Not every student on the bus to the MCI center on Saturday morning was headed to the men’s basketball game. Instead, about 100 Georgetown students headed to the protests on the National Mall, which drew an estimated 200,000 participants despite the cold.
Unlike the International Monetary Fund protests in October, which were only attended by about 2,000 people, the threat of war caused increased participation, according to Mike Wilson (CAS ‘05), a member of the Georgetown Solidarity Committee and Peace Action.
Wilson said that the increase in participation caused a heightened energy at the protest. Sarah Audelo (SFS ‘06), a supporter of Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER), noted the protests included people “as old as my grandpa or in strollers, not just ‘young radicals.’”
“It was impressive how classes and types of people who normally don’t attend protests were there,” Mary Nagle (CAS ‘05) said.
Participants marched to the Navy Yard from the Mall, a march much longer than October’s, noted Ginny Leavell (CAS ‘05), a member of GSC. The protesters met peaceful and unsubstantial opposition from men calling it a “Million Osama March,” and Leavell described the policemen as “tame and respectful.”
