[Mb-civic] Sharpton Adds Voice to Antiwar Protest - Washington Post

[William Swiggard]

Sharpton Adds Voice to Antiwar Protest

By Sam Coates
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 29, 2005; Page A04

CRAWFORD, Tex., Aug. 28 -- Al Sharpton, the civil rights activist and 
former presidential candidate, rallied antiwar protesters here Sunday, 
drawing comparisons with the civil rights movement on this anniversary 
of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

Speaking at a Sunday morning prayer meeting, he called Cindy Sheehan, 
who first arrived here 22 days ago to protest the war in Iraq, "the 
conscience" of the nation.

"I come today because I feel that it is our moral obligation to stand 
and to be courageous with these families and in particular Cindy," he 
told the crowd of 400. "I wanted to come on that anniversary to be with 
ordinary people, as I think Doctor King would have wanted."

Actor Martin Sheen also traveled to the antiwar encampment Sunday night. 
He presented a rosary to Sheehan in recognition of the Catholic faith of 
her son Casey, who was killed in Iraq last year.

Sharpton said opposition to the war in Iraq is not a partisan act. "This 
is not about politics. This is not about Republican or Democrat. . . . 
This is about right and wrong," he said.

Senior Democrats sought to distance themselves Sunday from Sheehan's 
protest. On "Fox News Sunday," Byron L. Dorgan (N.D.), a member of the 
Senate Democratic leadership, said: "If we withdrew tomorrow, there 
would be a bloodbath in Iraq. We can't do that."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/28/AR2005082800882.html
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