DES MOINES — More than ten anti-war groups from across Iowa united Saturday in Des Moines to call for peace in Iraq.

“[We’re here] to show that people really do want the war to stop in the Midwest,” said Kerry Hoeffber, 17, of Des Moines. “We haven’t had a big rally [in the Midwest] yet.”

Carrying signs that read everything from “War is Not the Answer” to “Stop Lying to America Jr. Bush,” 250 protesters participated in a rally, “die-in” and a march around downtown Des Moines.

“We are here in hopes that one day we will never have to host an event like this again,” said Mark Westberg, one of the organizers.

Mary Lundberg, 28, of Norwalk, said this was the first protest she had been to. “We have to let the government know not everybody is following blindly,” she said.

Randi Crain, 18, of Des Moines, said she hoped people would pay attention to the message of the rally.

“Everybody hopes somebody is watching them,” she said. “You do what you can and hope somebody is listening.”

Crain said she believed the rally was only the beginning.

“[It starts] with things like today, and if it comes down to it, doing anarchist things like vandalism,” she said.

Tom Lewis, University of Iowa professor of Spanish and Portuguese, said the conflict in Iraq is about oil profit and plunder, and actions should be taken against the United States.

“If the U.N. had any real backbone, it would be passing a resolution posing economic sanctions against the U.S.,” he said.

Father Frank Cordaro, a Catholic worker, announced a “die-in,” where protesters lay still in memory of those killed in Iraq to date, while drums beat.

“Listen to the drum beat of war and let us symbolically die,” Cordaro said.

The protesters marched in a mile route around downtown Des Moines, escorted by city police.

Carol Miller, 59, and Nancy Schulte, 60, both of West Burlington, said they had protested during the last military campaign against Iraq and during the Vietnam War.

“We never dreamed we would be doing this again,” Miller said.

Miller said she rejected the accusation that members of the peace movement were not patriotic and did not support troops in Iraq.

“[Those accusations] are not true. We love our troops and we want them home,” Miller said. “We do love our country and our children. It’s upsetting to be called nonpatriotic.”

Many of the speakers and protesters also spoke about the media as a propaganda tool for the Bush administration.

“Wake up and go to the independent media,” said Sabry WazWaz, member of the Anti-War Committee in Minneapolis, Minn.

One of the protesters, 23-year-old University of Northern Iowa student Nathan Sesker, said the media was biased against the peace movement.

“All you hear on the news is how you are supposed to support the troops, then there is a clip on the millions marching,” he said.