Several hundred students, shivering and huddling under umbrellas, walked out of class at noon Wednesday and gathered in front of Duke Chapel to protest the war in Iraq.

During the hour-long rally, students erupted into applause when speakers decried the war, saying the attack on Iraq is not justified and threatens to increase worldwide resentment toward the U.S.

The event, organized by student group Duke Against the War in Iraq, coincided with other protests around the nation that were scheduled for the day after the U.S. began bombing Iraq.

"The Bush doctrine is a recipe for chaos,'' said Robert Keohane, a political science professor and international relations scholar. "It will create more terrorists than it will eliminate.''

Students heard from experts in a wide array of disciplines, including Wahneema Lubiano, associate professor of literature and African American studies, and Peter Storey, professor of the practice of Christian ministry at Duke Divinity School. They urged the students to continue to fight the war, educate their friends and embrace people of different faiths and cultures.

The students waved signs declaring "Peace is patriotic'' and "1 million dead - How many more?'' They made plans to meet to organize more protests and chanted, "What do we want? Peace!'' Then, several dozen of the protesters marched through campus to Brightleaf Square, where they joined a community peace vigil.

"This shows just how important this is - that so many people came out in the rain,'' said Jessica Rutter, a junior and one of the organizers.

At the same time, about 20 students led a pro-war demonstration. The demonstrators waved an American flag and played patriotic music. The organizers of the demonstration insisted that the war will benefit Iraq by freeing the country from a brutal dictator.

"I support our troops and I support the men and women that are willing to sacrifice their lives to liberate Iraq," said Alexis Fasseas, 22, an English and political theory major. "We are going to come to realize that this is a good idea as the war progresses."