Protesters marked the fourth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq by voicing their opposition to the war at a rally and march Saturday that started in Bloomingdale’s Old Town Park and ended outside U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam’s office, 150 S. Bloomingdale Road.

Participants, representing various organizations and from towns all over DuPage County, gathered on a sunny but chilly St. Patrick’s Day afternoon to listen to speakers and donate clothing and money to homeless veterans. A protest march followed the hourlong event.

Siobhan Kolar, a member of Fox Valley Citizens for Peace and Justice, one of the organizations that co-sponsored the event, said the purpose for holding the rally was to give people in DuPage County a chance to express their antiwar sentiment.

“This war is bankrupting DuPage and Illinois,” said Kolar. “And it’s not working.”

Dave Martin, of the West Suburban Faith-Based Peace Coalition, also an event co-sponsor, thought antiwar sentiment has been growing.

“It’s not one thing that brings change,” he said. “It’s office visits, letters to papers, marching in the streets — each part contributes to a gradual shift.”

Martin said when the invasion first occurred, between 10 and 15 percent of Americans opposed the war.

“At this point, about 60 to 70 percent are opposed. That’s an increase of 15 percent each year,” he said.

When asked what message she hoped to deliver to Roskam, Kathy Slovick of DuPage Against War Now, also a co-sponsor, said, “All politics is local. Washington doesn’t always listen, but we hope to continue a dialogue to get local politicians to listen. This is step one.”

Roskam, a Republican representing Illinois’ 6th District, supports the recent increase of troops sent to Iraq.

“There are encouraging reports coming out of Iraq that Baghdad is becoming more secure,” said Roskam, “and the insurgency is being mitigated. This is a pivotal time. Iraqis need to seize this opportunity to provide security for themselves so we can begin to reduce our troop numbers on the ground.”

Some of the speakers at the rally shared with the crowd their personal experiences with the Iraq war.

Terry Gannon of Elmhurst lost his grandson, Christopher Alcozer, in the war. Gannon told the protesters about Alcozer’s experience with the U.S. Army in Iraq. He was killed during a raid in Mosul in November 2005.

Alcozer received a Bronze Medal and Purple Heart as a result of his actions during that raid. Gannon said he participated in the rally “to tell people to support bringing them (the troops) home, and to share grief.”

Other speakers called for action from leaders in Washington, D.C., to stop the war. DAWN member Amy Tauchman called on Congress to stop funding the war and to withdraw troops from Iraq.

After the speakers, who stood before a “Peace In Iraq Now” banner, had finished, protesters wound their way from the park to Bloomingdale Road, chanting anti-war slogans and holding signs expressing their foreign policy views. As they walked, cars occasionally honked in agreement with the group.

Then the protesters stopped at the corner of Bloomingdale and Schick roads, near Roskam’s office, and continued to shout slogans. Roskam and members of groups that oppose the war in Iraq have met to discuss their views.

Other organizations that co-sponsored the protest in Bloomingdale included the Chicago Chapter of Fellowship of Reconciliation, DuPage Peace Through Justice Coalition, Pax Christi DuPage, Pax Christi Illinois and St. Isidore Peace and Social Justice Ministry.