March 18, 2003 – The day after President Bush issued an ultimatum to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein that may be a prelude to war, more than 150 people converged on tiny Cruz Bay Park to make a plea for peace.
Cruz Bay — also known as Love City — seemed a fitting place to sing and pray for peace, some said Tuesday afternoon. Police officers waited patiently for the speeches to end before getting into a patrol car to lead the way for the candlelight march through the town which followed.
Organizers from the People Moving Forward Foundation said they didn't want so much to criticize U.S. policy on the apparent brink of war as they wanted to raise the banner of non- violence. "We wanted to instill in everyone on St. John to go into their center core of peace, so it can be opened like a ripple throughout our islands, throughout the state, throughout the world, throughout the universe," one of the group members, Gail George, said.
Many of those who appeared at the rally were tourists who said they felt the current events are serious enough for them to pause and express themselves.
Megan Williamson, 43, said she remembered sneaking into anti-war rallies against the Vietnam conflict back home in Madison, Wisconsin, when she was "11 or 12."
"I think it's important that there's a showing of people who are concerned in the world that there's got to be another option than war," Williamson said Tuesday.
Melissa Weinning, 16, came to Cruz Bay Park on spring break from school in Austin, Texas, along with her father, Mike. "I agree with the whole no-war thing, so I brought him here with me," she said, smiling through her braces.
"I believe in the whole no-war thing, so I brought her along," her dad said.
Most Virgin Islanders in evidence stood at the periphery of the gathering, more curious about the songs and prayers than joining the crowd.
Having kept abreast of the conflict and the debate in the United Nations, postal worker "Ras Manny" Pickering said he couldn't understand the rush to war. "I think the U.S, they seem to have something to prove," he said. "I think they have something up their sleeve, really. All of their colleagues seem to be against it, so why go ahead?"
But among a group of taxi drivers waiting for commuters arriving at the nearby ferry dock, Archie Stevens, 65, saw things differently. Having served in the Army for two years, he expressed support for the president's stance.
"Based on the story I heard about Saddam and his sons," Stevens said, "if this man's that bad, I feel he should be dealt with."
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