Raging Grannies Protest War (Two Stories)
Dan Clore
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo
*****
Cape Cod Online
Faux grannies protest Iraq war
By KEVIN DENNEHY
STAFF WRITER
HYANNIS -- They called themselves "raging grannies," though
only a few were actually grandmothers.
And, clad in gray wigs as they sang quirky protest songs,
they didn't exactly suggest rage, either. Some, in fact,
were men in funny hats.
But for organizers of an afternoon protest outside the
Hyannis Army recruitment center yesterday, this
light-hearted picket delivered a serious statement.
"We want this war to stop," said Peggy Lilienthal of Dennis
who, at 77, was among the few actual grandmothers,
protesting the Iraq war.
"The problem is that so many young people just don't have
options now, unless they're wealthy," said Lilienthal, who
said two of her children served in the military. "Some of
them do it for college tuition, but don't even get that."
The two dozen protesters, many of whom have decried the Iraq
war for more than two years, were inspired by the original
"Raging Grannies," a British Columbia advocacy group that
had attracted little attention in their push for disarmament
until they donned granny glasses and thrift store hats.
Their fight, they said, was for the "grandchildren of the
world."
In a quiet brick courtyard in Hyannis yesterday, the Cape
protesters attracted little attention themselves, save for a
few curious stares. One passerby began chanting, "George
Bush! George Bush!" in derision.
A protester responded: "Then why don't you go in (to recruit)?"
After several minutes, the protesters filed into the
center's hallway, and gathered outside the Marine offices:
"If they send you to I-Raq," they sang in military cadence,
"you, my dear, may not come back."
While recruiters wouldn't speak with the group, one Marine
spokesman said protests outside recruitment centers have
become common.
"But that's part of the reason we serve as Marines, so
people have that right to protest," said Staff Sgt. Ken
Tinnin, spokesman for the Marine recruiting station. "In my
personal opinion, that's what makes this country great."
Inside the Hyannis center, the protesters were met by locked
doors, closed shades and, eventually, four Barnstable police
officers, who asked them to leave.
Robert Brown, a 67-year-old Orleans man dressed as the Grim
Reaper, tried to enter the Marine office. He wanted to know
if recruiters were paid a bonus for each recruit.
"They don't want to talk," a police officer said, shutting
the door.
"Oh well," Brown said, backing away. "Maybe my congressman
will answer me."
Kevin Dennehy can be reached at
mailto:kden...@capecodonline.com
(Published: November 19, 2005)
*****
Raging Grannies stage protest at recruiting center
By Tom Willard
Daily Tribune Staff Writer
MADISON HEIGHTS -- Dressed in knit shawls, wide-brimmed hats
and sensible shoes, they resembled kindly grandmothers more
than enraged protesters.
But in spirit, the silver-haired women who marched outside a
military recruiting station in Madison Heights were the
latter, singing defiantly and carrying signs with slogans
such as "Honk Against War" and "Don't Buy Recruitment Lies."
It was the second time in less than a week that Raging
Grannies, a group of older women opposed to the war in Iraq,
demonstrated at the U.S. Armed Forces recruitment office on
John R Road, south of 13 Mile.
They handed passersby a leaflet decrying the "misleading"
promises made by recruiters, including unrealistic offers of
college tuition and job training, and assurances that
reserve soldiers won't see battle.
"They're outright lies," said Nancy Goedert of Ferndale, one
of about three dozen Raging Grannies members in metropolitan
Detroit.
Formed in Canada during the early 1980s, Raging Grannies has
spawned chapters known as "gaggles" throughout North America
and Europe. The peace activists stage non-violent protests
targeting social and environmental issues, as well.
The small group of demonstrators in Madison Heights called
for an end to the Iraq war, an opinion that is gaining
momentum nationally. More than half of Americans surveyed in
a recent USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll said the United States
should withdraw troops from Iraq within the next 12 months.
"We were not attacked by this country," said Goedert. "I
believe this war is about oil and so do most of the Iraqi
people."
The U.S. military effort has extended the national debt and
inflamed anti-American sentiment in the Middle East, she added.
Raging Grannies protested at the same recruiting station
Nov. 12. The site was chosen because a sidewalk traversing
the strip mall in which the station is located allows group
members to remain on public property, in view of the high
vehicle traffic on John R.
"We have every right to be there," said Goedert. "We hope to
influence people, make them think and show people who think
this is an illegitimate war that you're not alone."
The demonstration went without incident, said Linda Pepka,
public affairs officer for U.S. Navy Recruitment District,
Michigan.
"Everybody has a right to voice their opinion, unless it
becomes physical," said Pepka, adding that office personnel
had no contact with the protesters.
Raging Grannies organizers are considering taking their
message into Detroit's poorest neighborhoods, where they say
the military has ramped up its recruiting efforts lately.
Contact Tom Willard at mailto:tom.w...@dailytribune.com
or 248-591-2564.
http://www.dailytribune.com/stories/111805/loc_20051118002.shtml
*****
--
Dan Clore
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