Anti-war group stages protest

Paul Clinton

Protesters touting an anti-war message showed up at Rep. Dana

Rohrabacher’s Surf City office at noontime Tuesday to urge the

hawkish congressman to back off support for military force against

Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

“The main focus is wanting to put on the brakes [on military

action against Hussein],” group spokesman Dayve Hind said Tuesday,

shortly before the protest. “That’s the central focus today.”

The group, known as MoveOn, staged similar protests at about 400

congressional offices across the country, Hind said.

Rohrabacher was traveling and wasn’t there to receive the group,

but a press deputy for the congressman said Rohrabacher’s door is

always open to constituents.

About 30 members of the group delivered what they said were

petitions with signatures of about 700 local residents who do not

support military force against Hussein.

“Our office maintains an open-door policy for anybody who wishes

to stop by and offer their views,” said Aaron Lewis, Rohrabacher’s

spokesman.

Lewis said Rohrabacher was unable to meet with the group at 12:30

p.m. Tuesday, the time they showed up at his office, which is located

at 101 Main St., suite 380, in Downtown.

Lewis said the group would be granted a meeting with Rohrabacher,

however, when the congressman could free up time in his schedule.

Huntington Beach resident Teddi Alves, an officer in the Orange

County Democratic Party, organized the event.

Move On is an anti-war group that was formed in 1998 to protest

President Bill Clinton’s impeachment. Group leaders said they now

hope to pressure President George W. Bush to avoid war with Iraq and,

instead, allow U.N. weapons inspectors to complete their work.

A message on the group’s Web site (www.moveon.org) asserts that

“some elements of the Bush Administration are still dead set on war,

even if the inspections are working.”