Friday, September 23, 2005

Washington Girds for War Protesters, Civil Resistance

Peggy Smith, a retired legal secretary from Terre Haute, Indiana, is coming to Washington for her first anti-war march this weekend. She has one question: ``You think they'll put a 61-year-old lady in jail?''

``I've never been to jail before,'' said Smith, who has been taking classes in non-violent civil disobedience. ``I was married to a lawyer for 31 years. I'm a peaceful person.''

The nation's capital is bracing for what organizers say will be the biggest rally yet against the Iraq war, with more than 100,000 participants. The U.S. Park Police has canceled leaves for all officers, and city police will operate on 12-hour shifts to deal with the protesters, who are planning what one of their Web sites calls a ``mass civil resistance action''