Peace Coalition to stage
protest at convention
BY LAYLI WHYTE
Staff Writer
With the Republican National Convention in New York City only 11 days away, one local group is making a national, and even international issue, of local concerns.
The Central New Jersey Coalition for Peace and Justice, which meets at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation Meeting House in Lincroft every Thursday at 6:30 p.m., is planning to join groups that will be protesting the day before the convention begins Aug. 29.
The local group will focus its protest mainly on the war and the United States’ continued presence in Iraq. Other issues, such as the environment and possible reinstitution of the military draft, are also concerns and may be addressed at the protest, according to members of the coalition.
Coalition members will meet up with members of United for Peace and Justice, a national group dedicated to world peace and equal rights, who have organized a protest march on the West Side Highway in New York City.
The Central New Jersey Coalition for Peace and Justice was formed when a group from the Unitarian congregation organized a bus trip in October 2002 to demonstrate against the possible involvement of the United States in a war in Iraq.
According to coalition member Dave Schraeger, Manchester, a number of people in that group decided to follow up by creating a permanent group whose focus is to be active in the world.
The group went to New York City in February as a part of a worldwide
protest against the war in Iraq. Estimates are that 15 million people around the world participated, according to Schraeger.
The group has decided that the protest at the Republican convention will be about more than just the upcoming election, he said. At their meeting Aug. 5, members of the coalition discussed the different issues on which they believe they must take a progressive and active stance.
Among the issues raised are unemployment, the environment, civil liberties and governmental reform.
Group members decided that these issues will be the focus of their protest before the convention.
The coalition is made up of people from different backgrounds and degrees of liberal beliefs.
The group has no official stand on the upcoming election, but there was unanimous agreement among those present two weeks ago that they would like to see President George W. Bush out of office by January.
"Some people here will vote for Kerry," said Schraeger. "Some genuinely do support him, and some are a part of ABB — ‘Anybody but Bush’."
Schraeger said there are other people in the group who will vote for a third-party candidate.
"We are organized around principles," said Schraeger, "not politics."
Robert Moir, Fair Haven, said dissatisfaction goes deeper than just one man.
"It’s not just the presidency, it’s the Congress, too," Moir said. "It’s not just what the president does, it’s who he appoints. Bush and the people surrounding him are the most immediate threat to this country."
The feeling among the group is that the worst outcome of the upcoming elections in November would be keeping troops in Iraq.
"Another seven young people died yesterday," said Rumu Dasgupta, Freehold. "How can people stand that?"
Dasgupta said she is certain that with U.S. troops in Iraq a draft will be instituted once again.
"All of my children will be drafted," she said.
While the coalition has several goals, the No. 1 goal is to get U.S. troops out of Iraq, Schraeger said.
Another goal is to try to keep the United States from being involved politically in countries like Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela, Iran and North Korea, he added. The coalition also advocates for same-sex marriage, equality among the sexes, and opposes militarism and racism in all of its forms, Schraeger said.