"On the 10th the world was a perfect place" UCB Pro-War Rally

9-24-01
UC Berkeley, CA USA

A pro-war “Rally for America” at UC Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza drew several hundred war supporters and an equal number of counter-demonstrators.
The pro-war rally was organized - by individuals from the College Republicans, the Cal Democrats, the Delta Upsilon fraternity and the Israel Action Committee - in response to a March & Rally to Stop the War that took place the previous week.
On Sept.20th over 4000 students and community members rallied on Sproul Plaza - in opposition to racism and war: http://www.indybay.org/display.php?id=104783

Some interesting things were said by those who spoke during the pro-war rally.
My favorite quote of the day:
“…people ate cotton candy, on the 10th the world was a perfect place.”

The stop-the-war demonstrators made their sentiments known through signs and banners and did not try to disrupt the rally with chanting - as pro-war demonstrators had on the 20th. Stop-the-war activists tried to keep a space of ten or fifteen yards between themselves and the pro-war rally.

Shouting and yelling began after a group of people walked away from the pro-war rally and barged into the counter-demonstration, trying to grab a sign and saying they wouldn’t leave until a protest banner was taken down.
A man from the pro-war rally apparently threatened an anti-war person saying that he would be lynched for his stop-the-war stance. When confronted about making a death threat - he said: “I didn’t say that, I said ALL OF YOU ANTI-WAR PEOPLE SHOULD BE LYNCHED!”

Rally speakers were ignored as the crowd focused on several confrontations taking place far from the podium. Heated arguments and conversations continued for several hours after the rally had ended. I don’t think many war-mongers became doves but I hear that a structured debate is being organized - so that a more productive discussion on the issues can take place.

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