Chicagoland Chapter - After Action Report, 2/15 Anti-anti-war Protest

Personal Experience | 2/15/2003 | RedWing9

[RedWing9]

The Chicagoland Chapter had a successful Anti-antiwar protest in the Lincolnwood area of North Chicago. Attendees were Chicagolady, GRRRRR, Chi-Town Chief, BillyBoy, RedWing9, justshutupandtakeit and son.

BillyBoy, Chicagolady and myself arrived at the corner of Western and Devon around 12:15. GRRRRR and Chi-Town Chief had already laid claim to the corner flying the American Flag and egging-on the 'Saddam Fan Club' of 'Useful Idiots.' justhshutupandtakeit and his son came soon after that, yelling comments from across the street like 'We love Saddam'.

We were located about 4 blocks west of the protest gathering but right along their planned march. Their rally was to start at noon, but there were plenty of stragglers coming down Devon until the march began. That only allowed us to stir them up with chants like:

• We want more inspectors, 400,000 of them
• We love Saddam {using sarcasm}
• Give war a chance
• Bomb Bomb Bomb Iraq...

I'll leave it up to the others to add their own reminisces. I do remember calling out to the bandana-covered-face radicals to show their face. They tried to yell something which was undiscernable, so I again asked them to drop the bandana so we could understand them. They continued on their way, flustered by their inability to make a point, I think.

The marchers began their journey west at around 1:15p and they past by us, all ~4000-5000 of them. I stood on a bus bench the entire time with my 400,000 inspectors sign, chanting, pointing out their faltering logic, and just generally laughing at them.

Several of them tried to corner me into the 'you've never served in the military' argument, it was most assuredly easy to ignore them.

We kept reminding them that A.N.S.W.E.R. and N.I.O.N. were fronted by communist organizations. At at the end we had an old man, veteran of Korea, establish himself as a member of A.N.S.W.E.R. We had a discussion with him that was more laden with the typical 'you didn't serve, you can't talk' rhetoric, along with other things that justshutupandtakeit and GRRRRR will have to comment on. I would like to point out that as he was walking away and said "A small town in Texas is missing their town joker" I said, "Oh, I didn't know you were from Texas"... lol

[RedWing9]

Pictures/video forthcoming....

God Bless Our Troops and Our President.

[RedWing9]

Chicagoland bump!

[RedWing9]

Other chapter bump!

[Chad Fairbanks]

At at the end we had an old man, veteran of Korea, establish himself as a member of A.N.S.W.E.R.

Did he say which side he was on?

[Texas_Jarhead]

I would like to point out that as he was walking away and said "A small town in Texas is missing their town joker" I said, "Oh, I didn't know you were from Texas"... lol

LOL indeed

[RedWing9]

Did he say which side he was on?

He said he was a communist...

[moodyskeptic]

Congrats on being out there. Freeping in public is not easy, you take a hit from the popular culture. The lamestream press loves the peaceniks, they share the same values, and so your very presence upsets them.

Good job. I urge a try at public Freeping to any lurkers out there, it is EXHILIRATING. Keep a cool head, stay witty but right, don't stoop to their level, assume the press will vilify conservatives, and you'll have a good time.

[CHICAGOFARMER]

We want more inspectors, 400,000 of them

Just hang on.

President Bush is about to send 200,000 real inspectors.

Step aside Hans Blix.

[chicagolady]

I have to admit, after working a month on the graveyard shift, I have not had this much fun in weeks! My favorite sign was Billy Boy's "WELCOME......SADDAM fan club! There was very visable communist supporters and flags, Most of the simple folk do not know that they have tied thems selves to the Pro-Communist movement! Ignorance they will cry as their excuse. This movement is sort of like a bowel movement...it feels so good when they evacuate! As I displayed an "Anti-War Communist Propaganda" banner several folks came up to me and asked me..What's wrong with Communism? To which I replied " why do you live in America? Go live in a Communist Country! Then they replied, "thats not the point! WELL......It is my Point!
A word of thanks to all you who have served in the military Thank you! I know my Freedom of speech exists because much blood was shed. God Bless you all!

[Chi-townChief]

Well, one thing is certain:

A MARCH OF THOUSANDS CAN'T HOLD US BACK!

... although I'm still trying to get rid of the chill and get my voice back.

Two people we talked to really got to me:

- First, we were confronted by a little old guy who said he was a Korean War vet (not the same guy that RedWing refers to.) Even after Chicagolady thanked him for his service, he got tremendously hostile and got all over my case with all kinds of insults when I told him I was never in the military. Trying explain to him that war wouldn't be necessary if Saddam would go into exile or be removed didn't help as he asked to see my "yellow back". I finally told him that he did a great job for us (meaning all Americans) with his service and why was he blowing it now? He called me a few more names but then left abruptly.
- And, at the very end of their procession, a kid, probably college-age, came up to us with an anti-war sign, but instead of confronting us, thanked us (!) for exercising our First Amendment right of freedom of speech!!

It bothers me that the kid had it figured out but the old vet didn't.

I have to admit that I enjoyed some of the street theatre of these folks including some percussionists in costume (Thai or Vietnamese, I believe) and a marching band, with Kiss-type make-up and skeleton costumes, who laid down like dead flies in the Devon-Western intersection. But some of the other people there ... for "peace" marchers, their faces were a little too contorted in hate.

[Chi-townChief]

I like when the guy told you that he didn't believe in the UN and its resolutions - go figure.

[chicagolady]

A Chicagoland Bump, Bump early and often!

[tgslTakoma]

BUMP for CHICAGO FReepers !!

[Diddle E. Squat]

Funniest pictures of anti-war protests(let's make an archive thread)

[Diddle E. Squat]

Let's try this again:

Have some fun and add contributions to Funniest pictures of anti-war protests(let's make an archive thread)

[bluesagewoman]

Speaking with peaceniks boggles the mind. If you ever want to know what a boggled mind feels like, try talking to those folks. I don't know if mind boggle damage is permanant, but it does hurt for a while. It takes a bit of head-shaking to clear your head again.

Good job, and thanks!

[facedown]

WAY TO GO GUYS!!!

[Angelwood]

Thanks for great after-action reports. I want to see the picture of you (RedWing9) standing on the bench. Kudos CHICAGOLAND CHAPTER FREEPERS! Good job.

[RedWing9]

Pictures/Video...

• Group picture
• The Enemy
• Video 1.7mb
• Video 200kb

Done...

[RedWing9]

Ping to pics/vids...