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  Michael Falcone/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Throngs of anti-war demonstrators took to the streets of Westwood Saturday in a roving protest that snaked from the Federal Building to Westwood.

By Dexter Gauntlett and Hemesh Patel

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

A protest at the Westwood Federal Building of roughly 2,500 anti-war demonstrators and a counter-demonstration across the street ended peacefully today.

Similar anti-war protests took place throughout the country today, with crowds that were in the thousands in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., according to organizers.

“Our country is getting caught up into a riptide of pride and prejudice,” said Steve Martin, a council member for the city of West Hollywood who spoke during the rally. “Creating widows and more orphans is not a recipe for peace, but for terrorism.”

The rally, which started at noon, consisted of a march through the streets of Westwood followed by presentations from 10 community leaders. Students from UCLA and surrounding colleges were informed by e-mail of the event, and they gathered to show their support for finding a peaceful resolution to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“Now is the time to build the opposition before bombs are dropped,” said fourth-year political science student Behzad Raghian.

United States’ foreign policy in the Middle East was under heavy scrutiny at the protest, with many citing national policies as insensitive.

“Avoiding bombing isn’t a solution. I would like to see a large scale pull-out of U.S. forces in the Middle East,” Raghian said. “We are completely insensitive to that area and if we keep that same mentality, things will never change.”

Four students of Afghan descent carried signs that read, “Don’t Kill the Afghan.” They said that two opposing governments exist in Afghanistan and that not everyone in their country supports the Taliban. “They have no news, no radio and no idea what’s going on with anything in the outside world,” said Haseena Qudrat, a fourth-year student at Cal State Northridge.

Across the street, a smaller counter-demonstration of roughly 25 people was organized by the International Human Rights Watch and Afghan Resistance.

“We came because we support America and the Afghan people,” said Anne Terrell, one of the counter-demonstrators. “I’m a patriot and I’m doing something for my country.”

Another counter-demonstrator, Hang Fire, said that those who protest against defending the nation are only undermining the country’s unity.

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