Harmony, spirit, sorrow and happiness abounded at Saturday’s anti-war march in Dallas.

People of all races, religions, genders and ages chanted, sang and danced for love and peace. Beginning behind the Cathedral Guadalupe, 3,500 to 4,000 people marched down Ross Avenue through the West End protesting a war with Iraq.

The march, which was the largest in Dallas since the Vietnam-era, ended at the Kennedy Memorial with a peace rally.

The protesters held signs ranging from “No Blood for Oil” to “Who Would Jesus Bomb?”

A few anti-war protesters said there is a misconception about them. They said it’s not that they are unpatriotic or un-American. They support our troops but feel that the reasons for war are not just. War supporters at the rally held signs of “USA Love It or Leave It” and “Stay True To Red White and Blue” to represent their side of the issue.

Speakers covered a variety of burning issues dug up by the looming war in Iraq. State Representative Lon Burnam said he was glad so many Americans had stood up for their rights and attended the protest. But he said that we need to take action daily by writing and calling representatives.

A small group from SMU met around the flagpole Saturday at noon. At the march, they held signs sporting “SMU Students Against War” and wore “No War on Iraq” buttons and T-shirts. The students said that because of Texas’ Republican climate, students might be afraid to voice their opinions on President Bush and his policies.

But they said they also felt that college students must try to be assertive in expressing their concerns about the world’s political climate, since their generation holds the future’s leaders.

The peace rally in Dallas brought many issues to the forefront and informed people on alternatives to the war. To learn more, visit www.northtexaspeace.org or www.dallaspeacecenter.org.