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Chants such as “Hell no, we won’t go, we won’t fight for Texaco” filled the air outside of the District’s Woodrow Wilson High School Tuesday as over 75 high school students and their supporters held an antiwar “sit-in” instead of attending classes on the brisk winter day. Students held signs criticizing the impending war in Iraq and the use of millions of dollars for war when educational needs go unmet.

“I’m here to help show youth’s ideas about the war. This should show Bush how stupid the war is,” commented Artemis, a Deal Jr. High School student who spontaneously joined the demonstration on her way to school. Athough expressing doubt that small antiwar actions could affect national policy, Artemis planned to stay involved, including attending the national march on January 18th.

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As Wilson students entered their building they were greeted by their classmates with fliers, signs, and banners until the school administration asked the group to move to the local metro stop, where the protest continued in a spirited fashion.

Most of the students present had recently gotten involved in politics, with the October antiwar march or Tuesday’s action many protesters’ first introduction to activism. Alex Bass, a University of Illinois student who was visiting a friend in the area, commented that, while there are many apathetic students today, there is an active core of students who are growing in strength. The protest at Wilson, by drawing out many new faces, will expand that core and help build a youth antiwar movement in the DC area.

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