Cindy Sheehan, who gained international attention a year ago for protesting the Iraq war, returned to the town near President George W. Bush’s ranch on Sunday to resume her protest.
Talking to reporters, Sheehan defended the purchase of a 5-acre (2 hectare) plot of land for use as a protest location. The land was purchased by her supporters through a third party to keep secret her connection to it.
"I just had a third party do it because I know that they wouldn’t have sold property to me," Sheehan said.
The previous owner of the property, Celia Ramsey, told ABC News, "We were duped, we were deceived, we had no idea" that Sheehan was behind the purchase.
Crawford residents angry at her presence "just need to relax a little bit and learn to live with us," said Sheehan, whose soldier son, Casey, was killed in Iraq in 2004.
Sheehan, who timed her visit to Crawford to coincide with Bush’s 10-day vacation, said she would donate the land to the town when the war is over in hopes it will be used as a memorial peace park.
Reporters and camera crews outnumbered protesters at the camp set up on the land, although organizers were hoping that more Sheehan supporters would arrive later.
