Hundreds of UT students take to streets against war
March 20, 2003,  1:39PM
chron.com

AUSTIN - Several hundred University of Texas students linked arms and sat in the middle of a busy street today as more than 1,000 people gathered around them to protest the war in Iraq.

At the campus where President Bush's daughter Jenna attends classes, the protesting students promised civil disobedience at the rowdy gathering.

They chanted, "war is what democracy looks like!" and held signs. One male student climbed to the top of a street sign and sat there for a few moments before rejoining the growing crowd.

Dozens of Austin police officers lined both sides of the Guadalupe Street, keeping careful watch as traffic was blocked. Police closed Guadalupe from MLK Street to 24th Street -- about 10 city blocks.

Police were expecting further protests throughout the day and the city of Austin is asking for additional security to help with the protests, News 8 Austin reported.

"I feel betrayed. It's so upsetting. It makes me sad. It's such a sad situation when this many people across the world unite to protest one thing and were ignored," said architecture student Emily Lancaster, 23.

Meanwhile, Ian Campbell shouted at the protesters.

"They don't know what they're talking about," he said.

About a dozen protesters camped outside the Texas Capitol overnight and police prepared for a late afternoon peace rally that was expected to block the downtown Congress Avenue Bridge.