D.C. 'die-in' will launch a week of war protests

WASHINGTON - A week of events meant to crank up a national demonstration against the war in Iraq is set to begin tomorrow, with a 1,000-person "die-in" at the US Capitol led by current and former American troops and accompanied by taps and a mock 21-gun salute.

The die-in will be the culmination of a march and rally. Organizers hope the event will spur people in the antiwar movement to move from protesting to performing acts of civil disobedience that "get in the way of the war machine," said Brian Becker, national coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition, at a news conference Wednesday.

The group's permit with the US Park Police is for 10,000 people, a source said, but ANSWER, which stands for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, expects tens of thousands, Becker said. More than 1,000 people had signed up on the group's website as of Wednesday to lie down at the die-in, he said. The event is meant to represent Americans, Iraqis, and others who have died in the war. Organizers expect the number of participants to double or triple by tomorrow.

Daily antiwar events are planned from tomorrow through Friday.

War opponents are scheduled to go to military recruitment centers in the Washington area on Monday to try to shut them down. On Wednesday, Iraq veterans plan to walk through the Pentagon wearing antiwar T-shirts and talking about the conflict.

Across the country, war opponents are being encouraged to visit their congressional representatives' hometown offices and not leave until someone "gives them an explanation about the war," Becker said.