"When is the time to protest? When is the time to rebel? The time is now!" said anti-war activist Marshall Thompson.
Protesters clogged a 300-seat auditorium at Salt Lake City's downtown library, joining anti-war demonstrations nationwide to reject the president's plans for a troop escalation in Iraq.
With room-rattling chants of "Bring them home," protesters condemned the president as misguided and urged peaceful rebellion such as sit-ins, protests and strikes.
The demonstration echoed a larger-scale rally in the nation's capital, where Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson told tens of thousands that he was "embarrassed" by U.S. aggression in Iraq and demanded a return of American troops.
Bush has been steadfast in his plans to deploy 21,500 additional troops into Iraq, despite flagging public support. He told lawmakers this month that the consequences of a premature withdrawal from Iraq could have "grievous" and "far-reaching" effects on Middle East stability.
"You did not vote for failure," he told lawmakers during his State of the Union address last week. "Our country is pursuing a new strategy in Iraq, and I ask you to give it a chance to work."
But opponents argued Saturday that the president is stubbornly leading the nation down a path that will bring only death and defeat.
"Our children are not your sacrificial lambs to slaughter," said Kim Spangrude, a Salt Lake City woman representing the anti-war coalition Utah Military Families Speak Out. Then, in a statement that ignited the crowd, she concluded, "President Bush, we have drawn a line in the sand and we demand that you bring them home."
A recent Newsweek poll found that seven out of 10 Americans now disapprove of Bush's handling of the war. While Utahns have backed the president more, a Tribune poll early this month found just 41 percent of residents backed Bush's war plans.
"We are a nation at war," said Terry Tempest Williams, author and peace activist, at Saturday's rally. "This is an epic moment to return to humanity."
jstettler@sltrib.com
