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Silence, Women in Black By Myles Murphy Ashland Daily Tidings No anti-war chants, no protest songs, no flaming flags or folderol. Just silence - and women dressed in black. Nearly 200 black-clad women lined up on the Plaza along East Main Street between Oak and Water streets at noon Friday to stand in still protest against war. "My grandson is on call in the (U.S. Air Force) reserve and I totally support them," Ashlander Maridale Moore said before joining the growing line of women. "I just want the war to stop." Julia Turner leads the line of women dressed in black on East Main Street Friday in protest of impending Iraq war. Ashland Daily Tidings/CHRIS MILLER While she has participated in other anti-war demonstrations, this was Moore's first time with the Women in Black, a network of women around the world who oppose war and violence. This is the second weekly gathering for the group. Shoulder to shoulder, the women began gathering at noon, and the event picked up a quiet momentum until 12:30 p.m. as women joined during work lunch breaks. "I feel the need to connect with women all over the world to send out a message of peace and non-violence," Kelley Vahradian said before joining the line and falling silent. The group included old and young, and even a few men in black, standing in support behind the women. "Whether we're men or women, we're all part of the human race and we need to take part in any way we can to influence the government," Bill Moore said. "I'm very much opposed to a war with Iraq, for that matter, any war in these years ahead." "Anyone who passes by these women feels a very immediate tug that what they are doing is right and that they're standing up for the right thing," Moore added. Intermittent honks of support from passing drivers seemed to bear out what Moore was saying. This was the second week the Women in Black have demonstrated in Ashland, following an initial turnout in Medford two weeks ago. The movement formed with vigils in Israel in 1988 by women demanding peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The idea spread to Italy, Yugoslavia and other countries. Women in Black events have been held in Belgrade, Jerusalem, Beijing, London and many other places. While men are encouraged to support the women in demonstrations, women are the focus because they have a unique view on peace and war, and are often the ones most hurt by strife in the world, according to Peace House Director Justine Cooper, who helped organize the event. "All of us are so heart-sore," Cooper said "Eighty percent of people in dire straits in the world are women and children." Ashland has seen a series of raucous peace events in recent months, including Wednesday's 600-strong student march through the city. In February, 20 naked women braved the morning cold and the frosty ground near the Lithia Park bandshell to spell out their case for peace in human letters. Others have walked repeatedly in large groups to Medford to raise awareness of local opposition to war, sat illegally in Lithia Park trees, and a Valentine's Day gathering on the Plaza drew more than 100 people who played musical instruments, danced, held street theater activities and watched as a splinter group staged a protest burning of the American flag. All of these events have had a strong component of show, and most had had their share of arrests, in stark contrast to the Women in Black. "This is really a different kind of event, it's not about noise and signs," Peace House volunteer Tim Bousquet said. "It's silence." Women in Black will continue to meet at noon on Fridays at the Plaza, and welcome any who want to join. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -