Thursday, 4:30 PM
Antiwar protesters gather on Boston Common
By April Simpson, Globe Staff
About 150 to 200 antiwar protesters rallied on Boston Common this evening to decry President Bush's plan to send 21,500 additional troops to Iraq.
The crowd of largely middle-aged activists converged outside the Park Street T Station near Tremont Street. They hoisted signs that said: "War is terrorism with a bigger budget" and "Kill one person and it's murder, kill thousands and it's foreign policy."
Others wore sweatshirts that said: "Impeach Bush."
Protesters took turns at a microphone making speeches, trying to get the attention of commuters rushing in and out of the T station. Some stopped to listen, but most hurried by, ducking underground on their way to the subway.
One of the speakers was the radical historian Howard Zinn, the author of "A People's History of the United States." Zinn seemed emboldened by Bush's nationally televised announcement on Wednesday to send more troops to Iraq, telling the crowd that the president was completely disassociated from the impact the war had on people's lives.
"I thought it was a robot up there," Zinn said, referring to Bush during the speech. "I didn't sense an iota of feeling."
