Joshua Wilks
Published: March 24 2004
While hundreds of thousands of people rallied around the world March 20, protesting the U.S. presence in Iraq on the first anniversary of the war, about 40 to 60 protestors assembled across from the Federal Courthouse in Pensacola to express their anti-war beliefs, as well.
The anti-war protest ranged from solemn to strident throughout the day.
Some demonstrators paraded with signs of anti-President Bush slogans, such as “Bush equals Hitler,” wacked a life-sized pi¤ata of President Bush with a broomstick and then set it on fire, while one demonstrator yelled “go back to hell.”
The Pensacola Fire Department reported to the scene dousing the small fire with an ice chest full of water.
Other protestors lined the intersection of Palafox and Garden Streets, wordlessly, not wishing to comment, holding signs with simple slogans such as “War is bad.”
Throughout the day, as many as 60 protestors caught the attention of passer-bys with shouts of anti-war sentiment, such as “The U.S. Military is a war machine.” Some drivers honked and held the two-finger peace sign in support, while others pointed their middle fingers towards the crowd mocking the demonstrators.
“The U.S. military is a death machine,” one protestor said. “Bush hates you,” the angry man cried out while cars surged through the busy downtown intersection, “where’s Lee Harvey Oswald when you need him!”
Meanwhile, Daniel Hayes, a PJC graduate and former Marine, watched from across the street.
“I think it’s a lot of misplaced anger,” said Hayes, a former Marine infantryman. “Their anger is set on symbols and people, not on the war.”
“I really think they would accomplish a lot more if they would just sit down, be civil and talk about it,” Hayes said.
Hayes has observed other protests put on by the group who organized the rally.
“This is the (largest) turnout that I have seen so far,” Hayes said. “Although I thought there would be more people with all the advertising they did.”
For weeks prior to the event, organizers of the group advertised the rally, and posted flyers across Pensacola, including billboards on PJC’s main campus.
Students were also among the demonstrators, one of whom is an international student from Palestine studying at the University of West Florida.
“I think that America’s (foreign) policy is not just or fair,” said one Palestinian native, who wished to remain anonymous.
Although he doesn’t like America?s foreign policy, the Palestinian student says he loves the American way of life.
“I love that I can come out here and say this,” the student said. “If I was back home and did this, I would be in jail, and my family wouldn?t know where I was and I would be tortured and possibly killed.”
“I am taking advantage of this freedom by expressing my opinion in a peaceful way.”