Rally targets U.S. policy in Kosovo

With hostilities in Yugoslavia escalating on a daily basis, more than 100 students came to College Green yesterday to hear speakers call on NATO to stop its bombing campaign. The rally started as an independently organized project by College sophomore Sofya Malamud and College senior Giadha Decarcer Aguirre. Both said that they were concerned about the situation in Kosovo and decided to contact Amnesty International last week for help in organizing the protest. Six speakers participated, hailing from Peace Action, the American Red Cross and American Friends Services, in addition to Penn Political Science Professor Rudy Sil and Drexel University's Judy Mostow. The general theme of the speeches was that NATO undermined the efforts of the United Nations and that the United States intervened inappropriately in a situation it had no right to enter. NATO has said it will continue its bombings until Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic agrees to allow international peacekeepers into the Kosovo province to prevent violence against the ethnic Albanian majority that lives in the embattled region. Addressing the recent NATO bombings in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, Sil stated that, "We did not give [Milosevic] a choice -- I don't see that as a peace process." The rally took place from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in front of the Peace Sign on College Green and against the backdrop of banners proclaiming "No peace through war" and "Warring for peace is like screwing for virginity." A few students also brought their own signs -- bearing such slogans as "Stop the U.S. media lies" -- and representatives from the White Dog Cafe sat behind a poster that said "Stop the Bombs." An initially small crowd grew larger after the first half hour of the protest. Students generally came and listened to one or two speakers before leaving and the crowd fluctuated between about 100 and 150 people. Overall, most of the students in the audience felt that this event was a definite improvement over the rally that took place on March 31 to protest the administration's lack of consultation with students regarding changes in the University's alcohol policies. This time, many said, there was a real issue that needed to be discussed. Still, students were somewhat disappointed at the turnout. "It's good that there's anything here? but the turnout is a little disappointing," College freshman Alisa Valderrama said. Sharon Stutevart, a doctoral candidate in Linguistics, brought her class to the rally. She said she offered them the option of staying inside or attending the rally and the class voted for the rally. On a more personal note, Stutevart said, "I came because I just don't know enough about it." Representatives of economist and frequent Libertarian Party presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche were also out in full force. One representative circled the crowd passing out copies of an issue of The New Federalist and flyers detailing LaRouche's Committee for a New Bretton Woods, which opposes the Yugoslavia bombings. Another representative manned a booth at the corner of 34th and Walnut streets. The group was invited to attend by a member of the committee in charge of the rally. The event was sponsored by the Hellenic Greek Association, the Eastern European Student Association, the Russian Club and other student groups.