Student protesters from Gainesville will join forces with activists from Washington, D.C., this weekend to protest the Iraq war.
The Gainesville area's Students for a Democratic Society and Students Against War will travel to the nation's capital Saturday for a protest organized by the Troops Out Now Coalition.
But members of SDS and SAW aren't the only Gainesville residents participating in the protest.
SAW Secretary Tina Steiger, a UF political science junior, said students unaffiliated with the groups also plan to participate and are more than welcome to come.
About 25 people are going so far, Steiger said, and there's still plenty of room for more. The students will carpool there.
"Everybody goes to Washington to protest," she said. "We just want to restate that the American public is against the war."
SAW President Chelsea Solmo, a UF sophomore, said the protest will be a good way to stir student interest and encourage them to take action.
However, she doesn't have high expectations of Washington's legislators.
"I think it's unrealistic to think we'll get the government's attention," she said.
But Steiger said they have a better chance getting the government's attention in Washington than anywhere else.
"The legislators live in D.C., and that's where all the decisions are made," she said.
Even if the demonstration is ignored, it's important for students to voice their opposition, Solmo said.
UF sophomore Jim Milligan said students need to remind officials of their promises to remove American troops from Iraq.
Milligan is not affiliated with SDS or SAW and doesn't plan to attend the protest.
"I don't support their views, but I support the right to protest peacefully," he said.
Students need to take advantage of the opportunity to stand up for their beliefs, he said.
Protesters have been camping outside of the U.S. Capitol since Sept. 22, and they will march from the Capitol building to the White House on Saturday, according to the Troops Out Now Coalition Web site.
Students will leave Gainesville on Friday around noon and return Sunday evening, Solmo said.
"We have to stand up, take action and open our eyes, even if reality is painful to look at," she said.
