Missing May Day Peace Events

Missing May Day Peace Events

Organizers of Tuesday's Missing May Day peace events in downtown Iowa City had energy beyond numbers. It was a "spiritual event," said one speaker and the message was simple: end the war now - no deadlines, no conditions - now, was the call of the day.

Initially discussed weeks ago as a relatively routine picket, the event evolved into a festival, a Peace-a-palooza if you will.



The event wasn't really about the speeches, it was about young, young, young. Most organizers and attendees were in their 20s or even teens. A group of City High students (above) marched from school to downtown at about 4:30.



And there was music - lots and lots and lots of music. Two stages worth, in best Lollapalooza style. Lipstick Homicide covering Sleater-Kinney's "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone."



Still, there were speakers. City High student Abby Mason-Marshall (speaking, with other City and West students):

All the youth are not apathetic. This can start a change that can make a real difference. We are not "radical" - this is the next common sense step.

Donations were accepted for Doctors Without Borders and the Iowa City Free Medical Clinic.

The remains of a few of Monday's Silhouette Project outlines were scattered on the Ped Mall; city officials scrubbed the area at about 10 a.m. due to business complaints, but there were a few areas the large street sweeper couldn't reach.



Mona Shaw, Nyssa Koons and Megan Felt (one of 11 arrested in a protest at Chuck Grassley's Cedar Rapids office) reading the names of 42 Iowans killed in the war to date. Shaw spoke to class issues: "Just because you're not in the class that's being shot at doesn't mean the war's not here."

UI international law professor Burns Weston had the unenviable task of following popular high school rock band Harvey, but nevertheless built the case for Iraq as war crime: "This is the stuff of high crimes and misdemeanors, for which impeachment is the appropriate remedy."



Despite the age gap, symbols of the 60's abounded. I saw multiple John Lennon references including the relatively obscure "Gimme Some Truth" next to a picture of Bush. Jamie Frederickson (above with peace flag) said the crowd had ebbed and flowed throughout the day. Getting a body count was hard - who was there for the event vs. just passing through? - but I saw about 100 at any one time.

The only politician sighted earlier in the day was Supervisor Rod Sullivan. (Reportedly, another elected person stumbled onto the event inadvertently and walked through the Ped Mall as quickly and as far from the event as possible. I didn't see it but it makes a good story anyway, as complaints about the rarity of elected Democrats at peace events are murmuring in the Iowa City peace community.) The Obama and Edwards campaigns had a presence, as did the Greens.

The counter presence was anonymous. Downtown Iowa City kiosks (infamous in the late `90s for their five-figure price tag) were papered with red white and blue flyers: "Support Our TROOPS = Support the MISSION!"



One of those troops was Josh Casteel, once of the 203rd Military Intelligence Battalion and now a conscientious objector.

"It is almost impossible to serve in the present military and abide by international law", said Casteel, who noted that mot of the people he interrogated were guilty of nothing more than being Arabs. "People were being arrested for owning Korans."

Casteel joined the other speakers in urging rally-goers to take their concerns to the presidential candidates. "Now isn't the time for political pragmatism. Now is the time for giving a damn."



Another of those troops was artist John Paul Hornbeck, who served in Afghanistan and who designed the sculpture above. He spent the day hosting movies in the Iowa City Public Library.

An interesting mix of issue tables were scattered through the event. Most other tables has some ties to the war or military issues. Iowans for Sensible Priorities were there, as was a group in support of Palestinians. Some less relevant groups were about - I'm sure the animal rights folks would find a way to tie their cause to the war but it would be a stretch. At least their rabbit was popular. But the omnipresent Socialist Workers who attach themselves to every Iowa City event left of the DLC were absent.

Organizers get an A for effort but an incomplete on outreach and crowd-building. As for the celebratory tone of the event, that's hard to judge. Does an anti-war event have to be somber to be effective? Or were the silent-vigil types put off by the festival atmosphere?

When I was the age of these organizers, the war was in Central America, and one of my most vivid memories was a march led by a veteran for peace. He had us all doing cadence calls, like we were troops. The rhythm was perfect, it was as funny as anything in "Stripes" (a universal cultural experience for my generation - at one time HBO had only three movies and "Stripes" was one), and the words were all peace-topical. And some of the older peace activists didn't go, because they wanted a nice quiet candlelight vigil instead and the walk was too far.

That was my generation, my war. This is my daughter's generation, and the worst thing I can do is tell her peers how to express themselves about the threat hanging over them.