Report: D.C. Chapter Freeps the Vote for Change Tour Finale 10/11/04

Honor Roll: BillF; BufordP; tgslTakoma; Doctor Raoul; Christopher Lincoln; Jimmy Valentine's Brother; staytrue; Pyro7480; kristinn; Nestor (a member of Vietnam Veterans for the Truth); our Iraqi friend Nofel and two of his sons; and three lurkers.

The Vote for Change Concert tour held its grand finale in Washington, D.C. Monday night at the MCI Center. The tour was sponsored by MoveOn PAC as a benefit for the get-out-the-(liberal-)vote campaign by America Coming Together.

The show featured the headliners of tour: Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Dave Matthews Band, the Dixie Chicks, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, John Fogerty, John Mellencamp, Jurassic 5, Keb' Mo', Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Pearl Jam, and R.E.M.

The event was a 'perfect storm' for freeping: The sold out concert drew upwards of 20,000 liberals; It was held on the Columbus Day federal holiday; It as a warm and beautiful fall day; Several other conservative and liberal groups came out to protest; And the media was swarming all around.

Doctor Raoul, tgslTakoma and I were first to arrive, around 3: 45 p.m. We set up in our permitted area directly across the street from the main entrance of the MCI Center on the 600 block of F Street, N.W. Raoul had brought a portable PA system, a few signs and a duffel bag of costumes and props. tgslTakoma brought a new MOAB (Mother of All Banners) and a couple of Flora MacDonald's pro-Operation Iraqi Freedom signs. I brought the permit.

While we waited for the others to arrive, we held up some signs and Raoul donned his Saddam Hussein costume. I held the "Shut Up and Sing" sign, tgslTakoma held a sign that said, "Rockin’ 4 Osama, Presented by MoveOn.org."

Saddam, wearing blood-on-his-hands gloves, held up a two-sided sign that said, "Another Foreign Leader for Kerry" b/w "Save Me, Vote Democrat."

Cars going by us would slow to check us out. A few of them gave us cheers and happy horn honks. However, as some of these cars pulled away we noticed they had Kerry/Edwards bumper stickers on the back. Hmmm....

The first of dozens of reporters and camera crews to approach us that afternoon and evening came over to film and interview us. While they were filming, we got out first flip-off from a passing car.

Nestor, a Cuban-American from Vietnam Veterans for the Truth was next to arrive. He brought Veterans AGAINST Kerry signs and a cooler with sodas and water in it.

Jimmy Valentine's brother arrived with a hard-hitting sign about the Beslan terror attack that featured quotes by Kerry and Vladimir Putin about being soft on terrorism (one in favor, the other after learning a harsh lesson.)

BillF and BufordP were next. They brought signs that Buford had constructed. The signs were huge, and featured pictures of some of the Vote for Change musicians with captions like, Tunes for Terrorists and Sing to Saddam. Buford also put some of our friend Registered's masterworks on the signs. They were eye-catching and controversial--just the way we like it.

The MOAB was set up behind us. Getting people to stand back and hold it was a bit difficult as it took you out of the main action, < ahref="http://community.webshots.com/photo/171103621/199707526dtlRCh">but most us ended up taking our turns holding the large banner that said, "BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN PRESENTS SADDAM-AID 2004."

Our friends from Rock for Life lined up directly in front of the MCI Center's F Street entrance and held a peaceful, stationary protest against abortion and the "pro-choice" musicians playing the show.

David Lytel, a founder of Democrats.com, stood down the sidewalk from us with a small group holding "Re-Defeat Bush" signs.

At the end of the block at 7th Street near the Metro station entrance, the leftist group Billionaires for Bush milled about (more about their milling about later.)

There was a substantial crowd of concertgoers across the street from us waiting for the doors to open. We took turns speaking to them using the PA, bullhorns or just our voices. We got a good number of cat calls and middle fingers in return.

Surprisingly, a good number of concert attendees and staffers came over to have their picture taken with us and to engage in civil conversation.

One woman came over to yell at us about her lack of health insurance. During the course of the back-and-forth, she revealed that she is a dues paying member of many liberal groups to the tune of $70 a month. She didn't say how she could afford to go the concert.

A heavy set man got into a screaming match with BufordP while Buford was being interviewed. He kept yelling things like, "This concert shows the left is back! The left is back!" while flailing his arms in the air. Rather than match him decibel for decibel, Buford spoke to him in a calm voice. The man just kept screaming. All the while TV news cameras crowded around, waiting for the moment when the punches flew.

Fortunately, that didn't happen. When the man finally stopped screaming, he muttered, "I'm not a lunatic."

During the scrum, a supporter of the non-lunatic walked by and yelled his concurrence that "The left is back!" and "You Republicans are finished!" while goose-stepping and zeig-heiling like he'd been doing it for years (it's creepy how well the left can imitate Storm Troopers ).

The reporters who spoke with us all asked decent questions, AFAIK. The ones I spoke with were a bit taken aback by the bluntness of our signs' messages. They were satirical, but with there was truth behind the satire. I told the reporters that the artists playing the show had opposed freedom for people in Southeast Asia, Central America and Iraq--and that the only time they supported someone's freedom was the Marxist Nelson Mandela. I informed them that John Kerry shared their track record. It was a point they all knew to be true and didn't try to refute.

The reporters wanted to know if we thought the musicians really supported terrorism. I replied that more terrorism was a natural extension of their political activities, and that their rhetoric, like that of the Democrats, matches that of the terrorists almost word for word.

During a break from the media, Doctor Raoul gave me the mic for the PA system as the crowds swelled across the street.

I started off talking to the crowd about musicians playing the show and how they've stood on the wrong side of freedom since the Vietnam War. They were against freedom for the people of South Vietnam, against freedom for the people of Central America and they're against freedom for the people of Iraq.

I followed by asking them to try to find one song in Bruce Springsteen's catalog where he says he's proud to be an American or where he says he loves America. I told them you won't find it, because Springsteen has never written a song where he praises America.

I then spoke about terrorism and the children in Beslan and Baghdad who were recently murdered by terrorists. A woman came over and started screaming that it was America's fault the children in Baghdad were killed by the car bombers; that if we hadn't gone there those children would be alive today (I wonder if she's seen yesterday's reports of the children and infants found in Saddam's mass graves.)

I also spoke about a wave of domestic terrorism plaguing our country. I went into the long list of attacks against Bush supporters: office occupations and break-ins, sign stealing and defacing, swastikas being burned in people's lawns, shots that have been fired at and bricks thrown through windows of campaign offices.

As time went on, I developed a different speech that I proceeded to give over and over again as people went through the arena's doors and new attendees got caught in the backup to get in.

The speech was based on Kerry's remarks in Sunday's New York Times that he wants terrorism reduced to the level of a "nuisance", as it was before (9/11), like "prostitution" or "gambling."

Over and over I beseeched the crowd of Kerry supporters, "At what level does terrorism become just a nuisance?"

I asked if it was like wheelchair-bound Leon Klinghoffer on the Achille Lauro cruise ship being murdered? Or when airplanes were hijacked and passengers were murdered, their bodies thrown on the tarmac? Or the first attack on the World Trade Center? Or maybe it was when our embassies were blown up? Or when the U.S.S. Cole was bombed? Or when elementary schools are attacked and 300 children savagely murdered? Or maybe it was when people are blown up on buses on their way to work?

I asked them if they want to live like Israelis. Reminding them of how Israelis are regularly murdered going to work, going to restaurants or just going about their lives.

I asked them if it would be a nuisance if they were blown up on a bus going to work? If it would be a nuisance getting blown up at a nightclub in Adams-Morgan, or on U Street? Or maybe if the MCI Center was blown up by terrorists while they were attending a concert like this?

tgslTakoma would interject on a megaphone and told the crowd that Kerry had an elitist attitude when it came to their lives. That some of them being killed was an acceptable level of "nuisance." for him

I would close the speech by telling the Kerry supporters that the war on terror is the fundamental issue of our time. That one candidate understands that terrorists must be fought and killed, and that the ideology behind terrorism must be destroyed and discredited like Nazism was in W.W.II. The other candidate believes we should be more sensitive to terrorists and that we should learn to live with a nuisance level of terrorism.

I told them that come election day on November 2nd, when they go into the voting booth they'll be all alone--no friends, no family members, no union bosses, no peer pressure. I told them they could pull the lever for George W. Bush with a clear conscience, knowing that they voted for the man who will fight to protect them and their families.

Toward the end of the freep, the Billionaires for Bush tried to cross the street to crash our protest. The police stopped them from jaywalking, so they went to end of the block and used the crosswalk to get over to our side. As they walked up to us, holding mock pro-Bush signs and dressed in tuxedos and ball gowns, I reminded the group that we had a permit for this area and that they were violating our rights by encroaching on our space.

They walked past and took up a position on our left flank, trying to get a photo-op the media could use to try to discredit us.

While the MPD officer in charge sorted the situation out, Doctor Raoul pulled a brilliant maneuver. He reached into his duffel bag and pulled out some conical straw bowl hats and grabbed a sign he'd been holding in reserve. He had the FReepers gathered around the Billionaires for Bush put on the conical straw hats while he held up his large sign which said, "Viet Cong Vets for Kerry."

The FReepers started loudly chanting "Viet Cong Vets for Kerry!" while the news cameras were filming. Raoul says the Billionaires for Bush didn't know how to react to the deft counter-thrust. Their eyes grew big as they realized they were being foiled. They beat a hasty retreat and never came back.

While that was going on, I used the PA to inform those across the street still lined up to get in the concert of how liberals can't tolerate free speech by conservatives or anyone who disagrees with them. How out of respect for the concertgoers First Amendment rights we positioned ourselves across the street rather than march through their crowds and that the leftists couldn't do that and had to come over and try to interfere with our First Amendment rights.

We wrapped it up at 8 p.m. when our permit expired. As we left, we noticed that once again the environmentalist liberals had left the sidewalk in front of the MCI Center a trashy mess. Most of the trash consisted of handbills advertising the pro-Kerry movie Going Up River, about Kerry's career exploiting the Vietnam War.

The interest by the media in our protest was above anything we had expected. While the wire services ignored us, local TV stations 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9 all ran stories about the concert that featured our freep to the exclusion of the other protesters there. CNBC's Capital Report included our freep last night in their report on the concert. WRC-TV 4’s report can be found here. A link to their feedroom report is there, also.

The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times mentioned Free Republic by name in their stories about the concert.

The D.C. chapter of the pro-Bush organization Free Republic, led by Kristinn Taylor, waved signs that read "Saddam-Aid 2004," "Tunes for Terrorists" and "Shut Up and Sing."

"I've been a Springsteen fan since '78," said Taylor, 42, of Washington, "but I'm boycotting the Boss until after the election. . . . The problem I have with these artists is that they have been on the wrong side of freedom."

Next to the Free Republicans was David Lytel, 46, also of Washington. A staunch Democrat, he's the founder of the Committee to ReDefeat the President. But it wasn't just his protesting neighbors who were mad at him. "When I invited the ReDefeat the President team today, I misspelled Springsteen," Lytel said with a grimace. "There was outrage."

The Washington Times mentioned the various protests, but not their organizers. Excerpt from The Times: Outside the arena, there were demonstrations and counterdemonstrations. The Millionaires for Bush jokesters competed for sidewalk space with the abortion-is-homicide crowd. Across the street, another group of naysayers equated the event with direct aid for Saddam Hussein.

The Internet Broadcast Service reported on our protest in their story about the concert. Excerpt: But not everyone was jumping on the bandwagon. Demonstrators gathered outside to protest the musicians' anti-Bush, anti-war stance. One carried a sign that read "rockin' for bin Laden" and another, wearing a Saddam Hussein mask, said the concert tour was hurting the morale of U.S. forces overseas.

International news crews interviewed us. Outfits from Canada, France and Italy spent quite a bit of time with us.

A reporter from Al-Arabia did a long interview in Arabic with Nofel about his support for America liberating his homeland, Iraq. He loves to stick it to the terror-supporters in the Middle East with these interviews.

In addition, crews from Pearl Jam and the Democratic National Committee filmed us. Several college students filming documentaries or school projects also filmed our freep. At times, it was a media circus with all sorts of cameras and reporters hovering around us.

The bottom line is, we got our message about the leftist artists and John Kerry to the concertgoers and the nation.

This was a great team effort freep. Everyone who participated did a great job, especially our new members Christopher Lincoln and the lurkers, as well as Nestor from the Vietnam Veterans for the Truth.

The photos posted on this page were taken by staytrue. the linked photos are by tgslTakoma. BillF will be posting his photos in the comments section.

There is more to tell. Hopefully the others who were there will chime in with their experiences.

My photos and sound files from the fabulous, fun-filled FReep follow.

The quality of sound files vary. My voice and someone talking directly to me are picked up best by the recorder, but the other files have some fun conversations and materials on them if you're patient enough to listen to some leftists really lose it.

Sound files can be clicked on to play. Depending on your connection speed, it may be better to right click and "save as" to download the file for later playback. You can read text as the file downloads.

SOUND FILE (589 Kb, 54 sec, click here): My interview with local TV 9.

SOUND FILE (1.3 Mb, 121 sec, click): My interview with local all-news station WTOP.

CLICK ON THE PHOTO AND A NEW WINDOW WILL OPEN WITH A LARGE VERSION.

(left to right) Vets Against Kerry member Nestor and BufordP
hold two of the three amazing signs that BufordP made.

The "B" sides of each of the signs in the left photo.

SOUND FILE (337 Kb, 25 sec click): BufordP using the amplifier later
Leftist screams at him..

Doctor Raoul, who later used an amplifier system to mock
Kerry and his supporters, was dressed as Saddam Hussein.

SOUND FILE: (400 Kb, 36 sec, click here): Doctor Raoul
on amplifier mocking leftist driving a Volvo. When another leftist puts his
hand on Raoul, the good Doctor calls for the police.

SOUND FILE: (137 Kb, 12 sec, click): Doctor of FReep strikes again!
His amplified greeting for leftists "Rockin' for Bin Laden."

We were honored to have two lurkers join us for the FReep.

tgslTakoma, holding the third of BufordP's 3 great signs,
Kristinn, and Jimmy Valentine's brother.

Kristinn being interviewed for local TV. Numerous press interviewed
one or more of us including local TV and radio stations, Canadian TV,
French TV, WashPost, and the LA Times

Our pro-freedom Iraqi friend, Nofel, and Nestor were among those
who debated a leftist (on right) who came across the street to argue.

SOUND FILE ONE: (687 Kb, 63 sec, click): She starts talking
about nephew in Iraq.

SOUND FILE TWO (436 Kb, 40 sec, click): BufordP tells her
"Stop getting your political news from Bruce Springsteen." She
goes on about not being able to afford healthcare (and she's
spending over $50 for a concert?). Member of Sierra Club, etc.

God bless the pro-life Rock for Life demonstrators,
many of whom were high school and college students.
They lined up across the street from us and right next to
the concert-goers in line.

Nofel, standing next to his sons, is interviewed by an Arab TV reporter.

SoreLoserman redux and friends set up near us.

Kristinn, on left with back to the camera, is holding a wireless mike transmitting
amplified sound to the two loudspeakers injecting truth to the
resistant ears of the concert-goers.

SOUND FILE (357 Mb, 31 sec): Kristinn on the amplifier
discusses Kerry's terrorism could be a nuisance theory.

Staytrue, tgslTakoma, and BufordP in front of the incredible
Saddam-Aid banner that tgslTakoma made. Staytrue holds another
of his great signs ("Kerry is a poodle. He's French. He's a rich woman's pet.
He won't protect you."), the sign based on a tag line
used by Doctor Raoul.

Apparently staytrue had stepped across the street to videotape, when a
foreign reporter asked me if he could talk to the person who
made the French poodle sign. As I looked for staytrue,
I asked the reporter why he was interested in the maker
of that sign in particular. He said "I work for French TV."
I said, "The person who made that sign thinks that Bush is a German shephard."
He laughed, but I'm not sure that he really understood. CLICK FOR THE
SOUND FILE (284 Kb, 26 sec) to hear that exchange.

BufordP, wearing Unionbay jacket and with back to camera on right,
was giving a TV interview when the guy in center of photo came running
into the interview shouting obscenities and flailing into the air..

SOUND FILE (783 Kb, 72 sec click): Here the initial obscenity
laden tirade.

BufordP and the ranting, shouting, semi-coherent guy continue
battling press conferences. The leftist shouted "This concert means that the left is back!"
Finally, he calmed down and said in a still excited tone "We're not lunatics!"
BufordP turned to the press and said something like "Did you get that down?"

CLICK HERE FOR THE 2ND SOUND FILE OF THIS GUY:
(587 Kb, 54 sec): Starts with him slamming Bush for destroying
peace and prosperity.

This car went by with the driver shouting at us and he gave us the first finger of the evening.

Keeping at least a 20 foot distance, I walked along the sidewalk to get the guy's photo.
Here he is shouting at me, while his passenger laughs.

Passenger saw my camera and put her hand up to cover her face, driver signals
his IQ again. After he shouted at me, I said "Can't we be friends?"
He angrily said, "You belong in Nazi Germany with Goebels."
I said, "That's OK, we can send you to GITMO after the election."
A bad joke perhaps, but in paranoid Dem circles, a real fear.

SOUND FILE: (337 Kb, 31 sec, click): Starts with Jimmy
Valentine's brother saying "You must be a Harvard graduate"
after the guy spews obscenities. Continues with Nazi Germany
and GITMO exchange.

Instead of staying over on the side of the street with the other leftists,
these "Billionaires for Bush" came along our side of the street.
Doctor Raoul organized a brilliant, peaceful counterstrike that sent them
back across the street, chastened from their meeting with DC Chapter FReepers.

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