March 20, 2007

About 150 protesters marked the four year anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War by holding a march and rally in downtown Charlottesville.

"That day was very difficult," said Carlos Arrendondo.

Arrendondo remembers the day he found out his son, 20-year-old Lance Corporal Alexander Arrendondo, was killed in Iraq in 2004. Carlos came to Charlottesville today to join with the scores of others who marched in opposition to the war.

"Bring the troops home. Improve their medical care. Stop the killings, stop the dying, stop the funding," said Sarah Lanzman of the Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice.

It's a war that is finding growing opposition around the country and on Capitol Hill. Despite the opposition, President Bush today urged people to remain patient.

"The fight is difficult, but it can be won. It will be won if we have the courage and resolve to see it through," Mr. Bush said.

The protesters represented several groups including Code Pink and the Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice. Marchers say that camaraderie signifies the Country's opposition to the conflict.

"We represent a broad spectrum of the American people, a majority of the American people who are here to say stop the war now, we are not going to pay for it anymore," said Jeff Winder.

"People were really enthused, there was a lot of chanting and high energy I think. A lot of cars passed by honking and showing their support," said Rolando Mendez.

And while Carlos Arrendondo knows these marches will not bring his son back, he believes his message honors his legacy.

"I want the people to see the consequences of war and what we are going through right now in these times of war," he said.

Now this march was indeed peaceful. Unlike several other anti-war protests in the past several weeks, no arrests were made.