Protesters to March and Rally Against War

Members of the Antiwar Committee of the Thomas Merton Center are hoping to see “several hundred” protesters turn out Saturday for a march and rally to protest US involvement in all wars. Committee Co-chair Pete Shell says this is the first major anti war march in the city since the Pittsburgh G20 Summit. The organization used to hold regular marches but Shell says they have recently been more focused on joining national events.

The event will begin with a rally at the corner of 47th and Butler Streets at noon Saturday with speeches and a performance by Mike Stout. From there they will march down Butler Street to Doughboy Square for a second rally. Shell says there is a reason why they chose to hold the event in Lawrenceville. “We really wanted to highlight the impact that wars have on the economy at home and the fact that we could really revitalize our economy if we did not have to spend dollars on wars and occupations abroad,” says Shell.

Shell says along with protesting war, the rallies will focus on “speaking out against Arabs and Muslims being scapegoated and harassed.”