More than 500 join anti-war protest at Synod Written by Jeff Woodard June 25, 2007
Spilling onto the sidewalks and spreading a message of passion and principle, more than 500 attendees of General Synod 26 marched through downtown Hartford during afternoon rush hour yesterday with a unified plea to "stop the war, start the peace."
Volunteers began to hand out bright orange "Be Bold! Do Peace" flyers over the weekend, and by 5 p.m. yesterday ? immediately following the afternoon plenary ? dozens of handwritten yellow signs filled the air in the Hartford Civic Center lobby in preparation for the march. "If you can't bear the war, don't." "Apathy = death." "Get angry. Jesus did."
The march was organized by Rev. Lael Atkinson of the Massachusetts Conference and Jim Antal, Massachusetts Conference Minister.
Antal said the idea for the march began to form Friday when the UCC Collegium of Officers issued a pastoral letter calling an end to the war. "The Massachusetts Conference was having its annual meeting in Hartford, and we ended that at the same time as the press conference. I talked to [General Minister and President] John Thomas, he said the march was fine, and things just began to unfold for some kind of witness."
Police temporarily halted traffic at three intersections as the half-hour-long march weaved its way down Pearl Street, north onto Ann Street and then a block east on Church Street, back to the Civic Center. Local business people, walking against the grain, conceded the middle of the sidewalk. Marchers exchanged peace gestures with patrons at Agape Grill, at the corner of Ann and Allyn streets.
Antal said the march was not intended to be disruptive; Hartford police said there were no problems. But problems were on the minds of marchers.
"I just think we're fighting for the wrong reasons," said 15-year-old Randy Atkinson, of Lorain, Ohio. "It seems like we're fighting because we can."
For Sharon Jacobsen, of Baltic, Ohio, the war has become grimly personal. "I live in an area that has lost three soldiers ? three young men ? in the past two weeks," she said. Forcing a smile through tear-dampened eyes, she added, "I just want to bring the boys home."