Protesters march in Monclair against Darfur violence
by Carly Rothman/The Star-Ledger Sunday April 13, 2008, 10:00 PM
William Perlman/The Star-Ledger
Beijing U.S. Olympian Doug Lennox, a gymnast at Princeton University, walks with Emily Srebro, a Special Olympian gymnast, during today's rally.
Nearly 400 people gathered in Montclair today, protesting ethnic violence in Darfur with a march including an Olympic-style torch.
Sport and politics have long mixed at the Olympics. In 1938, Hitler tried to use Olympic victory to demonstrate Aryan superiority -- an effort undermined by champion runner Jesse Owens, an African American. In 1972, 11 Israeli athletes were killed by Palestinian terrorists. The United States and other countries have boycotted the games to protest other nations' policies.
The Beijing Olympics featured prominently at the Montclair rally today, and at other events worldwide marking the fifth anniversary of the conflict in the Sudan, as demonstrators highlighted the close relationship between the Chinese and Sudanese governments.
Vigil for Darfur
Since 2003, violence between Sudan's Arab-dominated government and ethnic African communities have led to more than 200,000 deaths and the displacement of 2.5 million people. Khartoum is accused of unleashing militia forces to commit atrocities against the rebel groups, charges the government denies.
Sumiea Eltayeb, a doctoral candidate in chemistry at Seton Hall University who grew up in Sudan, addressed the crowd of nearly 400 parents, children, politicians and clergy who gathered at the First Congregational Church in Montclair after the march.
"I think the Chinese government tried to solve the problem, tried to help, tried to rebuild the broken parts, but our government is so bad," she said.
Eltayeb said she's witnessed the poor conditions in her country's refugee camps -- no water, no food, no cure for diseases, and above all, no security.
"I want to show the world," she said.
Leaders from the Essex County Coalition for Darfur, which organized the rally, noted China is Sudan's largest foreign investor, trading partner and supplier of weapons.
Speakers including Gov. Jon Corzine urged Chinese leaders to push the Sudanese government to stop the killings and let U.N. peace-keeping forces into the country.
"We, as a nation, need to send a message through our leaders to China," Corzine said. "We cannot let the words 'never forget' be just words. They must be actions."
In addition to marching, rally-goers took action by raising money for Doctors Without Borders, collecting about $20,000 for the nonprofit's efforts in Sudan.
