PHOTO BY KATIE DALSEMER Topangans join a new Topanga Peace Alliance to demonstrate for peace in front of Pine Tree Circle on November 1.

The rally, which began on a slightly gray and cold afternoon and continued until well after dark, was followed by a forum on issues of war and peace at the Topanga Elementary School auditorium.
The line of protesters stretched from the corner of Old Topanga to Hidden Treasures. It was a real Topanga happening, albeit one sparked by global concerns. There were musical instruments, colorful costumes and hula-hoops. Whole families turned out to express their opinions to the passing motorists with signs that ranged from Vietnam-era favorites--"War is Not Healthy for Children and Other Living Things," to the Gulf War's "No Blood For Oil" and the latest anti-Bush sentiments --"We Need Regime Change--Here in the U.S."
The event was organized by the newly-formed Topanga Peace Alliance. Inspired by the large peace march in Westwood on September 26, a small group of Topangans began meeting in early October to discuss what could be done on a community level to protest the Bush administration's war intentions. The plans came together very quickly.
"A group of us got together with similar interests, being opposed to the resolution that was passed," said Topanga Peace Alliance member Connie Whalley, referring to the Senate and Congressional resolutions granting President Bush authority to use military force in Iraq.
Information was passed by word of mouth and e-mails, and flyers were printed, resulting in the well-attended rally and forum, three weeks later.
Woody Hastings, another of the protest planners, said the rally filled a need among Topangans who feel strongly about the direction the administration has been headed, but have not had an opportunity to stand up and be counted.
"I think it's really important that the big rallies take place in the big cities," said Hastings. "But it's at least equally important that every community organize and put on a showing....We have people that would be put in harm's way in a war for oil.
"There's an REM song, 'Stand in the Place Where You Are,' that keeps coming to mind," he said.
Many of the protesters voiced the feeling that anti-war opinions are being ignored--or even repressed--in the current political environment.
"Anyone who has a dissenting opinion against the ruling elite has been forced into an isolated corner and filled with fear," said two-year Topanga resident Robert Thaler. "The status quo now is, 'Are you for us, or are you against us?' and that is called 1933 Munich, that is not America. There's been no debate, no dialogue."
Thaler stood holding one end of an enormous American flag. Another Peace Alliance member, Susan Lovell McLaughlin, who held the other end of the flag, said there shouldn't be any conflict for Americans between patriotism and criticism of the militaristic tendencies of our current political leaders.
"The symbols of America and language of patriotism have been co-opted by the Right," she said. "That belongs to all of us. We're taking it back."
Despite rally organizers' bullhorned pleas to "Stay behind the white line," there were the occasional bursts of over-enthusiasm--a woman running out into traffic lanes to hand out leaflets to cars or a man leaning out into the street, banging a pair of cymbals together.
The approving honks of passing motorists were fairly constant, although one protester felt supporters were in the minority.
"I'm looking in the windows of everyone driving by and I would say a good 90 percent are ignoring us," said Tori Radman of San Clemente. She was hiking at the State Park earlier in the day, heard about the rally and decided to join in.
"I've been kind of wondering where all the protesters are, and I thought, 'Great, I found some!'" Surveying the attitudes of passing commuters, she counted: "Support, ignore, ignore, ignore, support, very hesitant support, ignore...."
Police cars and motorcycles passed frequently, but the event appeared to create no objections from law enforcement.
"I was really pleasantly surprised that so many CHP guys drove by and just...drove by," said Hastings.
The Canyon supplied its own guardian of the public good, in the person of "The Queer Superhero for Peace," a leather-masked, yellow-caped crusader, whose secret identity was revealed to be Topangan Amber Katherine. Katherine came with several other women from the Creekside Wellness Dojo. She said that speaking out for peace in the current U.S. climate takes some courage.
"The reason I call myself a 'queer superhero,'" she said, "is that right now you have to be willing to transgress the norms to be against the war. Right now our consent for war is being manufactured. It's not normal to be against the war."
Topanga Peace Alliance member Kathleen Hernandez, who teaches at the Shenandoah Elementary School and formerly ran the Topanga Co-op Preschool, related her anti-war convictions to the ethics of her profession.
"As an educator I'm always telling children to 'use their words,' and work things out in a non-violent way, and then we go and bomb places," she said. "I'm for the rule of law and working it out through the United Nations. I'd like to see our teacher's union get involved with this, because it's fundamental to what we teach kids."
As darkness fell, the crowd--which some estimated at 250 at its peak--thinned somewhat, but there were still over a hundred people lining the Boulevard at 6 p.m.
Fourth-grader Andrew Wiltse walked the line, announcing through a bullhorn that the rally would be moving to the elementary school in 20 minutes. But word soon spread that a TV crew from Channel 7 was coming to cover the protest, and Andrew quickly revised his announcement: "Never mind about the school, a TV camera is coming!"
Green glow sticks were produced and Rick Ellis, Jamie Papish and friends jammed on drums to keep the energy going, as the protest continued in darkness. Later, reports came that the news crew wasn't going to show.
Afterwards, about a hundred people gathered at the school auditorium for an anti-war forum with guests from various peace organizations, and performances by Topanga musicians.
The speakers included Frank Dorrel, author of the book, "Addicted to War;" Bob McCloskey and Linda Tobach, activists who were part of a delegation to Iraq led by Ramsey Clark in January 2000; Mark Scully, a Vietnam veteran from Veterans for Peace; Jonathan Parfrey from Physicians for Social Responsibility, and Candace Carnicelli from the Center for the Advancement of Nonviolence.
McCloskey and Tobach presented a disturbing slide show of conditions in Iraq at the time of their visit. Gulf War attacks on Iraq's water and health care system they said, have led to devastating results.
According to McCloskey and Tobach, U.N. sanctions in place since the Gulf War have caused the deaths of 500,000 children by prohibiting import of needed medical, and construction supplies because of supposed "dual-use" military applications.
"The Gulf War wasn't a war, it was a cowardly rout," said McCloskey, reminding the audience of continued bombing of Iraq by the U.S. since the war supposedly ended.
McCloskey and Tobach said their delegation to Iraq brought $2.5 million worth of medical supplies. Their goal is to get the sanctions lifted, as well as to prevent another war.
"Iraq poses no threat," said McCloskey. "The biological and chemical weapons they got were from the West. Iraq doesn't have the capability to pose a threat to anybody. This is about oil. This is about power. This is about U.S. hegemony around the world and the plans Cheney and Bush have for the future."
He also argued that Iraq's ouster of nuclear and chemical-weapons inspectors in 1998 was actually part of a Clinton administration "wag the dog" strategy.
Seventeen inspectors were asked by Iraq to leave, McCloskey said, because it was discovered that there were CIA agents among them. Then, at the behest of the Clinton administration, all 70 inspectors were recalled so that we could begin the bombing of Operation Desert Fox.
Jonathan Parfrey of Physicians for Social Responsibility explained his organization's concern about nuclear proliferation. America, he said, is now undermining non-proliferation. The "Bush doctrine," which allows for pre-emptive strikes against potential threats, includes contingency plans for nuclear attacks against countries that do not possess, nor are likely to develop, nuclear weapons, he said.
"When we read about North Korea violating [the non-proliferation] treaty," he said, "we have to ask ourselves 'Is the U.S. abiding by that treaty?' And the answer is no."
Ultimately, said Palfrey, working for peace comes down to "enlightened self-interest."
"If we become such a bastard in the world, we will reap what we have sewn," he said.
Topangan Mark Scully of Veterans for Peace provided a personal view of war. He told the story of his own accidental order of an attack that killed 17 friendly soldiers in Vietnam. Ultimately, he said, he realized that it didn't matter whether they were friendly or not.
"They were just dead," he said.
Scully challenged the common view that there are "good" and "bad" wars --World War II was a "good" war, Vietnam a "bad" war. But he said he accepted the distinction if it encouraged more people to oppose a new war against Iraq.
"If you're here because you believe in good and bad wars and that Iraq is a bad war, that's good," he said. "If you're here because you believe all wars are bad, that's even better."
When the Topanga audience cheered that remark, Scully cracked, "God, I love preaching to the choir."
Scully rejected our local democratic representatives defense of voting in favor of Bush's military resolution in Congress.
"When I hear our new congressman saying he voted for that war amendment so that we could send a message so we don't have to go to war--excuse me, but that's a lot of s***."
Interspersed among the speakers were musical performances. Inara George opened the evening with a soulful, a capella "America the Beautiful." Gabe Brody sang two original songs, blending humor and a serious political message. Local teen band Tinkle roused the crowd with three rocking numbers, including a cover of "Chain of Fools."
Wally High evoked memories of peace movements past, with his warm, acoustic renditions of "Blowin' in the Wind," "Teach Your Children Well" and "Woodstock."
Topanga Peace Alliance members were pleased with the event. Hastings says the organization can interface with other groups that have greater resources.
"Although we're responding to this acute crisis, we intend to remain indefinitely, and be a place for people to turn locally to engage in peace advocacy activities," said Hastings.
At the forum, the Topanga Peace Alliance's "Statement in Support of Peace" was distributed for signatures.
The Alliance is planning to hold another, larger forum sometime in mid-February. For information about the Topanga Peace Alliance, call (310) 455-2497.