Washington – In the first major anti-war demonstration in the capital since January, several thousand protesters marched through downtown Saturday, clashing with police at the foot of the Capitol steps, where more than 190 people were arrested.
The group marched from the White House to the Capitol to demand an end to the Iraq war. Their numbers stretched for blocks along Pennsylvania Avenue, and they carried signs and chanted, “What do we want? Troops out. When do we want it? Now.”
Army veteran Justin Cliburn, 25, of Lawton, Okla., was among a contingent of Iraq veterans in attendance.
“We’re occupying a people who do not want us there,” Cliburn said of Iraq. “We’re here to show that it isn’t just a bunch of old hippies from the ’60s who are against this war.”
The arrests came after protesters lay down on the Capitol lawn to represent soldiers killed in Iraq. When police took no action, some of the protesters started climbing over a barricade at the foot of the Capitol steps.
Many were arrested without a struggle. But some grew angry as police with riot gear attempted to push them back. At least two people were showered with chemical spray. Protesters responded by throwing signs and chanting, “Shame on you.”
The rally was organized by the ANSWER Coalition and other groups. There appeared to be tens of thousands of people in attendance.
Nearly 1,000 counterprotesters gathered near the Washington Monument, frequently erupting in chants of “U-S-A” and waving American flags.
