Veterans to protest against war Thursday

War veterans will tell their stories to the campus on Thursday during the "Winter Soldier" program, a nationwide event funded by Iraq Veterans Against the War.

"The Winter Soldier Program features testimony by veterans about the beginning of the war and the tragedies that occur," said Jason Crawford, president of the Central Illinois Iraq Veterans Against the War Chapter.

Crawford, a senior in LAS and member of the Navy, will help set up the Eyes Wide Open Boot Display in front of the English building at 11 a.m. Thursday. The exhibit, sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee will be on display until 4 p.m.

Also on the main Quad, will be a rally and speak-put in opposition to the continued occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, and in support of the veterans speaking out.

The program moves inside to room 103 of Mumford Hall at 6 p.m. During a "Legacy of GI Resistance" presentation, two veterans of Vietnam will present on "the connections between Vietnam and the war in Iraq," said Crawford.

The keynote speaker for part two of the presentation, "Testimony by Iraqis and Veterans of the Global War on Terror," is Camilo Mejia, an Army veteran and author who served in Iraq for five months in 2003 and was the first soldier to be jailed for publicly refusing to return to Iraq. He recently wrote a book about his experiences.

The Winter Soldier program concludes at 8:30 p.m. Students and faculty are invited to participate in the rally and presentations.