The Move America Forward pro-war group met on the south side of the Monument while the pro-peace Eyes Wide Open exhibit took place on the north side. This large-scale display sponsored by American Friends Service Committee featured combat boots and shoes representing the 1,000-plus American soldiers and 16,000-plus Iraqi citizens who have died in the war in Iraq. Each pair of combat boots featured a tag with the name, rank, age and hometown of each fallen soldier.

Some people viewed the exhibit from their cars. Hundreds of others walked up for a closer look, remaining quiet as they did so.

Soldiers in uniform examined Eyes Wide Open from across the street and then came over to see it up close after a few minutes. One man said that, while he didn’t necessarily agree with protesting the war, the protestors were free to do so. “That’s what these boots stand for.”

Michael McConnell of the American Friends Service Committee said the Eyes Wide Open exhibit pays homage to the fallen from both sides. “When will this carnage end?” he asked.

The pro-war demonstrators (dubbed “pro-freedom” by the mainstream media) cheered, applauded and urged aggressors to physically bully anti-war protesters who crossed into their area.

In one incident, a group of Zionsville High School students entered the pro-war crowd and held up signs. Immediately, the demonstrators booed and yelled.

“Get him out of here!” yelled one. “Piece of crap! Get him out of here!” A demonstrator appeared to fall (he later claimed he had sat down), causing the crowd to erupt into applause. A speaker addressing the pro-war rally tried in vain to restore order, but the crowd continued to applaud and urge on the aggressors. “Get ’em, girls!” one yelled.

An anti-war demonstrator tried to diffuse the situation. “I respect your opinion …” She was quickly interrupted and told to be quiet.

Pro-war demonstrators blocked the anti-war protestors’ signs with American flags and yelled for them to be quiet. As police intervened to stop the ruckus from continuing and the anti-war protestors were escorted to safety, a pro-war supporter held up a sign with “Freedom is not free” printed on it.

“I’m 17 years old,” said anti-war protestor Lauren Hall, who held up a sign asking “How Many More?” “They were grabbing me and throwing my sign.”

Why was she in the middle of the pro-war rally?

“If they have the right to say what they believe, we have the right to say what we believe without being attacked,” Hall said.

Fellow protestor Aaron Carnahan agreed. “The first thing they said was to go back to our side,” he said. “I didn’t think the First Amendment had boundaries.”

Peace protestor Steve Schroeder said he was grabbed in a chokehold. Schroeder, an Air Force veteran, was the only protestor to defend himself. He grabbed his attacker in a wrestling hold and threw him to the ground.

Fellow protestor David Rose said an individual stepped on Schroeder’s sign and attempted to take it by force. He criticized Indianapolis Police officers for not arresting the attackers and the pro-war rally participants for claiming they had not seen anything.

After the pro-war rally was over, several participants came over to the Eyes Wide Open installation. They were not heckled or attacked and quickly left.

The Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) of Marine Jeff Lucey of Belchertown, Mass., was also on display. Lucey is one of more than 25 Iraq veterans who have committed suicide. Twenty-four more Iraq-related deaths are possible suicides.

According to an article from the Daily Hampshire Gazette, also on display, Lucey was haunted by what he saw in Iraq. In one incident, he shot two unarmed Iraqi soldiers from about 5 feet away on direct orders.