A group of antiwar protestors plans to try and shut down a busy street in Iowa City at noon today. Sasha Waters, an assistant professor at the University of Iowa, is a spokesperson for the group.She says it’s a nonviolent, civil disobedience action, and they plan to call the police and tell them what they’re doing beforehand, so no one overreacts. Waters says they’ll link hands and enter the intersection of Burlington and Gilbert streets, to shut off traffic. She says the goal is to raise greater awareness of the opposition to the U.S. involvement in Iraq. She says the goal is not to disrespect the troops involved in the war, as she says she’s in support of the troops, and this is a show of support because they want the troops to come home and out of harm’s way. Waters says they also want to send a message to the Iowa City City Council. She says the city council has not taken action on a resolution opposing the war, so she says this denies the citizens of Iowa City their constitutional right to representation. Protestors in other cities have been arrested, and Waters says each protestor will have to decide how far they want to take their statement. She says some people feel uncomfortable with being arrested, but she says she doesn’t and would stay and be arrested if it comes to that. Waters says they don’t want the protest to end with more violence.She says they want it to be a gesture that raises awareness, but is not hostile to the community or the police. Waters says she hopes hundreds of people show up, but isn’t sure how many will actually turn out. This is the first protest of its type in the state in which people have tried to shut down a busy street.
