Rocky readies for rally

President Bush is coming to town, and Rocky Anderson is ready.

The former Salt Lake City mayor and ever-vocal critic of the Bush administration has organized a rally for peace and human rights for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday on the west side of the Salt Lake City-County Building, 451 S. State.

During the hourlong event, Anderson and other peace and human rights advocates will be calling on Utahns to continue to speak out against the Bush administration and the "egregious human rights violations that continue to occur," he said.

"This is not a partisan gathering," Anderson said in an interview Friday. "This is a gathering of people of conscience, raising their voices to communicate that we will not accept the immorality of torturing and kidnapping people around the world; that we insist on the rule of law; and that we will not stand idly by as the president acts in contravention of our Constitution, domestic laws and treaty obligations."

Anderson will be joined at the rally by Daniel Ellsberg, the whistle-blower who in 1971 leaked to newspapers classified documents known as the Pentagon Papers, which revealed information about casualties in the Vietnam War.

"To me, (Ellsberg) is our generation's greatest voice of conscience," Anderson said.

In 2004, Ellsberg started the Truth-Telling Project, urging past and present government officials to reveal to Congress and the public the truth about governmental wrongdoings, lies and cover-ups. He recently has been calling on whistle-blowers to come forward with any information about possible plans of the Bush administration to attack Iran.

Anderson said too many Americans have become complacent and have let their voices fade in the call for an end to the Iraq war and illegal acts by the Bush administration.

"Their focus is on a new election," he said, "and they think this administration is irrelevant. But there is so much damage that can still occur. ... By all appearances, it looks like they're gearing up to attack Iran."

Anderson has spoken out against Bush during two previous Utah visits by the president — both while serving as mayor of Salt Lake City.

On Aug. 22, 2005, he spoke at a rally protesting Bush's visit to address the Veterans of Foreign Wars. A year later, Anderson spoke at a protest when the president was in town to speak to the American Legion.