Montgomery County students protest war

Following a county-wide high school walkout, students from all over Montgomery County gathered at Judiciary Square to protest the war in Iraq.

About 150 students gathered together at 4:30 p.m and marched past the White House to Dupont Circle where they joined hundreds of other protesters.

Many protest organizers believed the rainy and cold weather deterred many students from protesting in D.C. Junior Dan Jaeggi, who braved the dismal weather conditions, said, "If the weather had been better the number of protesters would have doubled at the very least." Jaeggi said he was disappointed with the turnout. Students for Global Responsibility member Cory Choy agreed that the weather greatly affected the turnout for the protest. Choy, however, was pleased with the number of students who came considering the weather conditions.

The protest ran smoothly with little interference from the police who followed the protesters to Dupont Circle in approximately ten police cars. The police warned students that not abiding by the rules could lead to arrests. Police were mainly concerned that students would walk in the streets, blocking traffic and creating a safety hazard. Students were obedient, and there was little conflict, although protest organizers encouraged students to keep a phone number to call for lawyers and other legal assistance in case of arrests.

At the protest, many students from other schools expressed disapproval of their schools' administration. Many students felt that their absences should have been excused. Blair students received a round of applause for their successful walkout due to the cooperation of the administration and the large number of participants.

According to senior Eugene Gavrilov, a member of Montgomery Country Students for Peace and Justice and an organizer of the event, the purpose of the protest was to "make sure our voices are heard."