Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Anti-War Voices
Aired January 17, 2003 - 07:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Across the country this weekend, in fact tomorrow on Saturday, demonstrations are planned for a call for a peaceful end to the confrontation between the U.S. and Iraq. And among the cities where rallies are now scheduled, San Francisco, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Tampa, Florida. The largest, though, expected in Washington. Organizers there hope to draw tens of thousands, possibly more they say, to march on Saturday. The event could be the largest since going back to the Vietnam War.
Kathleen Koch now with a look at the theme for tomorrow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As you know, this is the last volunteers' meeting before the January 18 demonstration against the war in Iraq.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eighteen-year-old Peta Lindsay is young and idealistic, organizing student attendance for the Saturday anti-war demonstration. She epitomizes movements, a typical foot soldier.
PETA LINDSAY, STUDENT ANTI-WAR PROTEST ORGANIZER: We have seen throughout history that the students are the most powerful force for social change.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It takes hundreds and hundreds of people to make a demonstration go off successfully.
KOCH: But throughout the ranks, today's peace activists are growing grayer and more moderate. Linda Black joined other Republican business leaders in taking out a full-page ad Monday in "The Wall Street Journal," saying -- quote -- "The world wants Saddam Hussein disarmed, but you must find a better way to do it."
LINDA BLACK, BUSINESS LEADERS FOR SENSIBLE PRIORITIES: Bush needs to really seriously consider the views of this diverse group, that he should not just, you know, set the course and go for it without taking a lot of other people's views into consideration.
KOCH: Forty-one-year-old Thomas Jarrett of Maplewood, New Jersey will be protesting Saturday for the first time ever. He's troubled by President Bush's policy on Iraq, in part because he was a Green Beret during the Persian Gulf War.
THOMAS JARRETT, ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATOR: I volunteered because I was offended at the idea of a sovereign country being invaded by a hostile nation. And it seems ironic to me now that we're looking to go into Iraq.
KOCH: Activists are reaching a broader audience, in part via the Internet.
AD ANNOUNCER: Maybe the unthinkable. Maybe that's why Americans are saying to President Bush, let the inspections work.
KOCH: This controversial ad released Thursday, modeled on Lyndon Johnson's 1964 daisy ad, was funded with money raised from online contributors.
ELI PARISSER, MOVEON.ORG: Many of them support the president, many of them supported the campaign in Afghanistan, but they simply don't understand why it is critical that we rush to war with Iraq.
KOCH: So, both the tactics and the players have changed since the '60s anti-war protests.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is not a protest dominated by people who are worrying that they're about to go off to war. This is a protest dominated by people who really wonder whether what the United States is about to do is a good thing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH: And as you can see, the protestors who do turn out will get a chilly reception. Washington is experiencing some of its most frigid temperatures of the winter this weekend.
The turnout, they are expecting about 100,000, about roughly that of the peace protest back in October -- Bill.
HEMMER: We will see if those numbers come true to form tomorrow. Thanks, Kathleen -- Kathleen Koch in D.C.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired January 17, 2003 - 07:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Across the country this weekend, in fact tomorrow on Saturday, demonstrations are planned for a call for a peaceful end to the confrontation between the U.S. and Iraq. And among the cities where rallies are now scheduled, San Francisco, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Tampa, Florida. The largest, though, expected in Washington. Organizers there hope to draw tens of thousands, possibly more they say, to march on Saturday. The event could be the largest since going back to the Vietnam War.
Kathleen Koch now with a look at the theme for tomorrow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As you know, this is the last volunteers' meeting before the January 18 demonstration against the war in Iraq.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eighteen-year-old Peta Lindsay is young and idealistic, organizing student attendance for the Saturday anti-war demonstration. She epitomizes movements, a typical foot soldier.
PETA LINDSAY, STUDENT ANTI-WAR PROTEST ORGANIZER: We have seen throughout history that the students are the most powerful force for social change.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It takes hundreds and hundreds of people to make a demonstration go off successfully.
KOCH: But throughout the ranks, today's peace activists are growing grayer and more moderate. Linda Black joined other Republican business leaders in taking out a full-page ad Monday in "The Wall Street Journal," saying -- quote -- "The world wants Saddam Hussein disarmed, but you must find a better way to do it."
LINDA BLACK, BUSINESS LEADERS FOR SENSIBLE PRIORITIES: Bush needs to really seriously consider the views of this diverse group, that he should not just, you know, set the course and go for it without taking a lot of other people's views into consideration.
KOCH: Forty-one-year-old Thomas Jarrett of Maplewood, New Jersey will be protesting Saturday for the first time ever. He's troubled by President Bush's policy on Iraq, in part because he was a Green Beret during the Persian Gulf War.
THOMAS JARRETT, ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATOR: I volunteered because I was offended at the idea of a sovereign country being invaded by a hostile nation. And it seems ironic to me now that we're looking to go into Iraq.
KOCH: Activists are reaching a broader audience, in part via the Internet.
AD ANNOUNCER: Maybe the unthinkable. Maybe that's why Americans are saying to President Bush, let the inspections work.
KOCH: This controversial ad released Thursday, modeled on Lyndon Johnson's 1964 daisy ad, was funded with money raised from online contributors.
ELI PARISSER, MOVEON.ORG: Many of them support the president, many of them supported the campaign in Afghanistan, but they simply don't understand why it is critical that we rush to war with Iraq.
KOCH: So, both the tactics and the players have changed since the '60s anti-war protests.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is not a protest dominated by people who are worrying that they're about to go off to war. This is a protest dominated by people who really wonder whether what the United States is about to do is a good thing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH: And as you can see, the protestors who do turn out will get a chilly reception. Washington is experiencing some of its most frigid temperatures of the winter this weekend.
The turnout, they are expecting about 100,000, about roughly that of the peace protest back in October -- Bill.
HEMMER: We will see if those numbers come true to form tomorrow. Thanks, Kathleen -- Kathleen Koch in D.C.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
