N.Y. Students to Protest Iraq War Today

Columbia University students plan to walk out of classes today to promote a day of action against the Iraq war, the Spectator reports. The walkout, scheduled to include a rally and teach-in, aims to begin "the rebirth of a strong and diverse anti-war movement on Columbia's campus and on campuses around the world," according to an online petition that had more than 420 signatures as of this morning. The petition also calls on Columbia to divest from corporations "crucial to the war effort." The newly formed Columbia Coalition Against the War wrote the petition and organized the rally. It expects groups from 16 nearby schools, including New York University and Sarah Lawrence College, to join the walkout. "We've gotten overwhelmingly positive support from professors, unions, students," a spokeswoman said. "It's going to be amazing."