For five long years this catestrophic war has been carried on in our name. Bush and his regieme have been totally incompetent in the execution of the war and totally unwilling to admit that they have made any mistakes. The news media have been passive. Even the New York Times was timid. The right wing talk show shouters have frantically waved the flag in support of the Government. What can a citizen do under the circumstances. I am not yet ready to break the law. I value civility and order in our society. But I'm getting close. I salute the young people of the SDS. Maybe it takes youth to be truely principled.

Well done SDS!

I'm happy to see the outrage finally comimng to the forefront. And I would hope that those who are of voting age realize we will not be served by the status quo in Washington. We need new leadership.

This was a great action SDS! It's about time that young people stood up against this occupation!

Not withstanding the things we could have done better, the investment we have made in combating radical Islam will pay dividends to our sons and daughters for years to come.

This is where i draw the line. All theese so called Anti War people say they support the troops but not our government. This is proof positive that these people are really anti American and against our Troops. The Heroes serving in our Military deserve alot more than a few snot nosed college brats drinking Starbucks and disrupting their day. Don't these kids have class to attend?

Congratulations to the courageous young men and women of SDS!

Some people will say that we had to go to war against IRAQ for violating the terms of surrender after the Kuwait invasion war also known as Desert Storm 1. Just because Saddam had a history of gassing his own people and killing 100,000 Kurds and he refused to allow the UN to perform inspections is no reason to go to war. It is not okay for another country's leadership to kill and rape it's own people. But,we should not have gotten involved. We should let other countries step up to the plate. There are many Republican women that are against the mistreatment of women in the Middle East. Women are considered less valuable than goats in the Middle East and American women are getting all upset. It is acceptable in the Middle East to own women and treat them however a man wants. But just because that lifestyle gets some Republican women mad, Bush had to exploit their anger and attack IRAQ. This war has cost alot of American Lives and more importantly American money. We reacted in a knee jerk fashion after 9-11 and started to take action against countries we distrusted.
Let's leave IRAQ now and let them go back to their old ways. They are not strong enough to threaten us, they only threaten the weak in their country.

Apparently these youths forgot that you need to be civil to protest what you think is not. I hope getting arrested and having to always list that on a job application teaches them a lesson.

It's the constitution. You see SDS when US Servicemen and women they take an oath to uphold and protect the constitution of the United States, we do so volenterarily. We swear to obey the orders of the President of the United States and officers appointed above us. We are at war. We will still be at war when the next president is sworn in weather it be Obama, McCain or Clinton. If Obama get's elected or Hillary get in and say we do pull out of Iraq. We will be right back there again within 4-8 years maybe under UN auspis's however we will be back. You will never live in utopia. We live in a world where people want to kill you for your birth right. You are an infadel by birth. Thank God there are young men and women willing to protect us and by us I mean you too. You have to look at the big picture. If a women opens her mouth in a strict islamic counry you would immediately be struck no questions asked. If you voice your opinion here in these united states you are protected under the 1st Ammendment. You got locked up for failure to move or disorderly conduct but you feel like your doing the right thing. If you want to do the right thing talk to a Soldier or Marine whos been in Iraq or Afganistan and ask them why were there. You are privlidged to live in this country and you don't even realize it.

I am 55 years old. I lived through the deception and corruption of the Nixon years, but I never thought I'd see the machinations of this Bush administration from the micromanaging mismanagement of the Pentagon, CIA, NSC, and FBI, the cherry picking and stove piping of faulty intel from the Nigerian yellow cake, nonexistent WMD, the false intel that Iraqis would welcome a US invasion, that Iraqis wanted democracy, wreck less liberal spending and borrowing as well as other outrageous false intel, empty accomplishments, and false promises. Kudos to these young people and the SDS. Lets march on and take this country back as our constitution provided.

OPPOSE WAR...THATS OK I RESPECT YOUR FEELINGS. I HAVE AN OPPOSITE VIEW. OSOMA ORDERED 911 NO ONE CAN OPPOSE THE STATEMENT IF YOU DO YOU CAN'T FACE THE REPORTED FACTS BY EVERONE INCLUDING OSOMA WHO SAID KILL AMERICANS AND JEWS. THIS IS A WORLD WAR BY RADICALS. ANSWER ONE QUESTION. INDONESIA IS 80% MUSLIM, WHY DID THE RADICALS SET BOMBS IN BALI 4 TIMES AND KILL MANY INNOCENT PEOPLE? SIMPLE, BALI A PEACEFUL PLACE HAS EQUAL THIRDS OF CHRISTIANS, BUDDEST AND MUSLIM AND THE NOT GOOD ENOUGH. THE RADICALS HAVE SAID MANY TIMES THAT THEY WANT A TOTAL WORLD OF ISLAM. WHAT DID THE U. S. HAVE TO DO WITH THE ATTACKS? THE LAST POINT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IS THAT I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE NOT BOUGHT INTO THE PLAN BY LIBERALS TO HATE BUSH AND ALL THAT HE STANDS FOR AND LET THAT MOLD YOUR VIEWS.

Protesting the war is one thing but taking it out on the troops is another. Maybe these students from the SDS should wake up an realize that it is because of those who serve that they don't have to. I'd just like to ask them how exactly it is that this war has impacted their lives. Nobody is going to draft them so they can sleep easy at night knowing they can stay in school on daddy's money. I don't agree with this war but I support those who serve.

loser kids... instead of these kids protesting the army recuiting station, they should be protesting the trojan factory because the condoms that their were using didn't work... loser kids...

WOW! What courage! And they're right of course. How dare we remove a dictator and free millions of people. We should get out immediately and leave all those innocent people to the mercy of terrorist scum. The foreign fighters, the murderers of innocent women and children aren't fighting for freedom. They're fighting to keep the Iraqi people imprisoned. We are the good guys! But you courageous people keep at it! What courage! What self sacrifice! You're parents must be very proud!

Okay, what exactly did they accomplish? I mean aside from looking like spoiled college kids who don't seem to mind an arrest record. I'm sure the soldiers and cops who wasted their time with these kids had more important things to do. Viet Nam proved that NO amount of hippie dissent will stop the powers in Washington from doing what they want to do. I think they'll regret this act down the line when they fill out a job application and get to the part that asks 'have you ever been convicted of a crime?'.

Yeah! We need leadership like Obama who has publicly stated he will begin to disarm the US.

This looks like the sixities on sedatives.There is no draft so although many people would like to be done with the involvement in Iraq,these little protests will be curiosities,nothing more.
I personally was against going into Iraq because it diverted the US from what was necessary military involvement in Afghanistan and I thought the situation vis a vis Iraq was under control with no fly zones,embargoes,etc.
That being said,we're in it now to the extent that it may be impossible to pull ot without precipitating massacres that could reach the millions.
I served in Vietnam,another "endless'war and when we suddenly decided to withdraw,it resulted in the deaths of about 3 million people and the enslavement of millions more,including the use of concentration camps,euphemistically called "re-education centers"in communist-speak.
If it were possible I'd like for Cheney,Perle,Wolfowitz,and Rumsfeld(the present day version of McNamara)to serve tours of duty in Iraq,but I live in the real world,and we aren't leaving there anytime soon,and the neocons won't be ducking enemy fire so the best we can hope for is that the "surge"technique makes it possible for the Iraqis to take control of their situation,but I am not optimstic.

It is an unfortunate event costing us warriors, money and reputation. However we have seemed to have forgotten the tales of Sadam's torture and his attempt to kill a whole people (Kurds). If we had not done this would this have been this generations Holocaust?

I walked by this protest yesterday and couldn't help but smile, reminded that we have the freedom here to peacefully protest that with which we disagree - consider if this had been Tibet what the response might be ? And at the same time I'm saddened as our servicemen & women are bravely & thanklessly doing the job with which they are tasked - let us remember that it's not them with whom you take issue, but rather our politicians.

typical college potheads...if you don't like the war, talk to the guy planning it, not the army recruiters who find the best and brightest to protect our very lives. In the big scheme of things, these losers have blotched their permanent record for nothing...the girl in the picture may have a chance to make some decent cash in porn but the rest will be serving me coffee at Starbucks. I keeps it real.

interesting projo blogger moderrator. we live in the most bluest of states, 2/3's of americans oppose this war, and it is their constitutional right to protest. Yet, the comments that are approved and posted here are from a bunch of war supporters, too narrow minded to even capture the lost lies we as a country have been led to believe. Good job projo, appeal to a few reich wingers who live in the state. You're not in Dallas, you're in Providence.

It is interesting that people continue to protest knowing that their actions will not produce any results. In todays society, if you are unhappy with what the gov't is doing, you either do not vote for the candidate that went against your beliefs or attempt to impeach, which by the way starts at the congressional level.

This is a comment for Sal: The SDS were protesting the war in Iraq, so why didn't you mention anything about it in your rant about Islam and Osoma(SIC)? It's because you've been led to believe that the two are synonymous when in fact they aren't. Why don't you stop to think about it for a second instead of believe what's been spoon fed: If Osama bombed us then why the heck did we also decide it was time to start an endless war with Iraq?

I wonder if these kids that are yet responsible for supporting themselves? It was the same with Vietnam and every other international conflict. They would be better off doing something constructive with their energy instead of useless "protesting" such as this. It takes actual forward thinking and real effort to have an impact on anything. These folks are obviously ignorant to that fact and of the sacrifices of US Military. Getting in-the-way of others is nothing more than self serving ego stroking. Their actions can be compared to the idiot that yells at the meter maid as if he/she put the parking meter there and created the law or statute under which it sits.
I suggest going to Iraq and protesting there, it will be an eye opener. Their reception prior to the US invasion would not be much different than now however let’s not pretend to know what will happen in the future. To imagine in 1970 that someday Americans would be able to travel freely in Vietnam was unthinkable. Pay your respects to members of the US Military; they don't deserve your shortsighted disrespect.

excuse you? this is a horrible job by the providence journal blog moderator. mr. M.P O'Neill should've never been allowed to post, his comment is derogatory and shameless.
They are protesting the army recruitment center because they and their friends are the target group. They do not wish for any of their friends to be enticed into giving up an education in order to go and fight civilians, innocents, and children. They are making a statement; this war has been going on for five years! That is as long as WWII. And if you are so concerned about stopping genocide, why not invade Sudan? Our invasion had nothing to do with the crimes against humanity, and you know it. We went because Mr. Bush had to finish the war his daddy couldn't, in the process spending trillions of dollars. Peace does not come from military occupation, it comes from rebuilding a country's infrastructure, reducing poverty, creating jobs, and giving a try at diplomacy.

These kids aren't courageous, they're misguided! I value the commitment and courage of our troops far more than these spoiled kids. All they were really looking for was something to do on a day off from school. Enjoy the beds you sleep in at night children because the safety and security afforded to you is a direct result of the mission our troops have volunteered to undertake on your behalf and my behalf. I for one thank them all from the bottom of my heart and will continue to support them until the mission is accomplished. You just keep sticking flowers in the barrels of guns and singing love ballads I'll keep helping to supply the bullets and body armor so the real heroes can continue to take the fight to the enemy. Have a nice day children and don't forget to thank a vet next time you see one :)

You got to love the war supporters who continue to say that the US military is over in Iraq protecting our civil rights and right to protest, but then turn around and criticize those who exercise that right. Any fool can see that the reason the US is in Iraq has nothing to do with protecting our rights, liberties, or protecting us from terrorists. It is to protect the rights and profits of the oil companies and their stooges in the government (hello Cheney and Bush). They are using the same tired arguments that were used to justify the Vietnam war - it is time to think up some new BS.
How many times has Bush changed the rationale for being in Iraq? First it was weapons of mass destruction, then it was to overthrow the evil dictator Saddam (the US is now responsible for more Iraqi deaths than Saddam ever was), then it was to provide stability to the new "democracy". Yesterday, he told us that it was to save the US economy that he and Cheney personally drove into the ditch with this war and his tax cuts for his rich friends. Wake up America, the enemy is here and it is running our government. Saddam was a criminal, but Bush and Cheney are war criminals.
More power to anyone willing to protest this disaster.

Actually, I am a student as well as a worker and was involved in the protest yesterday. I voluntarily took the day off from work to make a statement with my friends. The people involved in this protest have huge hearts and belive in justice FOR ALL (see "Pledge of Allegiance"). Although the protesters have been bad-mouthed by several bloggers here, they are incredibly well-informed and are staunch indepenent thinkers.
To those who say we are disrespectful of our military "heroes"? I work in urban schools and have seen military recruiters prey on youth during lunch time, offering them economic incentives to join the National Guard. This is not fair. You call the protesters "rich kids" with nothing better to do? Actually, they should be applauded for spending their time fighting for the people on whom this war is preying--those who lack money and power and are coerced into "serving honorably" so that they can make a few bucks.
As for the draft? I WISH there was a draft so that more people would actually care about our leaders taking our country recklessly into war. I applaud everyone who has the backbone to disagree with this war and the predatory practices that our government uses to fight it. The protesters are not against America. To the contrary, they are the real patriots who are deeply committed to seeing justice done on all levels. They don't agree for the sake of agreeing to appear patriotic. They understand that one of the fundamental tenets of Democracy is dissent.
And the National Guard is supposed to be protecting our HOMELAND! IRAQ IS NOT OUR HOMELAND!

Reply to Liz - What war are you fighting ? You say 'They do not wish for any of their friends to be enticed into giving up an education in order to go and fight civilians, innocents, and children. " - Are the insurgents/suicide bombers in Iraq "innocents & children" you think ? Consider what these service people make possible for you every day and if you don't value that, try applyong for a visa and go live in a dictatorship of you'r eown choosing - I'm sure you'll be much happier there. I am not a supporter of the war, but I realize I owe my life & freedom to the barva men & women in uniform - best you realize the same.

Like it or not, what these students did is exactly what soldiers are fighting for. To take disdain upon these kids who are taking democracy, civic responsibility and civil rights to the level guaranteed to us by the US Constitution. That is what makes this country one of the more free countries in the world. It may conservative type get in a blather and generate the predictable "if you don't like it - get out" and "spoiled college kids" - but they took action to display dissatisfaction with our government. Bravo, and a more American action I can not think of.

Boston Tea Party was a protest

Listen to yourselves. The protest for the war in Iraq is not merely a place for those to express how they feel about what is going on overseas, but also a demonstration intended to get the public thinking.

Look at those 8 students. You can criticize them and call them losers, or pity them for ruining their track record, or claim that they don't know any better and don't care about the education that they receive, but in the end, look how much response and discussion has resulted from the arrest of just 8 students! That is what a protest is about, details aside.

It is amazing how much response has resulted from such a small blurb and if young, educated minds are willing to give up everything for just one cause then that's better than any of you who merely sit back and criticize.

First think about how little you are doing for your beliefs and then maybe dare to criticize the bold actions of others.