Thousands parade through South Side

Hypothermia was more of a threat than violence to the masses of protesters parading down East… Hypothermia was more of a threat than violence to the masses of protesters parading down East Carson Street Saturday afternoon.

The Parade For Peace brought together more than 1,000 people of all ages to march from Station Square through the South Side to demonstrate against the potential war with Iraq.

The parade, which began at 3 p.m., started at the back side of Hooters restaurant where John Multy of Pittsburgh played several spirited songs on his trumpet to rile up the crowd. The protesters dressed in colorful clothing, brought homemade musical instruments and signs, and chanted sayings such as “no blood for oil.” Diverse groups were represented, such as Wiccans, Green Party members and even a band of Steelers fans against war in Iraq.

Even with the cold weather, the protesters walked all the way down East Carson Street, ending the procession at the Splash ‘ Dash carwash, several blocks farther than the original ending point, the Birmingham Bridge.

The Parade For Peace was another event in the weekend-long Pittsburgh Regional Convergence Against War, sponsored by the Thomas Merton Center and the Pittsburgh Organizing Group.

Bette McDevitt, co-president of the Thomas Merton Center, was handing out kazoos to participants and selling pins to benefit the center.

“It’s ironic that a war boosts the peace movement,” she said as she continued marching.

Sam Waite, a member of the Pittsburgh Organizing Group and a student at Pitt-Greensburg, said he was impressed by the event’s turnout.

“[It] was more than we expected,” he said. “I think the anti-war sentiment is a lot more prevalent. The demonstration was a perfect example of this.”

While the majority of those on the South Side were actively participating in the parade, there were a minimal number of counter-protesters. Brandon Hill and his son, Brandon Hill Jr., of the North Hills, stood alongside the parade waving an American flag.

“They’re all freaks,” Hill Jr., 8, said when asked about the protesters.

Another counter-protester held a large sign that read, “Saddam loves pacifists.”

The Parade For Peace lasted almost two hours with nine police on horseback following the crowd and other units on duty throughout the South Side.

Vietnam War veteran Nicholas Tomson, of Lower Burrell, marched Saturday, and said he was hoping a new generation would not be exposed to the atrocities of war.

“You go insane if you go to war,” he said. “This is patriotic, not [the counter-protest]. It’s to keep the American people alive.”