Students for a Democratic Society along with Fight Imperialism Stand Together are participating in Saturday’s protest against the Iraq War in Washington, D.C.
Miles Holst, a member of SDS and FIST, said the two student groups decided to travel to the nation’s capital instead of organizing a protest on campus because it’s the “epicenter” of political activity.
“It’s easier to have your voice heard in Washington,” Holst, a senior in art and design, said. “People from all over the nation will be converging on that spot.”
Elena Ezerept, alumna in film studies and public policy, said sitting on the front steps of the heart of Washington, D.C. will force politicians to see what’s important to the American people.
“The politicians will see it and understand they’re the ones who can take action to end the war, but really the people need to come together and make sure they know this is important,” she said.
According to Holst, there should be approximately 70,000 people at the protest. He said at least a dozen protestors will be N.C. State students.
Hussam Eltayeb, another member of both FIST and SDS, said vans are leaving to take the two groups Saturday morning at 5:45 a.m. from the D.H. Hill Library and will return to campus that night. He said the protest is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. in front of the Capital.
Various political leaders will be giving speeches during the protest, according to Eltayeb, a junior in chemical engineering and chemistry.
Eltayeb said this protest is important because the Iraq War is something that Americans needs to think seriously about and discuss.
“We basically want our voices heard. We want the troops to come back home now,” he said. “More than 3,000 troops have already been killed [and] I think that’s more enough.”
Ezerept said she has been going to protests since the Iraq War began in 2002. She said this protest isn’t just about ending the war, it’s about making politicians reexamine their priorities.
“It’s about the fact that we’re spending billions of dollars overseas in Iraq when there are things in the U.S. [that need help, like] job training, education, the golf coast needs to be rebuilt,” She said. “We need to take care of the people at home [first].”
Holst said it’s important that students remember they do have a say in what is going on even if the government is willing to give billions of dollars away to buy machines just to destroy populations.
“Until the day it ends, until then, none of us are going to be quiet about [it],” he said. “You just have to keep fighting for what’s right.”
Ezerept said the protest is also a good chance for like-minded individuals to come together and understand that they are actually in the majority, not the minority.
“[We] hope we [can] show strength in numbers,” she said.
