Peace activist Rich Wyman staged a striking demonstration Wednesday afternoon, having others pour water on his face while he was lying backward on a board, a simulation of the controversial torture technique called waterboarding.
The demonstration, held at the Olympic Welcome Plaza, marked the fifth anniversary of the launch of the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Wyman has been Park City’s best-known peace activist since before the war started. He was dressed in an orange-colored prisoner outfit and wore a black hood for much of the demonstration.
Past peace events in Park City have not held the drama of Wednesday’s gathering, with at least 50 people watching Wyman’s mock waterboarding.
"There’s so many levels to what is wrong with what this country is doing. It’s not just about the war anymore," Wyman said afterward. The demonstrators carried signs and sang songs like the Beatles’ "All You Need Is Love." Many drivers honked at the crowd as the rush-hour traffic passed the plaza, situated at one of Park City’s busiest intersections.
The crowd included many teenage students from Park City High School.
"Four thousand lives is obviously 4,000 too many," said Patrick Paterson, a senior at the high school, referring to the American soldiers killed in the Iraqi war. "This war has had virtually no purpose except to ruin the lives of Iraqis."