80 nursing home residents in Mill Valley staged a protest for peace

Some residents of Mill Valley's Redwoods Retirement Center feel President Bush is leading the country into war and they demonstrated yesterday - using canes, walkers and wheelchairs - to let him know they want no part of it.

"He doesn't tell us what's going on," said Nora Boskoff, 84, organizer of a curbside demonstration yesterday outside the nursing home on Camino Alto. "It's becoming like (Soviet) Russia or (Nazi) Germany."

Dozens of protesters attended the demonstration, many using canes, walkers and wheelchairs as they stood by the roadside waving signs and singing protest songs.

Last week, Ms. Boskoff decided the time had come to start the nursing home's first peace group and anti-war demonstration. Little did she know that more than 80 other residents would be there to support her.

The nursing home residents are already planning their next protest, and this time, the nursing home is promising more support.

Bea Lott, program coordinator at the nursing home, said only about three or four of the residents attended the large San Francisco anti-war rally last month because it required so much standing. The nursing home doesn't necessarily support the anti-war position but she said the residents have a right to speak their minds and it is her job to help them accomplish that. "We'll have coffee, hot chocolate and American flags next time," she said, referring to another demonstration scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday. "Next time it will be more colorful."

Cars driving by honked their support for the protesting seniors. The oldest one was 95 year old Mutsu Muneno.

Burrowed inside a winter coat, gloves and a wool hat, she chanted "No War," while holding up one end of a banner that spelled out PEACE. She said Bush needs to do a better job of convincing the public before taking such drastic measures with America's troops. "I don't support any of this," she said. "It winds up killing the young."

Link via Common Dreams.