Additional troops protested
Area residents gathered Thursday in downtown East Lansing to protest President Bush's announcement that he will send an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq. About 100 opponents of the war in Iraq waved signs calling for peace and the return of soldiers, as car horns blared in response at the corner of Grand River Avenue and Abbott Road. "We're hoping to send a strong message to Washington that we want the escalation of the war to end," Haslett resident and rally attendee Linda Carrington said. The demonstration was organized by the Greater Lansing Network Against War & Injustice, a nonviolent organization that advocates international peace. Margaret Kingsbury, a Lansing resident and member of the group, wants the protest to garner the attention of government representatives. "When you have enough numbers, it sends a very strong message to the people you've elected," Kingsbury said. Grand Ledge resident John Baumgartner held a sign at the rally reading, "It's time for peace.
