Correction appended
Thousands of people, including AU students, marched down Pennsylvania Avenue past the White House to the Capitol Saturday to protest the Iraq war.
After almost two hours of speeches and demonstrations, the protesters, led by seven members of Veterans Against the Iraq War, marched to the Capitol.
A group of anti-war speakers, including former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark and Dr. Esam Omesh, president of the Muslim American Society, spoke about ending the war and prosecuting those responsible.
The war was not positive for this country, said Adam Kokesh, a former Marine sergeant and co-chair of Veterans Against the Iraq War.
"I am against this war because it is bad for America," Kokesh said.
Gen. David Petraeus acts as a political appointee and not as a soldier, he said.
"They lied about weapons of mass destruction, they lied about al-Qaida and those are just the lies we know about," he said.
The protest was organized primarily by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, a group of organizations that campaign against U.S. intervention globally.
The war costs $3 billion per week at a time when there is no money for health care, education or infrastructure in the United States, said Brian Becker, national coordinator of the group. It is an illusion that having a Democrat president in 2008 will end the war, he said.
Among the protesters were the Radical Cheerleaders, a progressive squad that in the past has led cheers for environmental, anti-sexist, anti-capitalist and anti-racist causes. Dressed in black and red, the cheerleaders, represented largely by AU students, danced to several tunes and attracted a crowd.
"He says the war on terror will make the world fairer, but we know that he's lying 'cause we see innocents dying," the group sang.
One member of the group from AU said the cheerleaders were popular among protesters.
"The crowd really likes it because we keep the energy up," said Elizabeth Sanders, a senior in School of International Service.
Another said radical cheerleading is a peaceful way to raise understanding.
"I am doing this because this is a fun, nonviolent way to raise awareness," said Abigail Derboerges, a sophomore in SIS who has been with the group for a year. "It is a way to get people to channel their positive energy into stopping the war."
The Unitarian Universalists, a religious group from AU, were also part of the protest.
At least 160 people were arrested at the protest for jumping a barricade in front of the Capitol, according to CNN. The protesters also faced opposition from hundreds of people supporting the war and the U.S. efforts in Iraq.
Counterprotesters congregated four blocks from the White House at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 10th Street and shouted "Shame on you" at the protesters.
Among the counterprotesters were students from the College Republicans at George Washington University. The purpose of the counterprotest was to support the country and those fighting in Iraq, said Chris Brooks, chairman of the GW College Republicans.
"We have many war veterans behind us who are in support of the war," he said. "They have lost loved ones, and they are still in support of the war."
The AU College Republicans also were involved in the counter-protest, according to Brooks.
Correction: The caption below the photo indicates that veterans "[marched] ... toward the National Mall on Saturday morning before thousands began to rally." The veterans walked in the afternoon after thousands had already rallied.
