>  More than 70 people had arrived in the afternoon from a coalition of >  groups

"More than 70"? Well, I suppose that is technically true. There were
"more than 70"--considerably more; in fact, there were about twice that
many. The *Kane County Chronicle* was more accurate. They put the number
at 130 (see below).

--Kevin

 Anti-war protesters rally

 By MARK FOSTER 

 Kane County Chronicle

 BATAVIA — Anti-war protesters on Thursday rallied in front of U.S.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert's district office, calling on him to delay
a vote authorizing military action against Iraq. About 130 people from
area peace groups gathered at the North River Street office around 11
a.m., waved placards and sang as their leaders charged President Bush
with trying to plunge the nation into an unjustified war. "The president
is trying to use the terror attacks to scare us into war," said Tom
Cordaro of Naperville. "This administration is exploiting genuine fear
and anxiety for its own purposes," said Cordaro, with the Pax Christi of
DuPage organization. 

 Other groups represented included the Fox Valley Citizens for Peace,
the DuPage Peace and Justice Coalition and the Interfaith Network for
Peace and Justice in DeKalb. 

Tom Garlitz, director of the Peace and Justice Office of the Catholic
Church in Joliet, told the crowd U.S. bishops have sent the president a
letter saying the pre-emptive strike he seeks "does not meet a just war
criteria." 

 Bush says Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is stockpiling nuclear, chemical
and biological weapons, and military action is needed to prevent their
use and to force a change in leadership in the southwest Asian nation. 

 "If this war goes ahead, it will be a license to dominate through
military power anybody who doesn't fall in line," said Mary Shesgreen of
Elgin, with the Fox Valley Citizens for Peace. 

Laurence Quick of Aurora, who is challenging Hastert in the Nov. 5
election as the Democratic candidate for 14th District congressman,
called war with Iraq "a gross violation of human rights." After about an
hour, a 12-person delegation entered the building seeking a meeting with
the speaker's staff. Hastert was in Washington, D.C. 

Hastert field director Bryan Harbin and press secretary Brad Hahn told
the group they would meet in a closed room with two or three leaders.
The protesters objected, and demanded the entire group meet with the
men. 

 Hastert's staffers eventually agreed, but would not allow reporters to
be present. "Reporters won't help the openness of the situation," Hahn
said. After 1 1/2 hours, the group asked to be put in telephone contact
with Hastert. Hahn declined. 

 "We assured them their concerns to be passed on to the speaker," Hahn
said. "Our whole purpose as staff is to listen to concerns and pass them
on." 

 Hahn said no congressional vote authorizing military action has been
set, and Hastert is working with Bush and other congressional leaders to
ensure the nation's safety. 

 "The speaker believes that Saddam Hussein poses an immediate threat to
peace and must be held accountable," Hahn said. "To ignore that threat
is to encourage it." 

 Meanwhile, the protesters outside had packed up and left the scene.
Inside, the delegation went back out into the lobby and refused to
leave. Hastert staffers left them alone until they began to sing.
Batavia police were called, and officers escorted them out of the
building. They remained outside the building, continuing to sing, for
another hour or so and finally left around 4:30 p.m. There were no
arrests.