Park across the Walnut Street Bridge to Miller Park. They carried signs calling for U.S. troops to come home and sang peace songs.
Terry Stulce, organizer and spokesman for United for Democracy and Justice, said the number of people attending the event was fewer than expected. Organizers anticipated between 300 to 400 people for the rally, he said.
In small gatherings in other cities, hundreds joined marches Wednesday in protest of the Iraq war, which began March 19-20, 2003.
Two and three years ago, almost 200 people marched in Chattanooga to protest the war, he said. But those who participated this year were committed, Mr. Stulce said.
“Poor old Fred Wright, he’s 87-years-old, and he just now got here after walking across the river,” he said. “That’s the kind of dedication these people have.”
Jessica Stout, 25, and Lacey Gerken, 22, both seniors at Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, carried bright yellow signs across the Walnut Street Bridge, with the words “End the War in Iraq Now!”
Ms. Stout said it was their first time marching. “I’ve been concerned with the war in Iraq for a while,” she said.
Ms. Gerken said she hoped the protest affects U.S. policy.
“The chance where we can make a difference is coming up in November,” Ms. Gerken said. “So, yeah, we can make a difference.”
John Selvidge, of Ooltewah, held a sign with John Lennon lyrics that he made five years ago and has carried every year.
“It’s a shame we have to keep coming back,” he said.
Organizers stressed the protest was a reaction to U.S. policies and not to the soldiers. Linda Waste, of Hixson, said she is a member of Military Families Speaking Out, and has three sons and two grandchildren that are Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.
“They were in support of it in the beginning,” she said. “They thought they were doing something good. But now they want out.”
Cliff has worked for the Times Free Press for five years and covers Chattanooga city government. He previously covered Rhea County, as well as transportation and growth and development in Southeast Tennessee. A native of Maryville, Tenn., Cliff graduated in 2003 from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis on journalism. Before coming to Chattanooga, he was a crime reporter with Hernando Today, a supplement of The Tampa (Fla.) ...
