The United States invaded Iraq on March 19, 2003.
Since then, more than 3,000 men and women of the U.S. military have been killed in combat. And hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have lost their lives.
On Jan. 10, Bush announced plans to send an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq in a last-ditch effort for success.
The announcement outraged most everyone who attended the rally. Many expressed their discontentment with signs that said, “Troop Escalation – Wrong Way” and “No More Troops.”
Cori Beckwith, 43, of Washington D.C., rested her chin on a sign that simply said, “Jerks.”
Beckwith attended the rally with several relatives who traveled from Michigan to participate in the demonstration. She said she was glad to see so many people come out to speak against the war, but she still felt helpless.
“It’s so depressing that it [the war] got this far,” Beckwith said. “I just wish we could go back in time.”
Call For Change
While it’s impossible to go back in time, many said they are looking toward the future for dramatic changes.
Lorrie Delehanty of Charlottesville, Va., said she thinks the only way to improve the situation is to eliminate Bush.
Looking around the crowd, it was evident that Delehanty was not alone. Some called for Bush to be imprisoned for war crimes while others went so far as to imply that Bush should be hung.
Others said they want Congress to cut funding for the war.
“It’s crucial that enough members of Congress vote against” funding the war, said Milt Latta, 63, of Berkeley, Calif. “The additional funding needs to go toward rebuilding what we’ve destroyed” in Iraq.
Ryan Haney, 23, a student at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, attended the rally with 50 other students from his school. He stood near a circle of an estimated 100 other students who shouted, “Money for schools, not war."
