On the day meant to honor Christopher Columbus, a group of protesters spoke out on the Quad against the consequences of the European conquest of the New World.

Several speakers, surrounded by a couple dozen sign-wielding supporters, also vocalized their opposition to racism, the Chief Illiniwek mascot and the Iraq war. The rally was organized by the Progressive Resource/Action Cooperative (PRC).

“We’d like to point out that Columbus came as a conqueror, seeking slaves and gold, and committed genocide against the Native American people,” said Bert Berla, senior in LAS. “It’s a story about a guy coming to a country where there was already a thriving civilization and murdering many of the people from that civilization and displacing them from their land, stealing their land … land that we’re on today.”

Senior in LAS Jason Sizer said that while the University claims to foster a campus environment that discourages racism, many students still categorize people by race.

“If someone breaks out of a category, they are considered an outcast,” Sizer said. “If a person who is of African-American descent is intelligent or articulate, he is viewed as acting white. And if a white person wears baggy clothes and likes hip hop, he is viewed as acting black.”

Areta Kovalsky, a junior in LAS who held an anti-Bush sign throughout the rally, said it was important to speak out against Chief Illiniwek on Columbus Day.

“Columbus came and conquered America and started a genocide of all Native Americans, and now the University is … having a Native American mascot,” said Kovalsky.

Freshman in LAS Bess Van Asselt said Columbus’s claim that he sailed across the Atlantic to convert natives to Christianity is similar to President Bush’s argument for going to war in Iraq.

“Today, President Bush has taken it upon himself to invade another country under the guise of making the world safe for democracy, just as Columbus claimed a missionary purpose,” she said. “But just as the Native Americans did 500 years ago, the Iraqis know better today.”

University professor Joe Miller, member of the group Vietnam Veterans Against the War, said the stationing of U.S. troops abroad has caused resentment in many countries.

“(In Vietnam,) people hated us for trying to push something down their throats that they didn’t want. That same thing is happening to people who are wearing our uniform over in Iraq now,” he said.

Nick Klitzing, president of Students for Chief Illiniwek, disputed the claims that Chief Illiniwek is a racist symbol that exploited Native Americans.

“The Chief is an honorable and respected symbol that’s been around for some decades,” said Klitzing, sophomore in LAS.

Klitzing referred to a recent Annenberg poll that stated about 90 percent of Native Americans surveyed said they did not have a problem with the term “redskin.”

“Surely if they’re not offended by a term such as ‘redskin,’ they’d be more accepting and supportive of a symbol such as Chief Illiniwek,” he said.

The PRC, he said, “continues to avoid the facts and enhance their political agenda,” said Klitzing.