By Carsen Maciag/The Siskiyou
Organizer and SOU senior Scottie Michaud, right, and SOU senior Hannah Edlefsen, left, lead the march through the Iraq Body Count Exhibit

More than 100 people marched from the Stevenson Union courtyard, down a busy Siskiyou Boulevard and ended at the entrance of Lithia Park during a peaceful protest of the Iraq War on Saturday.

Students and community members alike first gathered at the SOU campus to make signs, paint faces and prepare for the mile-long march.

Independently organized by SOU students, the march was led with a large sign which read, "Cultivate Peace." Ashland residents commended the marchers with an array of car horns and cheers as the group made their way past the Iraq Body Count Exhibit and down Siskiyou Boulevard.

Sara Doegah, a coordinator of the protest, chanted "We want peace!" with her megaphone in hand. She led the group through a crowded downtown Ashland to the plaza, where they remained for a short period before retreating to the park.

At Lithia Park organizers spoke and applauded all who participated in the walk, expressing how important it was "to keep these issues in our thoughts." Some protesters remained in Lithia Park for more than two hours before leaving, passing the megaphone around to anyone who wished to speak, though most dispersed concluding the walk downtown.

Scott Michaud, who also helped with coordination, spoke to the crowd gathered at the SU before the march.

"It’s so good to see everyone come together as a community ... we all talk about peace, but we should try and advocate it in our everyday lives."

This theme was stressed by others involved with the rally.

"It’s more than just protesting the War in Iraq," said Michelle Bellamy, who also helped organize the event.

"Peace Overseas! Peace in the Neighborhood. In our Everyday Thoughts and Actions" were the words printed across the flyers distributed and posted around the SOU campus.

Other participants spoke of their own meaning the protest gave them a chance to express.

"I’ve got a lot of friends affected by this war ... kids are dying needlessly," said one Ashland community member who marched through town with the group.

Others expressed that it’s patriotic to end the war and that it’s beyond time to get out.

Some didn’t feel that the protest was necessary. One SOU student expressed that the protest was pointless, saying that everyone in the country knows the war is bad, and protests like these have no significant effect anymore.

Since the U.S. led invasion on March 20, 2003, the Iraq War has claimed at least 4,065 U.S. soldiers’ lives. The war has become increasingly controversial within the United States since its beginning and has also become an important issue of debate for politicians hoping to win the presidency next November.

When asked if the protest was at all involved with the 120,000 flags placed across the SOU campus in memory of the lives lost in the war, organizer Bellamy smiled and said, "No, ... but it is very fitting."