Posted on 10/25/2003 3:07:18 PM PDT by Jen
Washington D.C. - 10/25/03
Counter-protesters were harassed, threatened, and some assaulted by security personnel of the anti-Iraq Occupation rally (International A.N.S.W.E.R.) before police appeared and relocated the counter-protesters in Washington D.C. today. No arrests were reported, but there was one unconfirmed report of a pregnant female counter-protester being injured in the fracas.
The counter-protesters, consisting of members of the web-based ProtestWarrior.com and FreeRepublic.com, arrived at the protest at approximately 1:30PM carry pro-America signs and positioned themselves just north of the stage area on Constitution Avenue, N.W. They had no permit to organize as a group.
The counter-protesters stood quietly holding their signs aloft. The signs, attempts at humor, had slogans such as; "Communism has only killed 100-million people, let's give it another chance, " and "Screw the Kurds, No war in Iraq."
Within 10 minutes of their arrival, security members from International A.N.S.W.E.R., organizers of today's Anti-U.S. policy protest, appeared and began to cordon-off the area occupied by the counter-protesters using yellow tape.
Within moments, members of the International A.N.S.W.E.R. security team began grabbing and destroying the counter-protester's signs, and aggressively shoving counter-protesters. A Johnny P News reporter was assaulted while trying to capture the event on camera. The reporter was struck in the head and his camera knocked to the ground and then kicked by a man standing with the International A.N.S.W.E.R. security personnel. The assailant refused to give his name or answer any questions.
All of the International A.N.S.W.E.R. personnel at the scene refused comment.
Police soon appeared and insisted all of the counter-protesters leave the immediate area.
Members of the counter-protest group began saying that a woman 5-months pregnant with the counter-protesters was injured in the scuffle. Police at the scene however, would not allow access to the area where she was reportedly receiving treatment.
Approximately 60 counter-protesters were on hand during the altercation. U.S. Park Police unofficially estimated the protesters attendance at 50,000.
Stoned? Probably a meth user if he's rail thin.
Hahahahaha! Good point. And, I think their rallies turn off far more people than they convert to their looney way of thinking. So rally on whackjobs! ;-)
I was reading the ProtestWarrior after action thread and this post is too good not to share:
"It seems that atleast a few DU'ers are NOT happy with the "fringe" message that ANSWER was putting out today, but they seem to believe that ANSWER is their only way to have a voice."
Our fight isn't with ANSWER. Every time we knock a few of them out ten more show up to take their place. Our enemy isn't the DNC, that's mostly politics and if they were to go away there would be another party formed to take their place.
Our fight is for the hearts and souls of Americans and our enemy is the established liberal institutions that propagandize and pollute the minds of good intentioned people. We don't lose because our beliefs are not sound, we lose because our enemy controls 80% of the means of information dissemination in this country. People don't vote for liberals because libs are right, it's because they don't know any better. They get indoctrinated at an early age into believing in socialist fairness and then are fed a daily dose of disinformation to sustain those beliefs.
When given a fair playing field and an ability to help Americans understand the reasons for our positions we win four times out of five.
Our enemy is institutions like the liberal controlled media, Hollywood, higher education, CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS and CNN. It's lefty institutions, organizations and Foundations that provide funding, resources and moral support.
We fiddle with these bungholes like ANSWER while conservatism burns around us.
Take away their voice and funding and you take away their ability to wage battle.
Everything else is just window dressing and feel good stuff to make us beleive we are accomplishing something.
ANSWER.
& On the Other Hand, You "Represent" MANY more people than you can Ever know.
The Problem with us "Normal Citizens" is that MOST of us have to Work, "for a Living," & Cannot be "with you" when you "Counter the Unwashed".
You have a Fervently Loyal "Cheering Section"--Many of Us who Wish we could be "On the Streets" with You!
NEVER Think that you are "Alone;" for EVERY ONE of you, "Out There," there are a THOUSAND of Us that you represent--Willy-Nilly!
I SUSPECT you have More supporters than Most Politicians!!
Doc
Both events were peaceful (save for one whackjob who tried to disrupt the rally at the end; the cops took him away.)
If the protest warriors were violating ANSWER's permit, then ANSWER should have done what we do when that happens to us: Encourage them to leave and get the cops when they don't.
Our track record for these events is good. Noone has been hurt at any of our rallies; none of our people have been arrested; and the law enforcement has been excellent.
By doing this, we are sending a message of support to our troops and to folks around the country that the left does not own the streets and that we will not allow them to do again to our morale and resolve like what they did in the '60s.
It's your choice to sit on the sidelines, but we'll keep taking them on--peaceably and legally.
Most FReepers recognize the enemy quite well, IMO.
Our fight isn't with ANSWER...
Yes, it is. Amongst many fights.
Our enemy isn't the DNC...
It most certainly is. One front of many...and one of the most critical.
Our fight is for the hearts and souls of Americans...
There we agree, but we have to find the resources to fight on EVERY front. Take it to them on THEIR GROUND before they bring it to us, just like our war against the Islamo-fascist terrorists.
...and our enemy is the established liberal institutions that propagandize and pollute the minds of good intentioned people. We don't lose because our beliefs are not sound, we lose because our enemy controls 80% of the means of information dissemination in this country. People don't vote for liberals because libs are right, it's because they don't know any better. They get indoctrinated at an early age into believing in socialist fairness and then are fed a daily dose of disinformation to sustain those beliefs.
Agreed. But you're just naming more critical fronts...all battles that MUST be fought if we are going to restore and defend our institutions of republican self-government. It isn't either/or. And the fact is, the conservative movement is not equipped at this point to fight these battles, and seems unwilling, generally speaking, to expend the kind of resources that will be necessary to do so. Conservatives are a bunch of cheapskates who are getting what they are paying for.
When given a fair playing field and an ability to help Americans understand the reasons for our positions we win four times out of five.
Yep. At least. But we're not even on the field in most cases--meaning the Left wins those battles 100% of the time.
Our enemy is institutions like the liberal controlled media, Hollywood, higher education, CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS and CNN. It's lefty institutions, organizations and Foundations that provide funding, resources and moral support.
Yep. But you don't beat something with nothing. The only way to undo those is to provide a positive alternative of our own. Not being done, except in a very few cases.
We fiddle with these bungholes like ANSWER while conservatism burns around us.
Time for a new fire-plan then, eh?
Take away their voice and funding and you take away their ability to wage battle.
Hell, we have 'conservative leaders' spending their time giving voice and funding and real political power to leftists like Arnold and tearing down statesmen like Tom McClintock. So maybe the problem is with our leadership, Bob.
Everything else is just window dressing and feel good stuff to make us beleive we are accomplishing something.
Window dressing is important if you ever want anyone to come in to your store to buy what you're selling. But you better make damn sure you have some inventory when they do come in. At this point, there are lots of bare shelves.
And I say all of this who has given just as much thought to these issues as you have.
As an Elder, most of the Elders in my Church are 15 years younger than I, but because you are a year older, you know the routine. We have to do something next July, as host Chapter, it ain't a money thing it is a people thing, we have growing group of people in the Boston area, but we need plans and a good turn out.
In your posts prior to the event you mentioned a cosponsorship with PW that included a march to a corner that would put you in direct contact with the ANSWER marchers. I'm sure you can understand that had some alarmed.
It's your choice to sit on the sidelines, but we'll keep taking them on--peaceably and legally.
Let me make sure I understand this comment. Anyone who didn't attend your event is "sitting on the sidelines"? If this is what you meant, your comment is insulting and belittles the hundreds if not thousands of FReepers who do their part everyday the best way they can, some in big ways, some in small, but all contributing. I think you should apologize to them.
I know that as much as I dislike Mike Savage, he and I agree on one thing this is War, political and cultural War for the heart of our Republic.
You and I close in age, I think, it started when I WAS BORN at the end of WW2 and will continue until we win.
So which ones are you fighting?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.