The following is part of a series of historical articles which appeared in Iowa State University’s student newspaper. This story ran six years ago in the Feb. 4, 1991 issue of the Iowa State Daily during the Persian Gulf War. Reactions to the war were split among members of the ISU community. One student who was in the army reserves refused to go into active duty. About 45 ISU students joined more than 200,000 people in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 26, 1991. Some thought Americans should stand by President Bush’s decision to invade Kuwait; others felt the invasion was wrong. But despite their differences, both sides generally agreed that they should support the troops. This story illustrates these arguments as they made news on campus.

The demand for peace in the Middle East was embodied by 135 men, women and children marching around the Iowa State campus on Friday, but their walk was not entirely peaceful.

A group of about 30 counter-protesters trailed the peace marchers around campus to voice their opinion.

One counter-demonstrator, Bill Murphy, a freshman in civil engineering, said, “It makes me mad that people are protesting the war and not supporting the troops. We have to back them up on every action they take over there. I think [the peace marchers] are a bunch of hypocrites.”

Counter-protester Ryan Snell, a senior in political science, said the marching will lead to the same kind of rejection the soldiers returning from Vietnam felt.

“It would be better to rally in support of the troops, trying to help them out and support them while they’re over there.”

However, Gary Tartakov, associate professor of art and design and the host of the peace rally, said the peace marchers do support the troops, while retaining their right to voice opposition to the war itself.

“We realize that freedom of speech is a good thing. This is a patriotic peace rally, and to suggest that it isn’t patriotic is as unpatriotic as it could be.”

The peace marchers, organized by the members of People for Peace in the Middle East, circled the campus and carried signs saying, “Save the Planet, Stop the War” and “Martin Luther King’s Dream, George Bush’s Nightmare.”

They also sang songs such as “We Shall Overcome” and “Give Peace a Chance.”

Liza Duilio, a peace marcher, said, “I think that pretty soon, as there is more and more death on our side, there will be a lot more people doing this [rallying for peace].”

The group opposing the peace marchers carried signs stating “Free Kuwait” and “Traitor Hippies Go Home.”

Several of the counter-demonstrators were members of Young Americans for Freedom, a group which originated in the sixties during the Vietnam protests.

Gregory Fetterman, YAF organizer at ISU, said about YAF’s aim in counter-protesting, “I guess we’re going around campus yelling at hippies.”

At the end of the march, the two groups gathered at the Memorial Union fountain, expressing their conflicting views by standing on opposite sides of the fountain.

The peace marchers waved a U.S. flag and flashed peace signs.

The counter-protesters waved their own U.S. flag and yelled obscenities at the peace rally members.

A few of the peace marchers began to yell back at the counter-demonstrators, but Dave Edsall, one of the march coordinators, discouraged the argument and said the group was not there to send a message.

Despite the conflicts, Department of Public Safety Chief Loras Jaeger said he thought the rally went well.

“At least they respect each other’s views,” he said.