Mark Siegel

Democratic Party chair Meredith Wood Smith at an anti-war rally outside Gordon Smith's Portland office
War critics and anti-Gordon Smith enthusiasts congregated at all of the Senator’s offices throughout the state Wednesday to voice their opposition to his reelection efforts, and, in some cases, to engage in a broader protest against President Bush’s Iraq policy.

The statewide protests, which were held in Portland, Medford, Eugene, Pendleton and Bend, were organized by the Democratic Party of Oregon, and, according to DPO Communications Director Marc Siegel, were a first for Oregon.

At its peak, the Portland demonstration had about 40 or 50 protesters -- many of whom wer