Dual protests square off in Crawford
Demonstrators take sides over Iraq war along a dirt road in Texas
LEFT: Cindy Sheehan, greets supporters Saturday as they arrive for a peace rally at Camp Casey
CRAWFORD, Texas – A dirt road divided hundreds of supporters and protesters of the Iraq war as they rallied Saturday in near-100-degree heat outside President Bush’s Texas ranch.
About 1,000 Bush supporters — more than the population of Crawford — poured into the area for their rally. Many of them arrived in a caravan from California bearing the message: “You Don’t Speak For Me, Cindy!”
The founder of Move America Forward, Howard Kaloogian, accused Cindy Sheehan, the sponsor of the anti-war protest, of encouraging the very insurgency in Iraq that killed her son.
“The terrorists that are watching Cindy Sheehan’s protest believe that this is something that might topple the current administration.” Kaloogian said. “And I have a question that I want the media to begin asking Cindy Sheehan: How many more American soldiers are going to die because you are giving hope and encouragement to our enemies?”
Across the road, more than 1,000 people showed up to support Sheehan, whose son Casey died in combat last year in Baghdad’s Sadr City. She has been holding a vigil at a site dubbed Camp Casey in honor of her son near the Bush ranch since the president began his vacation there earlier this month. (Watch video of Sheehan’s speech)
“I’m going to be sad to leave on August 31st,” Sheehan told the crowd. “And you know what? I won’t be escaping. I’ll be going, and we’re going, to take Camp Casey to Congress.”
Among those in the Sheehan camp was folk singer and social activist Joan Baez, who mingled among the crowd in a white cowboy hat with a purple flower in the brim.
One pro-Bush demonstrator was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of interfering with the duties of a police officer.
Sheehan, of Vacaville, California, wants to question Bush about the U.S. invasion and to urge an immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces.
She is a founding member of Gold Star Families for Peace, an anti-war group led by relatives of fallen troops.
This week, Bush commented on the fallen soldiers during a speech in Salt Lake City.
“We will honor their sacrifice by staying on the offensive against the terrorists,” he said.
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