Flickering candles in light drizzle added to the somber mood at Market Square Sunday night, just 24 hours before President George W. Bush addressed the nation telling the world diplomacy had failed and Saddam Hussein had just 48 hours to leave Iraq or face military action.
Citizens milled around the square's fountain, advocating for peace, each holding out hope a solution could be mustered through diplomacy.
As America prepared for war, words of common sense and prayers for peace were said, a giant American flag draped over the side of City Hall rippling in the breeze.
George W. Ball of Alexandria read a prepared statement from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and the Global Community of Mindful Living, Plum Village, France.
Ball read in part, "All of my friends join me to humbly ask the government of the USA not to start a war with Iraq. The war would bring destruction not only to the people of Iraq but also to the USA and to people all over the world. ... We ask the USA to operate in harmony with the community of nations, making use of the collective wisdom and decision-making capabilities of that community. ... Help strengthen the UN as an organization for peace-keeping, because that is the hope of the world. Please do not damage the authority and the role of the United Nations. ... Please see the USA as an active part of the larger organization of the United Nations and seek to work as a member of the international community to ensure the safety and well-being of the people of the USA and of all the people of the world.
OTHERS ON STAGE had similar messages. One by one people went to the microphone to express their views. Among the comments were "This is W's war" [speaking of President George W. Bush] and "We're not the world's policeman."
Another speaker observed, "Once our troops enter Iraq, they will face the very chemical agents Bush is trying to destroy."
The rally included songs "Give Peace A Chance," by John Lennon, and "God Bless America."