Students picketed a college newspaper and demanded it apologize for a cartoon that said an American peace activist who was run over by an Israeli bulldozer was stupid. The publication, The Diamondback at the University of Maryland, refused to apologize, citing the First Amendment. The cartoon, by student Daniel Friedman, showed a woman in front of a bulldozer. The label contained the dictionary definition of "stupidity," and added another way to define stupidity: "Sitting in front of a bulldozer to protect a gang of terrorists."  Rachel Corrie, 23, a student at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., was killed Sunday as she tried to stop an Israeli bulldozer from destroying the home of a Palestinian physician in the Gaza Strip. Israeli officials called the death an accident.

More than 60 students protested after the cartoon appeared Wednesday morning. "You wouldn't see cartoon in the newspaper making fun of 9-11 victims. You wouldn't see a cartoon making fun of a suicide-bombing victim," protester Setareh Ghandehari said.

In an editorial Thursday, the newspaper said: "Though many staff members objected to the cartoon's viewpoint, the editors unanimously determined that by apologizing for the cartoon, we would call into question the First Amendment - a blessing from our forefathers every newspaper and every protester in America lives by."

In a letter also published Thursday, editor in chief Jay Parsons said he too objected to the cartoon but decided Friedman's right to free speech was paramount. He acknowledged that the newspaper had received thousands of angry e-mails and telephone calls.

"Though the cartoon represents a radical view, The Diamondback's editorial board believes wholeheartedly in freedom of speech," Parsons said. "We would be hypocritical to revoke any speech on the grounds of radicalism."