The 18 elderly anti-war protesters – known as the “Granny Peace Brigade” – who symbolically tried to enlist in the Army last October could face 15 days in jail if convicted in their disorderly conduct trial that began yesterday.

“This is not about the war,” an assistant district attorney, Amy Miller, said in her brief opening argument. “This is about disorderly conduct.”

As they appeared before the young prosecutor, several of the 18 defendants carried canes, pushed walkers, and wore anti-war pins. One is nearly blind.

The women have said they sought to enlist in order to spare younger citizens from having to fight in Iraq.

The defendants, who include three great-grandmothers, allegedly blocked the ramp leading to the recruiting center at Times Square after discovering that the door was locked to them. They refused to leave, even when asked to do so by a police lieutenant speaking through a bullhorn.

Their attorney, Norman Siegel, delivered an opening statement that touched not only on the topic of pedestrian traffic flow, but of the defendants’ right to speak out against the war.

“They did what our Constitution provides for and what our unique and wonderful First Amendment protects: the right to speak out and the right to protest,” Mr. Siegel, a noted civil rights lawyer, said.

In his opening argument, Mr. Siegel said this “impressive and eclectic group of women” never blocked the recruiting center’s entrance. He said evidence would show that a person did manage to enter the recruiting station even as the ramp was occupied by the defendants, 15 of whom were seated, while two others stood with a third woman who leaned against her walker.

The first witness in the case was a police lieutenant, Kevin Lee, a 12-year veteran of the NYPD who called protests and parades by a police euphemism: “large-scale problems.” He described the order he issued at 12:30 p.m., October 17, 2005, directing the women to disperse. He said he gave a warning two minutes later. News reports about the time of the protest note that the police treated the women with the utmost care when arresting them.

During Mr. Lee’s testimony, two of the defendants appeared to be dozing.

As they had done earlier, the women rejected a plea agreement yesterday that would have dismissed the charges if they avoided committing any crimes in the future.

They are being tried together in a non-jury trial. The judge is Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Neil Ross.

Prior to the trial’s beginning yesterday,the defendants held a press conference outside the courthouse. One of the defendants, Beverly Rice, 68, said she would not pay a fine or do court-ordered community service if the judge finds her guilty and orders her to do so.

“This is my community service,” she said.

The defendants came to court with a large group of supporters, many of whom were elderly women. When a court officer instructed the 35 people in the courtroom unable to find a seat to leave, a chant arose: “Bigger courtroom, bigger courtroom.”