Originally about Afghanistan, nightly protest now focused on ending U.S. involvement in Iraq

By BECKY WALDROP
Gazette-Times reporter

As the chimes of the Benton County Courthouse tolled 6 p.m., Ed Epley picked up armloads of signs and returned them to their spot in his Volkswagen bus.

After the signs were stacked, he took apart the poles used to hoist flags and rolled the banners around the ends. Then those too, went into his van.

It's the same routine that's been carried out each night since the United States invaded Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2001, for the terrorist bombings of 9-11. Epley wasn't there the first night. But he's carried the torch, in this case a load of protest signs, since the organizers of the nightly peace vigil moved away.

"There's 45 (signs), I think," Epley said. "They get updated from time to time. Some get obsolete. Some get worn out."

The predictable arrival of his van at 4:56 on Sunday was the first sign of what has become one of the longest active daily peace demonstrations in the country. Within a few minutes, he was joined by a dozen people standing along the west side of Fourth Street downtown.

For an hour they held signs and made peace symbols at like-minded people driving by. Some nights, and every Wednesday, a pro-troop demonstration is held across the street.

But for approaching three years now, not a day has been missed and never fewer than four people have taken part in the nightly peace vigil. They've been joined by Buddhist monks and Congressman Peter DeFazio before. They've withstood insults, weather and for many here, a growing sense of pessimism.

The demonstrators include members of the Corvallis organization Alternatives to War, which has also organized larger protests and events. Epley said there are half a dozen or so regulars from that group at the vigil. The rest are just people wanting to join in.

That such a demonstration takes place here says something about the community, Epley said. Among protesters, there's a shared sense of justice.

"It's more of an educated way to handle disagreements," he said.

Another regular at the vigil is Mike Creighton, also of Corvallis. He recalled one day when the protest was almost moved across the street two winters ago. The wind was blowing sleet and rain, and the four people who braved the extreme elements considered seeking shelter.

But they feel a sense of belonging on the courthouse side. The decision to hold the vigil there isn't coincidental.

"That's where power lives," said Aleita Hass-Holcombe, as she pointed to the towering structure behind her.

Vigil participants said they feel safe when they demonstrate, even when Fourth Street divides opposing viewpoints. Pro-troop demonstrators have complained in letters to the editor about mistreatment by peace demonstrators, and vise-versa.

On Sunday, there were about 10 incidents when people in cars yelled obscenities or made obscene gestures in the direction of the peace vigil. None of those comments or gestures were answered by the peace demonstrators.

Hass-Holcombe said she's never observed anyone from either side do something illegal. Rude perhaps, as captured in a picture Epley took of a man in camouflage pants and a crew cut who was flipping off the camera.

"He put a beer bottle in front of my front tire," Epley said, then shrugged.

When people express differing political views, it isn't because they don't understand the peace demonstration, he said.

"I think they just disagree with us," Epley said.

But a majority of the engagement with motorists and passengers was people waving and smiling. One vehicle with windows rolled down had several children chanting for the Democratic presidential candidate.

"Kerry, Kerry, Kerry," the kids yelled as they drove by.

Sheila O'Keefe, a graduate student at Oregon State University, had a matching campaign button, featuring a picture of the movie character Shrek that read "Ogres for John Kerry."

O'Keefe wasn't part of the peace vigil until there was talk of the U.S. attacking Iraq in the fall and winter of 2002. She figured with the war in Afghanistan, reasonable people could disagree about what was the correct response to the terrorist attacks.

Now she protests about three times a week, or as often as she can make it, motivated by her feelings of betrayal by the Bush administration for going to war with Iraq.

"There was no threat to the U.S. No WMDs (weapons of mass destruction). No evidence linking Iraq to 9-11," O'Keefe said. "The administration was basing it on lies."

The consensus among protesters on Sunday was that regardless of the outcome of the presidential race and the November election, there would likely be cause to continue the demonstration.

Vietnam veteran Gene Russell and his dog, Buckwheat, have been part of the protest since the beginning. Russell, who served in the Army, said his disillusionment with war started with his experience in Vietnam.

He said he doesn't feel a need to support the current war to justify what he experienced in the military.

"A lot of innocent people are being killed in this war for oil," Russell said. "If we pulled out immediately, we'd do less damage than if we stayed there."

ON THE NET: Alternatives to War Corvallis' Web site is www.alt2war.peak.org


Becky Waldrop covers public policy for the Gazette-Times. She can be reached at becky.waldrop@lee.net or 758-9510.