DeKALB | NIU students, politicians and local area residents alike participated in Thursday’s anti-war protest.

The protest was just one of some 300 in the spirit of the International Day of Peace, a day filled with non-violent anti-war protest sweeping from coast to coast. This local protest was organized by the Northern Coalition for Peace and Justice, a campus organization involved with political and social activism.

The idea for the protest was to have senior citizens march to the armed forces recruitment center on campus to enlist in the army. The protesters wanted to send a message to the army that asks them to send people to war who have already lived their lives instead of convincing college students to do the job.

“We are doing this now because Congress is getting ready to reconvene and it is very important for people to get together and show them what the American people think,” said Drew Banghart, president of the Northern Coalition for Peace and Justice. “People can make a difference.”

The protest began with speeches from residents who were visibly appalled by the Bush administration as well as the war in Iraq.

“We need to become more aggressive in our actions and start making ourselves heard, then we can truly start moving forward toward a truly democratic society,” said Dan Bono, a sophomore history major. Bono also said he thinks this protest will help Congress see how he and others really feel.

“I’m very sick and tired of the war and the direction the country is going,” said NIU alumnus Dave Atteberg. He expressed his disappointment and belief that many Americans are against the war, but few actually do anything about it.

“I wish more people were here,” he said. “I was here in 1968 and there were much more people here.”

The protest also brought out people like John Laesch, congressional candidate for the 14th District, who gave a speech at the protest voicing his opinions on George W. Bush, Congress and the war. During his speech, he compared enlisting in the war to getting into a car with a drunk driver.

“We are not going to get a positive change in Iraq until we get a change in Congress,” he said.

When the speeches concluded, the protesters marched down Lucinda Avenue waving large anti-war signs while simultaneously beating loud drums. The group of peaceful demonstrators stopped at the army recruitment center and were escorted in by local police officers. The protesters confronted the recruiters with probing questions. In a heated debate, the activists demanded answers to their questions, which dealt with topics ranging from lies in the recruitment process to corruption in the national government. Army officials denied all the accusations and insisted they do not do anything illegal or unethical.

In the end, the army recruiters did not allow the senior citizens to enlist in the army because they exceeded the army’s age limit.

Ryan Strong is a City Reporter for the Northern Star.