Local peace activists feel the time is right for the United States to readdress its policies regarding Iran, and advocated for public involvement during a summer Albany tradition.
The group Women Against War rallied during the Empire State Plaza Food Festival on Wednesday, Aug. 14. A group of about a dozen members spoke out against the idea of the country entering a war with Iran, carrying three banners that read “Iran next? No war! No way!” Demonstrators also held pictures of Iranian women, children and men and held out flyers stressing the financial cost of war
Maud Easter, a Delmar resident and member of Women Against War, said the group sponsored the demonstration because Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani, appears more receptive to negotiation and peace talks.
“We are very eager to have the U.S. negotiate really seriously with this president one-on-one and be willing to step back U.S. sanctions so that Iran can get something out of the negotiations as well as the U.S.,” Easter said. “We feel what’s needed is a deal that will work for both parties, so we are here today asking President Obama and Congress to support that, because Congress has been really pushing tougher and tougher sanctions and that’s just making the Iranian people less willing to negotiate.”
Fellow group member and Delmar resident Mickie Lynn said Rouhani has been a negotiator and “he is not a crazy, belligerent person like the previous president.” Lynn pointed to Rouhani helping negotiate the only nuclear deal the country has reached with the West during the last decade.
“There is a real chance for peace if we only take it,” Lynn said, “but the world congress has instead been following their old habit of making more and more sanctions and that is not a good way to start negotiations.”
Dot Richards, of Colonie, said while Obama and national leaders have important domestic issues to tackle, such as improving the economy, more resources should go towards Iranian diplomacy.
Richards, a member of Grannies for Peace, said if the Obama administration brought more attention to issues in Iran, people would be more informed. She said “the grannies” are focused on how war affects children.
“Our hearts are broken by the children that are affected all over the world by our stupidity in not using diplomacy and discussion and letting things get out of hand so that we are forced to use violence,” Richards said. “This is not a lesson we want to give our children. It is our actions that teach – not our words.”
Richards said Wednesday’s demonstration was helped by nice weather. A majority of people at the event gave only a glance at the signs or appeared not to notice the group, but occasionally someone would come up to the group and simply say, “Thank you.”
“A number of people come by and clapped and said, ‘Right on,’ or, ‘I’m with you,’” Easter said.
Marcia Hopple, who organized the event, said she printed out around 1,000 flyers and gave the majority of them away. Hopple, of Poestenkill, admitted not everyone welcomed the demonstration.
“We had a lot of people avoid us, too,” Hopple said. “It’s OK, you understand that is not why they are here. They don’t want to be interrupted having their day out in the sun and their lunch.”
The group demonstrated for an hour during the event from noon to 1 p.m., and was situated at the opposite end of the concourse from the stage. The demonstrators stood quietly as some members passed out the half-page leaflet throughout area.
Lynn said the group has been holding a demonstration at the annual event since 2007 because it was a good way to connect with new people.
“We always give away several hundred leaflets to people that would otherwise not ever hear our message,” Lynn said.
Lana Cable, of Saratoga Springs and University at Albany professor, said she is “deeply committed” to Iran, and American policy has so far been “wrong-headed and destructive.”
Cable said it wasn’t her first rally and stressed the importance of people holding political protests.
“I grew up knowing that it mattered to take a public stand on political issues that matter to you,” Cable said. “That’s just the way I was raised.”