Posted on 10/06/2004 7:03:11 PM PDT by Ex-XO
Several wives and mothers of serving troops are conducting a weekly counterprotest of a Kerry/antiwar protest at the corner of Laurel Canyon and Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, CA, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. There have been a couple of minor incidents (one restraining order in place and a prosecution for assault pending) but we need a few more bodies to hold the two corners facing the lefty crowd. The point is not to provoke confrontations but to provide a presence. We can provide flags and signs or you're welcome to bring your own. Anybody who can get down there is welcome.
What day of the week?
Is it on the same day of the week each time? Would like to join in if it's weekends.
That is GREAT! THANK YOU for defending what is good in America!
Is that Friday night and Sunday evening? (Or am I thinking of a different corner.)
We need sooooo much help with this counter protest...
Two weeks ago there was 5 of us and at least 50 of them...
PLEASE come out and bring as many people as you can just for the next few weeks...
Every Friday, 6-8 pm...
Here, please.
Several wives and mothers of serving troops are conducting a weekly counterprotest of a Kerry/antiwar protest at the corner of Laurel Canyon and Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, CA...That would be HERE:FRIDAYS at 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
(Special thanks to bellas_sister for TAKING these pictures...
...and to daviddennis for HOSTING them, so that they can be posted here.)
Opposing viewpoints of Iraq war splitting the Valley
Monday, March 15, 2004 -
Every Friday night for a year, Steve Fine and Lauren Schmitt have stood across the street from each other in Studio City, Fine waving a sign protesting the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Schmitt waving a sign supporting it. During civil moments, they debate. Other times, they shout invectives at each other over the traffic at Laurel Canyon and Ventura boulevards.
Friday marks the one-year anniversary of the start of the Iraq war a campaign launched by U.S.-led forces seeking to topple Saddam Hussein and his Baathist regime and destroy the weapons of mass destruction he was thought to have stockpiled. While some at home offered their support for those who rose to the call of duty, others questioned the rationale behind military effort.
On the eve of the anniversary, both Fine and Schmitt claim that history has proven them right.
"We feel vindicated," said Fine, 55, a writer from North Hollywood, one of the organizers of the anti-war protests.
"But who wants to be right on this? We didn't want Americans dying. We didn't want thousands of Iraqis being killed. We didn't want the economy stressed to the breaking point."
Schmitt of Canoga Park points across the street to the anti-war demonstrators.
"We're here because we don't want the troops to think they represent what America thinks if they're here, we're here," she said.
"I think the weapons of mass destruction are there. Saddam himself is a formidable weapon. And instead of being happy that they weren't found, they should be wondering where the hell those weapons went."
Like Fine and Schmitt, nearly everyone in the region has an opinion about the war in Iraq and all that's followed.
Nationally, public approval of President Bush's handling of the war has slipped from a high of 75 percent in a Washington Post-ABC News poll last April to 46 percent in that same poll earlier this month. A majority of United States residents, according to the poll, now disapprove of Bush's handling of the war.
Saddam Hussein, whose brutal rule terrorized Iraqis for decades, has been driven from his palaces and plucked from a hole in the ground to face trial. Efforts to establish a democratic system of rule in the country are under way, despite enormous political obstacles and the efforts of terrorists to make stability and democracy impossible.
But even the Bush administration concedes the weapons of mass destruction are nowhere to be found and evidence of Iraqi ties to terrorists scarce. To date, more than 550 U.S. servicemen are dead, and thousands of Iraqi civilians have been killed.
But if you ask local men and women who fought in Iraq if it was worth it, the answer is clear.
"It would be easy to be bitter, but I'm not," said Jeremy Stafford, 31, a Los Angeles Police Department officer from Simi Valley and a Marine Reserve staff sergeant who did some of the hardest of the fighting in Iraq. "I agree with the mission. Anyone who puts their head in the sand and says that (Hussein) was not a threat, they're just crazy.
"I see this as part of an overall strategic initiative. We've had nothing with problems in that region from our so-called allies. We need a foothold there. That area will be trouble for the next 20 years, and this may have been the opening round in World War III."
Not everyone remains quite as gung-ho.
"At first, I was really motivated to go," said Lance Cpl. Joseph Garcia, 21, a Mission College student who did six months in Iraq. "And when I was there I learned to evaluate and appreciate freedom. There were houses made out of straw. We would see people, little children coming out of them, waving American flags. It made me proud to be an American.
"Then the morale, the motivation started to go. After certain experiences, you start asking yourself, what is really going on here?"
On the streets of the Valley, opinions remain split.
"My opinions haven't changed. (Sept. 11) demonstrated that we can't afford to wait for people to attack us," said Schmitt, whose husband is in the Navy and overseas, and who founded Citizens for Homeland Defense shortly before the invasion started. Her group coordinates its activities with a loosely knit organization of other pro-war, pro-Bush groups; other associations, including the Jewish Defense League, have joined their demonstrations.
Even some former and current military members are starting to ask questions they weren't asking a year ago.
"I was for it," said Charles Payne, 28, of North Hollywood, who served in the Middle East for two years with the Navy. "I knew a little more about what was going on there. But now, I'm having some mixed emotions.
"Even though I knew this was no Desert Storm, that this would take a long time, you have to ask, what are the issues here? What are we trying to accomplish?"
Staff Writer Rachel Uranga contributed to this story.
Michael Gougis, (818) 713-3762 michael.gougis@dailynews.com
Is that Friday night and Sunday evening?There appear to be rallies at BOTH times, but on DIFFERENT corners...(Or am I thinking of a different corner.)
...right Ex-XO and bellas_sister?From a PREVIOUS message:
Friday evening at 6:00 P.M, corner of Ventura and Laurel Canyon Blvds, Studio ("Soviet") City.
Our rally takes place on the S.E corner. As you know, this clashes with the "Anti's" who are on the N.E corner. Their numbers are far greater then ours and your participation is greatly appreciated.Sunday evening at 5:00 P.M., corner of Topanga Canyon and Victory Blvds, Woodland Hills
This clashes with the buffoons who slither along the N.E corner.
BTTT
My prayers and thoughts are with you. What a wonderful thing you are doing.
I'll be joining you in spirit from Virginia.
Can you elaborate on the incidents and the assault.
two major incidents: in one, a fourteen year old girl was punched from behind as she tried to take down a sign the antiwar bunch had illegally attached to city property: this resulted in the restraining order. In the second, the pending assault case, a man sucker-punched Lauren in the middle of our group. He was absolutely indignant when the cops took him away: the quote: "I can't believe you're arresting me for this!"
The rest of it is penny-ante stuff, like the brave fighter for freedom who put his little girl (two, maybe three years old) on his shoulders and followed me around throwing Nazi salutes. The problem is they've been threatening to try to crowd us off our corners by weight of numbers. Whenever they try it on me I just charge over to their corners and become their new best friend until they decide to pull their people back, but it's a nuisance. The other thing the brave ones like to do is when one of our female members get there ahead of the rest of our group, Stevie brings a few of his herd over to crowd around her and scream slogans in her face. I started coming to the rallies a little early when I heard about that one, but oddly they're a lot braver around women and children (or wearing them).
Wow, talk about your enemy territory.... Sorry, not good timing for Jewish people, but I support y'all. I think all of Studio City is about as brainwashed as you can get.
I also make a point of getting over to the SW corner; this lets us placard traffic going all four ways. If they take this corner away from us, a lot of the passing traffic will never know we're there.
I know folks refer to SC as The People's Republic of Studio City, but there is a lot of positive response to our presence there and we need to maintain a presence.
So find a good big shabbas goy and send him over...*g*
Do we need to bring our own signs? If so, what size should they be? What do you use - cardboard, plasterboard, etc? Any colors that show better than others?
How to dress for these? Warm, casual, formal?
Where is a good place to park? Or, what alternative methods are there to get there? It's LA, I know public transport is out of the question ;-) How early should we show up? If we can't show up on time, is it OK to come late? How late?
And, finally, for this week only, is some one going to have a radio to listen in to the debates?
I may not be able to make it this week - a bit late on even knowing about it. But it is close by, and I'd like to get involved with these.
Thanks for any help,
Drew Garrett
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