On March 19, 2008 the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq passed. Gustavus students in protest of the war held a candle-light vigil in front of the campus center, placing them in a category with fellow protesters across the country. Two weeks ago several hundred protestors joined for another march on the capitol in Washington D.C.

I had the opportunity to accompany 17 members of my church community and observe first-hand a protest in the hub of our country’s government.

The Olive Branch Interfaith Peace Partnership organized the protest. A group that advocates peace and represents people from different faith backgrounds, this group frequently coordinate similar events in the D.C. area.

Junior Philosophy and Art double Major Natalie Norberg participated in Gustavus’ protest. “This was the five year anniversary for the start of the Iraq war…[and] we wanted to draw attention to that,” Norberg said. “I think it is important to have a protest here. It brings the message home a little bit more.”

For Norberg, “Peace protests are not directed against the people in the service, but [rather] against the people sending them.”

Senior English Major Mee Moua said “I think [peace protests] are needed. I see it as another war…a peaceful…war against a violent war.”

Gwin Pratt is a pastor at St. Luke Presbyterian Church in the Twin Cities. He attended the anti-war march in Washington D.C. As a founder of the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq– a group of Christians committed to working for peace in Iraq, he is very invested in the issue and helped to organize other protesters to join him in D.C.

“Protests are kind of an emergency reaction to the things that are happening…What we are trying to accomplish is a shift in the consciousness of the country,” Pratt said.

As a minister, Pratt may seem an unlikely candidate to protest in a government building. He has strong feelings about his role as both a pastor and an activist. In fact, many of those protesting beside him were religious leaders from around the country.

“Civil disobedience is generally seen as a way of saying no to business as usual,” he said, “Those folks are saying with their bodies and with their lives that this higher law governs them.”

Throughout the weekend, participants attended workshops, a protest near the capitol building and finally a procession of several hundred peace activists to the Hart Senate office building.

Upon arrival at the doors to the building, the group sang and prayed for peace. In an act of civil disobedience against the war in Iraq a group of forty-one individuals sat inside the Hart building’s atrium to pray, speak and sing in opposition to the war.

A short while into the vigil, a contingent of approximately sixty-five capitol police officers surrounded the protesters. “Really, it was a very spiritual experience. I had my eyes closed and I wasn’t even aware of the… capitol police… until they were completely surrounding us,” Phyllis Messenger of St. Luke Presbyterian Church said.

A police officer used a bullhorn to give the activists three warnings before each of the forty-one peace activists was arrested for unlawful assembly. As the vigil continued, hundreds of onlookers stepped onto the four tiers of balconies surrounding the atrium and applauded the individuals as they were arrested.

Through it all, the officers were surprisingly courteous. Each arresting officer politely informed the protesters they were being arrested and were careful not to injure them.

“[They] voiced their appreciation for our courage to voice our dissent. We treated one another with great courtesy… and they treated us as fellow citizens,” Messenger said.

She said that her action in the protest was about “being able to say to people ‘I’m doing this for my kids, I’m doing this for your kids.’ I don’t want my kids to be sacrificed for an immoral war that…is being carried on for God knows what reason,” she said.

Messenger is realistic about the political influence of her actions. “I have no illusion that [I] will make any dramatic change,” Messenger said, “but maybe it’s a drop in a river that is going to go in a different direction.”

“Maybe my participating in civil disobedience is more about transforming myself and those people around me,” she said.

Messenger does hope that her actions will bring about a degree of change. “[It’s about] passing the word that it’s time that we all start raising our voices more emphatically and…let those in power know that we will not tolerate this any longer.”

This protest was only one of many, and relatively small in comparison to some others. That being said, I believe it still has an effect on individuals. People hear about and see these protests and they are affected by them.

I was very moved by the whole demonstration. There was no yelling and no violence. It was incredibly peaceful and everyone was respectful to each other. For me, that made this a very successful protest. Peace protests show those in control that we are not satisfied with what is going on, and that we will not be quiet any longer.

Photo by: Alex Messenger

Alex Messenger