From the University of Arizona Wildcat:

"Hundreds of weathered combat boots lined the east side of the UA Mall this weekend, attracting passers-by and sparking renewed debate about the war in Iraq.

The traveling exhibit, "Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War," was organized by the American Friends Service Committee, the Presbyterian Campus Ministry and other organizations to show the reality of the lives that have been claimed by the war in Iraq, said Caroline Isaacs, program director for the Arizona chapter of the American Friends Service Committee.

The exhibit included 458 boots, 381 of which represented National Guard deaths in Iraq and 77 for Arizona soldiers.

...

The display also had shoes representing Iraqi civilian casualties, with tags for children as young as 8 months old.

The display was not meant to be political, Isaacs said. "

The article goes on to describe how the display in fact did spark political discussion. Anti-war activists were present at the exhibit, collecting petition signatures asking Congress to end the war by cutting funding. Supporters of the war were also present, apparently, although apparently not in any organized counter-protest. The display is part of a larger national project, including a full-sized version in Chicago.