By Julie Espinosa
University Police were called to disband a dozen students protesting the Iraq war, Wednesday, during a Student Honor Association-sponsored activity honoring the military.
By the time the officers arrived, the group had left.
The demonstrators stood next to a climbing wall, holding posters that said, ?Peace is honorable,? ?Renounce war, proclaim peace,? ?Who would Jesus bomb?? and other messages. They began at noon when the BYU Air Force honor guard marched and twirled their rifles on Brigham Square in honor of fallen soldiers and stayed for about an hour.
The demonstrators chanted briefly, ?How do we support the troops? Bring them home!? Otherwise, they spoke just to interested passers-by.
?We are not protesting the Honor Code,? said Jason Brown, a senior majoring in anthropology. ?We believe peace is honorable and that it should be part of this ceremony. We?re not confronting anyone. We?re just here to support the troops.?
Associate Dean of Students Jonathan Kau arrived at the request of the Student Association to tell the demonstrators to disband because they were imposing their dialogue on others.
?They didn?t have the right to be there,? Kau said. ?They were detracting from the ROTC and honors group. It was never intended to shut them down just for the protest?s sake but more because they were disrupting the legitimately scheduled event.?
Brown and several of the demonstrators said they were determined to publicly express their commitment to peace because they did not have time to organize and get the proper approval.
?The campus has policies in place that prevents people like us from speaking up,? Brown said. ?We want to be heard too. Why can?t we set up tables and hand out hot chocolate and peace signs??
?Their cause was important enough that they didn?t have to follow the rules,? Kau said. ?That doesn?t justify it in our minds.?
University policy requires permission from the Dean of Students for all events of public expression. According the Dean of Students Web site, ?Brigham Young University encourages responsible non-disruptive public expressions as part of its intellectual climate.?
The demonstrators were also confronted by Steve Larsen, a National Guardsman and Iraqi war veteran, who was recruiting at a booth inside the Wilkinson Student Center.
?I find humor in what they put on their paper,? Larsen said. ?Ever since Adam we?ve prayed for peace. The point is, why pray for something that?s impossible? We have to defend from the bad people that exist.?
Kristy Kadish, vice president of the Student Honor Association, said their event was intended to be politically neutral.
?Our purpose for doing the booth today was just to honor the military,? Kadish said. ?It wasn?t to be for or against the war ? it was just to thank our servicemen and women and send them something for the holidays.?
She said 400 holiday cards for deployed soldiers were signed ? some twice ? by students.
?We wanted to show what kind of discipline and dedication it takes to be in the military,? said Cadet Capt. Evan Norman, commander of the honor guard. ?We represent those that have fallen and all members of the military. One of our purposes is duty, honor, country. When people see the military they think of honor.?