By Ray Hackett
Norwich Bulletin - May 23, 2007
NEW LONDON -- Dozens of anti-war groups, locally based and from across the Northeast, will rally today outside the U.S. Coast Guard Academy to protest President Bush's appearance at the academy's commencement.
There will also be a group of protesters protesting against the protesters.
An estimated 1,000 people or more is expected to descend upon the city, which would make it one of the largest demonstrations here since the 1980s, when New London played host to the christening of new nuclear submarines.
"Each side will have hundreds. It will be huge," said James Bancroft of Bristol, a member of the Gathering of Eagles, a veterans group that will be demonstrating against the anti-war protesters.
Security will be extremely tight today on and off the academy grounds. State police and officers from surrounding municipalities have been called in to supplement New London's force.
New London Police Capt. Michael Lacey confirmed during the president's visit some roads will be closed to traffic and certain sidewalk areas closed to pedestrian traffic. He would not, for security reasons, disclose which roads or times for the closure.
Commencement exercises will begin at 11 a.m. Protesters will begin gathering as early as 7 a.m.
"I think the morning commute (along Route 32) will be fine," Lacey said.
Bancroft said his group decided to protest because the anti-war groups have targeted the academy.
"Their protest is in extremely poor taste," Bancroft said. "This is the finest military academy in the nation, and to be out there and disrupt this special day for the cadets and their families is just awful. We're going to be there to show the families that there are Americans who support the troops."
But organizers of the anti-war rallies contend this is not about the cadets. It's about Bush and the war in Iraq.
"The single message we want to deliver is to George Bush to end this war," said John Murphy of Coventry, political director of the Connecticut Citizens Action Group and organizer with Connecticut Opposed to the War, a coalition of Connecticut anti-war groups, unions and religious organizations.
COW is organizing its demonstration at the Soldiers & Sailors Monument in downtown New London, from where protesters will march to the academy for a silent vigil.
The ANSWER Coalition, a national anti-war umbrella group, is expected to have the largest showing. The group has arranged for buses to bring in protesters from Maine to New York to demonstrate against the president's visit.
"I think the point of it is to make Bush and his administration officials realize that people from all across the nation refuse his presence anywhere unless he's coming to apologize," said Jason Ortiz, a Norwich Free Academy graduate attending the University of Connecticut.
But not all the protesters today are motivated by opposition to the war.
Connecticut College professor Marc Zimmer of New London, who is organizing protesters from the scientific and academic communities, said they are protesting the administration's misrepresentation of scientific facts on such issues as global warming. He estimates at least 100 of his fellow scholars and scientists from across the state -- wearing academic gowns -- will participate in today's rallies.
"This misrepresentation by the Bush administration has resulted in people not really trusting science any more," he said. "It's about the misrepresentation of scientific facts, which is even more important than the cutbacks in research. I just hope that people realize that this is happening."
Reach Ray Hackett at 425-4225 or rhackett@norwichbulletin.com
