Protest arrives at Ehlers’ door

Analysis:

This story appeared on the front page of the region section and is based upon the anti-war action planned by the group ACTIVATE. The article is framed in the first paragraph with a variety of statements that comes across with no focus. The early part of the article has comments from two people who attended the protest, but neither of their comments reflect why people were at the march. Instead, the comments are things like “there’s no question this war is a disaster.” The article also mentions that most motorists had positive responses to the demonstration. However, the only motorist cited was someone who had a negative comment.

The story then talks about the march moving to the house of Congressman Ehlers. There are no comments from any of the demonstrators or the organizers of the march, although they do cite a flyer that was distributed to residents of that neighborhood about Ehlers’ position on the war in Iraq. The only people who are sourced are Ehlers and a neighbor, both on their reaction to the protest. Both Ehlers and his neighbor make claims that are not verified by the GR Press. Ehlers says he based his initial vote on the war with “faulty evidence” and that “it was a mistake.” The point that the protestors were making based on the media release was that Ehlers has continued to support the war by voting for every funding legislation that has been presented to Congress since 2003. The Press also cites both Ehlers and his neighbor on their dislike for a statement on one of the signs they claim was “obscene.”

The last section of the story dealt with the arrests made and the Press frames this section by stating “The trouble started minutes later….” The police are cited with claims about what happened as well as comments from a witness who had a different point of view. The story then ends with a comment from one of the ACTIVATE organizers on the effects of the war on US troops. Readers should ask themselves if it was clear from the article what was the intention of the demonstration. There is also no mention in the story of the march that then took place down the East Beltline to 28th street and the confrontation between the mall security and demonstrators.

Story:

GRAND RAPIDS — As peace protests go, this one had everything: young and old calling for the end of the Iraq War; a rally outside of a U.S. congressman’s house, with signs — some vulgar — planted in his yard, calling him a war criminal; and arrests of four people, including a university professor who brought his 11-year-old daughter.

Demonstrators on Saturday took part in a nationwide protest to highlight the war’s fourth anniversary.

“There’s no question this war is a disaster,” East Grand Rapids resident Martha Hayes said, standing near East Beltline Avenue and Burton Street SE.

She said opposition to the war has gained mainstream acceptance. She and other protesters gathered at the busy intersection. They held signs and banners — “Citizens Against Iraq War,” “Troops Out Now,” “Stop U.S. Imperialism” — that drew mostly supportive honks, or thumbs up from passing motorists.

But not everyone supported their position. One driver yelled, “Morons,” while another said: “The insurgents are going to come after all of you.”

Ada resident Don Wilson said he hadn’t protested anything in his 75 years, but couldn’t ignore this effort to bring an end to the war. “It’s not a Democrat or Republican issue, the war. The groups should unite and bring this thing to an end.”

Before long, the 150 or so protesters took that message to the Grand Rapids home of U.S. Rep. Vernon Ehlers. They marched down his street, getting a thumbs-up from a neighbor down the street. One put fliers in doors that read, “CRIME ALERT! One of your neighbors has provided legal and financial support for the following crimes: The killing of more than 3,000 U.S. soldiers, approximately 650,000 Iraqi civilians torture of prisoners, and paying contracted mercenaries to prosecute the war in Iraq.”

Then, they put signs in his front yard, while others duct-taped a cardboard sign on the front of his house — which had a U.S. flag on the front — asking him to sign a pledge to end the war. As protesters gathered in his front yard, Grand Rapids police Capt. Curt VanderKooi, in plainclothes, told them to leave the private property. After they left, a 51-year-old neighbor took down the signs.

Police had advised Ehlers and his wife to stay inside. He didn’t oppose the protest, but did not appreciate the “profane” and “obscene” signs. The sign on his door took paint off.

Ehlers said he frequently meets with war opponents, and said such protests are part of the job. “That’s the right of the citizens, to (protest) the government,” he said. He was worried about his neighbors, and didn’t appreciate people going on his property. He also was concerned that some had apparently gone behind his house, but police later investigated and didn’t find any damage.

Although Ehlers voted four years ago to authorize President Bush to go to war, he has since said it was a mistake. He said he based his vote on what he now says was faulty evidence of Iraq’s ability to produce nuclear weapons, and said the U.S. should have been “more cautious.”

Concerned about his safety, Ehlers’ neighbor didn’t want to be identified. He said the protest on his quiet street was unusual, but he said demonstrators had a right to protest. He was disturbed by an expletive on one sign, and another sign that read: “War criminal lives here.” He said Ehlers is just a regular guy in the neighborhood. “Vern is an outstanding, Christian man. I know he votes his conscience.”

The trouble started minutes later, after protesters left and started marching along Burton toward East Beltline. VanderKooi, the police captain, said officers were trying to stop a man who violated the city’s noise ordinance by using a megaphone.

He said officers tried to warn the man, but he kept walking away. Police arrested him, and said others got in the way. “You can’t interfere with a police officer who’s trying to arrest somebody,” he said.

Hermann Kurthen, a Grand Valley State University sociology professor, was among those taken away. He was tackled to the ground, then handcuffed. Sheila McCarthy, 57, said the momentum of the crowd pushed Kurthen into the street but he didn’t try to interfere with police. “People were pushing behind him, and … he went into the street. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.” She hoped that the arrests wouldn’t overshadow the effort by anti-war protesters.

Chris Mills, a 20-year-old GVSU student, helped organize the rally for ACTIVATE of Grand Rapids. He said people are “tired of people coming home with (post-traumatic stress disorder), injuries, and men coming home in body bags.”