Nearly 100 Bronxites gathered for a peace rally in front of the Kingsbridge Armory last Friday, denouncing the U.S. occupation of Iraq.

The event was organized by Bronx Action for Justice and Peace to mark the second anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion. Members of the group, and passersby who volunteered to help, tied 1,561 white ribbons on the chain-link fence in front of the armory, in honor of American soldiers who have died since the war began.

Heidi Hynes of Bronx Action for Justice and Peace, who came up with the idea of the ribbon project, explained its significance. “Fifteen hundred and sixty one U.S. soldiers have died so far in this war, and there are actually 1,561 ribbons on the fence to remind us how many people that is.”

A number of speakers addressed the crowd, including Korean War veteran and peace activist Stuart Edwards of Co-op City.

Members of the Army National Guard’s 145th Maintenance Company, based out of the Kingsbridge Armory, are currently stationed in Iraq.

The following day, Fordham University students and other peace activists marched from Fordham Plaza along Fordham Road to the U.S. Armed Forces Recruiting Station on the Grand Concourse, carrying mock coffins draped in American flags and black cloth.

“I think the war, from its beginning, the reasons for it have been over-justified many times, with different reasons every time,” said Fordham freshman Jenna Felz, “and I don’t agree with any of them.”

The recruiting station shut its doors as officers from the station watched the rally from an office building across the street. Many of the protesters then headed to a larger rally in Times Square and Central Park.