Group hopes to see change in strategy
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — For over a decade, they’ve stood their ground on the Aroostook River Bridge.
“We are peace people,” says John Cancelarich.
Cancelarich is a former producer of biological weapons during the Korean war era and now an anti-war protestor.
The protest group, began when United States forces invaded Iraq in 2003. Throughout the past 13 years, members have come and gone.
Some protesters have passed away, including a World War II Purple Heart recipient.
The biggest change the group says it has seen is the reaction from those passing by.
“When we started it was a pretty hostile atmosphere here. Threats and people screaming at us from the cars,” says organizer Steve Demaio.
“And fingers,” adds Cancelarich, but now, “9 out of 10 cars give us a thumbs-up.”
Despite the negative feedback they received, the group kept coming out each Sunday.
“We didn’t appear to be changing any minds,” Demaio says, “I think everybody who persisted [protesting] was of the opinion that, really, it’s just bearing witness to the fact that the war was not a good thing and that there were certainly better things to be spending the resources on.”
Demaio says over time the protest group became a fellowship.
“It’s almost like our substitute for church.”
The protesters say they welcome all opinions on the bridge.
”We’ve encouraged people, even if they disagree with us, to stop and chat with us.”
The group once had a marine come to talk with them.
“He was somewhat upset we were out here, but we held our ground and he left understanding we had a right to be here,” Cancelarich says.
The group hopes to see a change in the country’s strategy in the Middle East.
“Theoretically we have no more combat troops in Afghanistan or Iraq. We have plenty of advisors, plenty of trainers and what their mission is, as I understand it, is to support the Iraqis,” but Demaio says, “People are still getting killed.”
“And the money is still flowing wide open,” Cancelarich says.
For now, the protesters will continue their stand on the bridge until they see change.
“The United States doesn’t have a long-term strategy. We just can’t become the policemen of the world,” Demaio says.
Cancelarich says the country needs to change its plan of action.
“We have to redefine our overall strategy and what we want to do in this world,” Cancelarich says, “We have a great country but we’re doing some things wrong.”
