Tens of thousands of people are expected at a rally on the National Mall Saturday, meant to bring American soldiers home and end what it terms as the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
While President Bush declared the end of major fighting in Iraq on May 1, International ANSWER, a coalition of protest groups and individuals, is protesting the continuing military action.
The event begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, at the Washington Monument.
AU freshman Suzanne Hill plans to attend because she thinks that U.S. troops "are dying in Iraq for reasons not sufficient and unjustified."
The war in Iraq "wasn't about Iraq, there were ulterior motives," Hill said.
ANSWER, which stands for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, expects tens of thousands of people, but declined to provide an exact estimate. Group spokesman Bill Hackwell said that people from 135 cities have committed to bringing buses to D.C., with 65 coming from New York City.
Hackwell said that ANSWER has a working understanding with the police that a large crowd would be at the event. While the group secured a permit for Saturday's rally, he was not sure of the estimated attendance on the permit and said this specific number was not very important.
The Washington Post reported Wednesday that 50,000 protesters are expected, but the U.S. Park Police expect that number to increase with the addition of other groups.
Hackwell said that the coalition was founded to work against the actions of the Bush administration since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
"The Bush Administration was going to use the tragedy as an opportunity to conduct endless war," Hackwell said.
According to the group's Web site, International ANSWER includes members such as the New Communist Party of the Netherlands, a retired admiral in the German Navy and revisionist historian Howard Zinn.
Hackwell cited the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the push for women's rights and the protests of the Vietnam War as examples of civil protest that succeeded because of the sheer numbers of outraged Americans.
He said that Saturday's rally would "take growing discontent and bring people into the street."
Freshman Ashleigh Kenny supports the action ANSWER takes.
"It gets an issue out that people may not know about in mass form," Kenny said.
While working to bring soldiers home and end the current military action in Iraq are the leading items on ANSWER's agenda, the group plans to address other issues Saturday, including the poor economy and spending on education and health care.
Junior Andrew Willis, an organizer for the group United for Peace and Justice, said "[the] protest itself has many dimensions."
Iraq is "turning into a second Vietnam and we need to end occupation," he said.
Willis will also be protesting D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams' plan to bring 100,000 new residents to D.C. by 2013. He believes that District government should boost employment and deal with the homeless population first, Willis said.
