Who are the protestors

By BRIAN FANELLI
Staff Writer

WEST CHESTER — For five years, members of the Chester County Peace Movement have braved all kinds of weather to bring their message of peace and opposition to the war in Iraq to the Chester County Courthouse at the corner of High and Market streets. Karen Porter, director of the organization and a West Goshen resident, said her group formed in October 2002, when three buses from the area went to an anti-war protest in Washington, D.C. When Porter came back, she had trouble finding a peace group in the county. “There was no organization,” she said. “We came back, and I remember lying awake at night thinking about having a peace group here.” Porter said the group’s e-mail list now has about 1,000 people, and the organization’s members have spent more than 260 Saturdays at the courthouse.

“I am getting so much e-mail now from all over the country supporting us, including veterans for peace, enlisted military personnel, even motorcyclists from all over the country who say they wish they were here to give us visible support because they hear about all we’re enduring,” Porter said.

Throughout the five years, the peace protesters have mostly been at the courthouse alone. But as of last month, another group, the Chester County Victory Movement, led by borough resident Richard Davis, a Navy veteran, started rallies in support of the war effort.

The counter protests started last month, and Porter said they have been anything but pleasant.

“Many of us, including me, have never in our lives personally been harassed, cursed at and called names, so it has taken some getting used to,” Porter said.

Davis said his rallies have been respectful, though he did admit he has heard some cursing and has been bumped a few times.

“I want my protests to be legal, ethical and peaceful,” Davis said.
Davis, who has lived in the borough since July 2006, said he wanted to counter Porter because he was sick of looking at the peace rallies every weekend a few blocks from his home.

Since then, he has been joined by the Young Republicans of Chester County, the Young Republicans of Philadelphia and the Gathering of Eagles, a national veterans group.
Davis said his main message is to support the troops and continue the war in Iraq.
“I want peace, but I want to support the troops,” Davis said. “I feel bad for today’s soldiers. I don’t want them to see nothing but anti-war protests.”

Porter said that, in a way, the counter protests have reenergized her group, after some momentum was lost when bills the Democrats drafted to withdraw troops were vetoed by President George Bush.

“What we’ve been through in the past month has galvanized us,” Porter said. “We were floundering a bit this summer. Spirits were low because Democrats sent in bills that kept getting vetoed.”

Porter also doesn’t see her group going away anytime soon. She said she would like to have more educational programs and continue the weekly vigils.
“We are there (at the courthouse) for good, until there is no need for us to be there,” Porter said.          

Davis said he also wants his group to grow and would like to have meetings in the future. He said his e-mail list has about 50 people on it. “We’re in the fight of our lives with radical Islamists. Jihad doesn’t sleep,” he said.

Porter said she is confident the protests can coincide without a major problem. “The counter protestors can have their say, while we have ours,” Porter said. “We can coexist
peacefully, as it should be.”

To comment on this or any of these stories go to the blog