On the evening of the Santa Barbara Really Really Free Market at Alice Keck Park, all were having fun. There were sections of free goods, such as free clothes, shoes, kids' toys, movies, and produce. Attendees were sprawled across the grass soaking up the sun after a night of rain, kids were running around and watching turtles in the pond, and a Reiki healer was demonstrating his techniques.

ISLA VISTA, Tuesday, February 12, 2008

About 350 anti-war activists met to rally at Pardall Tunnel, where they were addressed by speakers at an open microphone, including a man from Iraq and a former Marine-turned-organizer. Emotions ran high and alternated between intense anger against the war, sadness over the loss of life, and hope, joy, and optimism for the future. At times, feelings were tense, and the police helicopter circling overhead made an ominous presence. The demonstrators shortly proceeded to converge on UCSB's Corwin Pavilion with the goal of shutting down the 2008 ICB (Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies) Army-Industry Collaboration Conference.

Today more than five hundred UCSB Students Against War disrupted the military Institute of Collaborative Biotechnology conference to demand an end to UC complicity in illegal weapons research designed to kill Iraqis in an illegal war.

Students and supporters of peace and demilitarization marched directly into the Corwin Center Pavilion where the ICB conference attendees were having lunch between their Army-sponsored research sessions.

End the occupation of Iraq! No war against Iran!

Last year, several thousand UCSB students, staff, faculty and community members held one of the largest national protests against the war on Feb. 15. It sparked nation-wide actions at dozens of other campuses and was a small but real step in getting the US military out of Iraq.

This year we're going to mark UCSB's uprising a few days early (preemptive!) with a massive rally on February 12th!

Join us at Pardall Tunnel at 12pm to rally against the war and occupation of Iraq!