Protest links polar bears, farm animals to Iraq war

WASHINGTON -- Dressed in a polar bear costume, Adam Eidinger wanted to protest more than the war in Iraq.

On the fifth anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, hundreds of protestors descended Wednesday on downtown Washington D.C. Eidinger's fluffy white bear suit was his way to stand out and promote his message of how the war is affecting global warming.

"Polar bears are losing their habitats because of war and global warming," Eidinger said. "The war in Iraq generates more carbon emissions."

A longtime activist for many leftwing Washington groups including the anti-war advocacy group, United for Peace & Justice, Eidinger had extra costumes at hand, willing to dress anyone who wanted to join him.

While the war was the main focus for the protestors, some sought to make similar connections -- often tenuous -- to other social issues.

Rae Abileah, national organizer for CodePink, a women's peace group started on the eve of the war five years ago, said women's rights are a big part of the picture. "Women need a seat at the peace making table," she said.

Between the demonstrations and intermittent music in McPherson Square downtown, the Farm Animal Rights Movement, prepared vegan sandwiches and handed out tofu turkey to "hungry activists" to promote veganism.

"It's a dual purpose," Dawn Moncrief, executive director of FARM said. Veganism "is the most peaceful diet. Peace and non-violence should be entitled to all beings."

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)