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Protests Planned for Bush Library Groundbreaking

George W. Bush Presidential Center
Image courtesy George W. Bush Presidential Center
An artist's rendering of Freedom Plaza, part of the George W. Bush Presidential Center opening in 2013.

George W. Bush and his wife Laura will be wielding the golden shovels tomorrow as they dig symbolic dirt for a groundbreaking ceremony on the country's newest Presidential Library.

More than 20 acres at Southern Methodist University will be converted into the $300 million George W. Bush Presidential Center. The Dallas Morning News reports that the groundbreaking will have its share of protestors.

[Dallas resident Hadi] Jawad and other peace activists from around the country were at SMU on Sunday for the start of a series of events, called the People's Response, designed to counter the groundbreaking on campus. The complex will include a library and a policy institute. On Sunday, peace activists gathered for an interfaith service at SMU, where they offered prayers, poems, hymns, readings and speeches to castigate Bush for the war in Iraq and other policies.

Some academics at SMU have objected to the institute being constructed on their campus, reports Shelley Kofler from Dallas' NPR member station KERA. Shelley filed a report for KUT on the story. You can listen to it here.

http://media.kut.org/sounds/news_00023228/Kofler_Bush_web.mp3

You can watch a live webcast of tomorrow's groundbreaking by registering here. Find more information on the opposition rallies here.

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @KUTnathan.