WAUSAU, WI - (Wausau Daily Herald)  More than 100 march in downtown Wausau to oppose conflict in Iraq

Chanting "Not one more dead, not one more dollar," about 125 anti-war protesters from north central Wisconsin turned out for a peace rally and march Saturday in downtown Wausau, marking the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq.

The protest was one of many coinciding with other rallies across the state and nation this weekend, demanding Congress stop funding the war in Iraq and begin withdrawing U.S. troops.

Congress is debating how much of an approximate $95 billion supplemental spending bill they will fund and whether to specify a date for withdrawing troops.

The war in Iraq has cost more than 3,200 U.S. troops and an estimated $500 billion, according to The Associated Press.

Wayne Koniecki, 60, of Parrish marched with a sign embellished with a red, plastic gas can that read "How many lives per gallon."

Koniecki was concerned about the low turnout.

"I just can't believe there aren't thousands of people here," Koniecki said, adding he believed it was "a matter of indifference."

In February 2003, the month before the war started, 1,500 protesters filled the 400 block of downtown Wausau to discourage the government from invading Iraq. Since then, rallies have been considerably smaller.

Wilkes Covey, 62, of the town of Texas, a member of the Wausau-based Northwoods Peace Fellowship, helped organize the rally. He wasn't sure how many would show up, but expected several hundred.

He said "people are doing different things" to protest the war.

For instance, during the November elections, Wisconsin voters supported more than two-to-one ballot measures calling for a withdraw of troops from Iraq, he said.

Additionally, last spring "nearly two dozen communities passed nonbinding resolutions at the local level calling for the government to begin removing troops from Iraq," said Jeffrey Ames, chair of Peace North based in Hayward, who spoke at Saturday's rally.

On Monday, Covey said he will deliver a symbolic petition with nearly 200 signatures collected Saturday to the Wausau offices of Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wausau, and Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Middleton.

© 2007 Wausau Daily Hearld

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