D.C. Chapter - FREEDOM RALLY After-Action Report and Thank Yous

D.C. Chapter of Free Republic ^ | October 26, 2003 | Kristinn and Angelwood

[Angelwood]

Photo Credit: Reuters

The D.C. Chapter of Free Republic would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank all those who helped and participated in the Freedom Rally Against Terror and Tyranny and the counter demonstration held later in the afternoon in Pershing Park (October 25, 2003). Though our numbers were small, our efforts did not and will not go unnoticed.

We would like to give special thanks to our speakers who freely gave their time and energy to this effort. Niger Innis and Curtis Sliwa traveled to D.C. from New York and Bob Dornan delayed a trip to California to visit his newborn grandson because they all recognized the importance of not allowing the anti-American left to take to the streets of our nation's Capitol unanswered by patriotic Americans.

Many thanks also to our speakers, Harry Wu, William Alford, Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi, Elio Bonazzi, Rebecca Davis (Bangor, Maine) and our own D.C. Chapter member, Frank Davis, for answering our call to arms. A final thank you goes to our speaker, Nofel Al jazairi, who told us how grateful his family in Iraq is to the Americans for ridding their country of Saddam Hussein.

The D.C. Chapter would like to recognize our fellow freepers who traveled great distances to come and stand beside us. We are grateful for their support and it was great to greet many old friends from previous events.

To all those who donated their time and money to make the Freedom Rally happen, thank you, too. It was definitely a team effort and the D.C. Chapter is very appreciative.

Last, but not least, a GIANT thank you to tgslTakoma, the D.C. Chapter sign maker "extraordinaire," and to BillF, who did a little gardening in order to provide the 143 linear feet of Bamboo necessary to make the pole supports to hold up the two MOABs (Mother Of All Banners) used in the rally and counter demonstration.

Again, even though our turnout was small (300+ by Exit148's count for the rally and 75 at the counter demonstration), our message did get out across America and the world. Our troops know that they have support at home and A.N.S.W.E.R. did not march in the streets of D.C. unopposed.

Please post your reports and pictures here or post links if you have already posted them elsewhere.

[Angelwood]

Pictures will take awhile longer. Please be patient.

However, the photos that have already been posted by other freepers are fantastic.

We were blessed with an absolutely beautiful day, a fantastic location with the Capitol building behind us and the Washington Monument in front of us, an excellent roster of speakers, the MOABs, flags and other signs, and the fellowship of friends and patriots.

[GeronL]

Thank You. I've seen lots of pictures. BTW- Does someone have a list of the signs used by the anti-war commies?

Do you think someone should start a thread asking Freepers for their webpages? So that other Freepers can visit them? A page of FReeper links? or is there already such a thing?

[kristinn]

We should mention the efforts of the Protest Warriors who joined us for the first half of the rally. Their ingenious signs brought many smiles and scowls to those passing by, depending on whose side they were on.

While I wish they had heeded our advice to not go into the other side's rally and just hang on the perimeter, they seem to have come out of the maelstrom okay.

I hope to see them again down the road.

[Jean S]

Good job. Did you see this?
http://www.johnnypnews.com/DCProtestclash.htm

[Jen]

Do you think someone should start a thread asking Freepers for their webpages? So that other Freepers can visit them? A page of FReeper links? or is there already such a thing?

I started a FReeper webring some time ago. Anyone who wants to join, go here and follow the directions: FReeper Webring. There also is a list of FReeper blog sites, but I don't remember who maintains it.

[Jen]

Great job DC FReepers. I'm printing this thread and lots of the pix to send to several deployed troops that I correspond with. They need to know that real Americans stand behind them and their mission! Love the MOAB! :)

[skinkinthegrass]

Wish I were there...the wackos visited Lexington, Ky. last Wedesday...I gave them hell w/Rollin' Thunder folks/gop supporters...We're outnumbered by 10:1, DIDN'T mattered to us...pride in country/self. :))

[Libertina]

Freedom Rally BUMP
Great work with wonderful people, Angelwood. I look forward to seeing the pictures.

[GeronL]

OK, I'll join

[WOSG]

WELL DONE ... And great Reuters pic you are showing there!

[Kudsman]

They need to know that real Americans stand behind them and their mission! Love the MOAB! :)

Yeah, what she said. TXS.

[Angelwood]

Thank you for posting the link to the article about ProtestWarrior.com's altercation with the security forces of A.N.S.W.E.R. I had not seen the article, though I've seen the photos posted on several threads.

Any members of FreeRepublic.com who accompanied the Protest Warriors did so individually and separate from the permitted activities of the D.C. Chapter. However, there are a number of Protest Warriors members who are also registered on Free Republic.

The Protest Warriors and their clever, thought-provoking signs were very impressive -- especially so as they marched away from the rally site toward the anti-American rally.

[basil]

Great job, as usual, DC Chapter! I feel sure that many families of our troops were heartened by your presence. How awful it must feel to have a loved one in uniform and have to put up with the likes of the vermin who were present in Washington yesterday. That you all were there to counter them was most likely a blessing to them.

I, too am looking forward to the pics.

[tgslTakoma]

I too, liked the signs that the Protest Warriors had at the rally, and that they later carried in their travels to the Washington Monument. And I am heartened to see so many younger people getting involved in the conservative arena.

Having dealt with the hair-trigger tempers of Brian Becker, Mara VerHeyden-Hilliard and the National Lawyers Guild goons as a private citizen without a sign at cANSWER's most recent (and horribly unsuccessful) "mass rally" in May of this year - I wonder if maybe I should have warned them specifically that they faced a greater threat of violence being perpetrated against them than they might have thought.

Brian Becker can't be very happy that his support is drying up, and it appears to be leading him to act more like his heroes Fidel, Kim Jong Il, Xiang Xiamen, etc.

I am glad to hear that the Protest Warriors are all safe; and I am impressed with their creativity (check out the ads they placed/attempted to place in college papers across the US - good idea!), filmmaking skills, and youthful exuberance.

[Jen]

Love your MOAB banner. I tried to include you in one of my pings, but goofed up your screenname. I've printed a dozen or so copies of the Reuters pix and am mailing it to all the troops that I have addresses for. GREAT job as usual.

[WorkingClassFilth]

Seems to me that FReeper might benefit from a three or four ring photographer documentation strategy. If an altercation begins at some point, a photographer films the event. If the photographer at the epicenter is attacked and the camera destoyed, another photographer is nearby and recording both the initial and secondary attacks on camera. If that photgrapher is hasseled...well, you get the idea. Perhaps one of the cameras could be in cognito, known to the forces of goodness but disguised as an evil doer. In that way, another roving camera can go where overt FReepers can't and record events without being hassled.

[tgslTakoma]

Thank you. I only wish I had come up with the idea two years ago. Now that I know how to make them, and how cheaply I can make them (~$20)... look out, world!

I am so happy that there were still photographers out at our rally to capture the message, so that the troops will know that they do have support at home. That's why we keep doing what we're doing here - because we do care.

[tgslTakoma]

Ping!

[W04Man]

Good job with the organizing. Here is link to my pics:

W04Man's photos from Rally

Love this AP photo:

[tgslTakoma]

Great photos, OP!

Gotta get to work now...