03/15/08:Iraq War Protester Ready For An Eventful Five Days - Iraq Veterans Against the War
Iraq War Protester Ready For An Eventful Five Days
Wisconsin State Journal :: FRONT :: A1
Saturday, March 15, 2008
By DEBORAH ZIFF dziff@madison.com 608-252-6234
They call him the "chalk guy" on State Street.
If you see a peace symbol tucked away on a brick wall, or a message decrying war on the sidewalk, it was probably the work of Miles Kristan.
So impassioned is the 22-year old MATC photography student about ending the war in Iraq, that he took on a second job to finance five days of anti-war rallies beginning today.
The protests, which Kristan is planning with the help of several local antiwar groups, will start each day at the Capitol and State Street at 11 a.m., concluding on Wednesday, the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war.
Kristan is spending hundreds of out-of-pocket dollars on fliers, supplies and a parade float, which will feature an 8-foot-tall, 3-foot-wide effigy of President Bush in an orange jumpsuit. He expects 1,000 to 2,000 people to gather at the Capitol for the rallies.
"I always protested the war from 2003 onward out of a moral principle," said Kristan, who traveled across the country on an antiwar bus last year. "Last year I met six or seven parents who lost their kids, including Cindy Sheehan. At that moment it became much more real."
Kristan began his activism as a Door County high school student where he got interested in political art, learning how to make papier-mache political symbols. That led to his antiwar float designs, which have included a dancing elephant and Bush as Pinnochio.
Kristan predicts he will get arrested this week during one of several pre-meditated acts of "civil disobedience," planned for Monday and Tuesday after the rallies.
But how many protesters are conscientious enough to check in with the police before acting out?
What: Five days of antiwar rallies.
When: Today through Wednesday.
Where: Rallies begin at 11 a.m. at the corner of State Street and the Capitol, with various activities following.
Events include: A film of soldier testimonies at the Orpheum at 1 p.m. today, a fundraiser for Iraq Veterans Against the War at Escape Java Joint, 916 Williamson St., at 4 p.m. Sunday, and a march on State Street on Wednesday at noon.
Wisconsin State Journal :: FRONT :: A1
Saturday, March 15, 2008
By DEBORAH ZIFF dziff@madison.com 608-252-6234
They call him the "chalk guy" on State Street.
If you see a peace symbol tucked away on a brick wall, or a message decrying war on the sidewalk, it was probably the work of Miles Kristan.
So impassioned is the 22-year old MATC photography student about ending the war in Iraq, that he took on a second job to finance five days of anti-war rallies beginning today.
The protests, which Kristan is planning with the help of several local antiwar groups, will start each day at the Capitol and State Street at 11 a.m., concluding on Wednesday, the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war.
Kristan is spending hundreds of out-of-pocket dollars on fliers, supplies and a parade float, which will feature an 8-foot-tall, 3-foot-wide effigy of President Bush in an orange jumpsuit. He expects 1,000 to 2,000 people to gather at the Capitol for the rallies.
"I always protested the war from 2003 onward out of a moral principle," said Kristan, who traveled across the country on an antiwar bus last year. "Last year I met six or seven parents who lost their kids, including Cindy Sheehan. At that moment it became much more real."
Kristan began his activism as a Door County high school student where he got interested in political art, learning how to make papier-mache political symbols. That led to his antiwar float designs, which have included a dancing elephant and Bush as Pinnochio.
Kristan predicts he will get arrested this week during one of several pre-meditated acts of "civil disobedience," planned for Monday and Tuesday after the rallies.
But how many protesters are conscientious enough to check in with the police before acting out?
"We've been talking with police," he said, adding that he has a good working relationship with the Madison Police Department. "I told them the worst thing we might do is going into an office and sitting down and refusing to leave."
IF YOU GO
What: Five days of antiwar rallies.
When: Today through Wednesday.
Where: Rallies begin at 11 a.m. at the corner of State Street and the Capitol, with various activities following.
Events include: A film of soldier testimonies at the Orpheum at 1 p.m. today, a fundraiser for Iraq Veterans Against the War at Escape Java Joint, 916 Williamson St., at 4 p.m. Sunday, and a march on State Street on Wednesday at noon.
Submitted by wnpj on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 3:48pm.