Soldier’s Mother Inspires Protests Across U.S.

Antiwar demonstrators staged candlelight vigils around the country Wednesday evening, freshly energized by the tenacity of Cindy Sheehan, the California mother of a fallen soldier, who has camped out for almost two weeks near President Bush’s central Texas ranch, demanding a face-to-face meeting with him.

In Washington, 400 to 500 demonstrators gathered silently in front of the White House -- one of a dozen or so vigils scheduled for the nation’s capital and its suburbs.

Many protesters held candles and wore name tags that identified their link to someone who had served in the Iraq war -- such as “aunt,” “mother” or “friend.”

After about 20 minutes of silence, the crowd began chanting “Meet with Cindy,” “Tell her the truth,” “End the war now” and “No more lies.”

Stephanie Cooper, a Washington resident, held up a sign urging the president, who is spending the month of August in Texas, to “Next Time Vacation in Iraq.”

“I’m disgusted that he’s riding his bike and reading novels while this is going on,” Cooper said. “He seems to be on vacation all the time.”

Bill Black, also of Washington, wore a sticker that read “patriot” and held up a sign: “Draft the Bush Twins.”

In all, MoveOn.org, a liberal group that helped promote the vigils, said that about 100,000 supporters of Sheehan would gather at more than 1,400 sites nationwide, though by Wednesday afternoon about 60,000 had signed up on the organization’s website.

“My experience is that the number of people who attend is significantly higher than those who RSVP,” said Tom Matzzie, MoveOn.org’s Washington director. The vigils were not even planned until four days ago, he said.

Matzzie credited Sheehan with helping to “personalize the cost of war.” He said that until now, the majority of the American people had been desensitized to the conflict.

Vigils also were held in New York, Boston, Atlanta, Denver, Houston, Chicago, Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and elsewhere.

Vigils and rallies were held around the Southland, with hundreds of people gathering and lighting candles from West Hollywood to Santa Monica, Hermosa Beach and Long Beach.

In Studio City, about 500 people turned out at the intersection of Laurel Canyon and Ventura boulevards for a candlelight vigil and rally. The noisy crowd, some carrying signs saying “Meet With Cindy” or “Impeach Bush,” was greeted with honking horns and peace signs from passing motorists.

Rebecca Canady of North Hollywood, who attended the rally with her husband and two young sons, said she was inspired by Sheehan’s protest in Texas and her attempts to meet with Bush.

“She’s just this average mom,” Canady said. “Cindy Sheehan is a symbol of the truth.”

In Crawford, about 150 people joined Sheehan in a candlelight ceremony on a triangular patch of grass at the intersection of two country roads near the president’s 1,600-acre ranch.

Escorted by several Iraq war veterans and family members, Sheehan lighted the first of hundreds of red candles in front of small, white wooden crosses along the roadside to commemorate the war dead.

Her candle was before the cross bearing the name of her son, Casey Sheehan, a 24-year-old Army mechanic who was killed in Iraq in April 2004.

Standing behind a mock coffin draped with an American flag, Sheehan expressed thanks to the many young veterans who had joined her since she showed up in Crawford on Aug. 6 and pitched the first tent at what has come to be known as Camp Casey.

“They’re my friends now.... I call them boys, but there are a lot of men around the country who are like that,” she said, her voice choking. “But if I had a million of them, it wouldn’t take the place of Casey.”

As night fell over the central Texas prairie, Sheehan led her supporters in singing “Amazing Grace.” A lone flutist then played a mournful taps.

The sole dissenting voice at Camp Casey was that of John “Songman” Calahan of Fort Worth, a Vietnam veteran who conducted a one-man counter-protest across the road from the candlelight vigil.

“I believe she is aiding and comforting the enemy,” said Calahan, 51. “I believe she is demoralizing the troops. When they see these kinds of protests over there, they think we’re not behind them.”

Shortly after her son’s death last year, Sheehan and other family members spoke with Bush as part of a larger meeting with the relatives of other soldiers who had died.

But Sheehan now is demanding another meeting with the president, saying she wanted him explain to her in person why her son died for what Bush has called a noble cause.

The Vacaville woman has vowed to stay in Crawford until Bush meets with her or returns to Washington early next month after his vacation.

Dana Perino, a White House spokeswoman, said the White House had no comment on Wednesday’s events.

Perino noted that last week Bush had expressed sympathy for Sheehan and had endorsed her right to speak out, although disagreeing with her that U.S. troops should be withdrawn immediately from Iraq.

Within days after Sheehan pitched her tent near Bush’s ranch, she was joined by others, including a few parents who also had lost sons in Iraq.

At the same time, liberal groups such as the MoveOn.org political action committee, True Majority and Democracy for America began providing an array of logistical and organizational support.

This week, Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former Sen. John Edwards, the 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee, composed a widely disseminated e-mail urging others to “join me so Cindy knows we believe she has earned the right to be heard.”

Wednesday’s vigils could serve as something of a dress rehearsal for other antiwar efforts in the planning stages, including a memorial service in Crawford on Friday to honor fallen troops and Sept. 24 demonstrations in Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco that organizers hope will draw 100,000 or more.

Earlier Wednesday, Sheehan said she was amazed by those rallying around her cause.

“We at Camp Casey who have been out here sweating and getting bit by bugs ... are filled with love and gratitude for the overwhelming outpouring of support,” she said.

“I am just the spark that the universe chose for some reason to get this started.”

The bustling roadside encampment has alienated some local residents. But Fred Mattlage, a 52-year-old Army veteran who co-owns property nearby, has invited Sheehan and her supporters to move to his land about a mile from Bush’s ranch.

Sheehan said her supporters planned to relocate today.

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Times staff writers Cynthia H. Cho in Washington, Warren Vieth in Crawford and Veronica Torrejon in Los Angeles contributed to this report.