Posted on 10/27/2004 12:39:07 PM PDT by real saxophonist
Student disrupts protest
Julie Piotraschke, juliep@windsortribune.com
October 26, 2004
The detaining of a college student shattered hours of passionate but peaceful protesting by hundreds who lined up Monday morning outside of Island Grove Regional Park.
Michael McCarthy, a journalism student at the University of Northern Colorado, was wrestled to the ground by police after he continued to smack an officer on the top of his head with a red and blue "Veterans for Kerry" sign.
According to witness Monica McRae, who had come up from Denver in support of the president, McCarthy had ignored the officer when he was asked to stop hitting him and get the cardboard sign out of his face.
McCarthy refused and was quickly swarmed by half a dozen officers. As he was taken away, the crowd erupted into a chorus of boos.
McCarthy was cited for disorderly conduct and later released.
The altercation came midmorning when the protesters were allowed to cross 11th Avenue and stand near the park entrance once the political rally had started.
Doing so put supporters who had come for a long-range peek of the president face to face with sign-carrying protesters chanting "One more week" and "George Bush go away -- you are sexist, racist and anti-gay."
The differences in opinion proved to be too much.
"People were no longer respecting physical and verbal boundaries," said protester Matthew Parker, a 22-year-old Greeley resident. "I was worried about things getting out of hand once we crossed the street."
For UNC student Brian Sleevi, 21, the altercation just made an eventful day even more so.
"It completely added to the experience and will be something I can tell my kids about," he said. "I think it adds to our collective message that we need to get Bush out of office."
That message was what propelled many who never thought they would join the ranks of protesters to stand on the sidewalks in the dawn's chilly weather. They lined up along D Street with brightly painted handmade signs and banners. As they chanted, drivers either honked their horns or returned hand gestures.
Even first-time protesters weren't deterred.
Fort Collins resident Joan Dooley joined other protesters for the first time with her red sign, "Women for Kerry."
"I am so full of sorrow and outrage at what Bush has done to our country in four years," she said. "I need a way to express myself that isn't violent."
Greeley resident Donna Saxe has seen quite a few presidents come and go in her 58 years.
No other leader has made her feel like Bush has.
"I've never felt so strongly against a candidate who made me want to come out here and do this," she said. "But he's not sincere in his personality or his attitude. We need different policies."
And Larry Bethards, 59, came out of retirement to finally join the protest line.
The last time the Greeley resident protested was after he served nearly three years in Vietnam. He went to an anti-war demonstration in Washington, D.C., in the 1960s. Tear gas was used to scatter the crowds then, and he was arrested.
Until Monday, Bethards said, he hadn't found anything worthy of bringing him out again.
But with Bush's rush to war and a skyrocketing deficit, Bethards now feels there's a need.
"I haven't felt this strong dislike for a president before, but I have to do something," he said. "And it feels good to participate and show democracy like this."
Let me guess what was on the other side of the sign with which Mr. McCarthy was besmacking our loyal protector in blue...
"Give Peace a Chance"?
Here's why.
Note: even though he carried a Veterans for Kerry sign the a$$hole wasn't even a Vet.
Even though there were Bush supporters there too, you would hardly know it from this article. I'd say the newspaper is run by Democrats.
Perfect piece of propaganda, hit's all the DNC talking points.
Amen, bro....
And every Democrat is Rachel Corrie (so where are the bulldozers?)
No argument there.
Well, honey, I'd suggest slugging a cop. In a non-violent sort of way, of course. In LA.
What's with this unnecessary extra step of first asking the person whacking a policeman with a sign to stop?
This is how it would go down in New York:
1. Protestor playfully brings protest sign down on the top of a cop's head.
2. The dazed protestor realizes, from his prone & bound position on the ground, that his face is taking a perfect imprint of the crack in the sidewalk beneath it.
There is no "would you please stop that". Most people, even on the left, have brains enough to realize they're not allowed to touch a cop.
And Larry Bethards, 59,
I haven't seen that name. By chance, has anyone come across the name Edward Carr in association with VVAW? Miami maybe?
What's really tragic here - I don't know - I would hope this is something from the kiddie pages, or failing that the editorial page. But I get the nagging feeling this is what passes for straight news these days in some locales.
To give him the benefit of the doubt, he could well have been a vet... but a heckuva stupid one if he kept hitting a police officer in the head!
It is nice they were having a peaceful protest but some how I doubt that their idea of peaceful and mine are the same.
Michael McCarthy, a journalism student at the University of Northern Colorado, was wrestled to the ground by police after he continued to smack an officer on the top of his head with a red and blue "Veterans for Kerry" sign.
Since when is hitting someone on the head repeatedly "peaceful"?
So we have established that the arrestee is, A.) violent (hits people on the head) and B.) Stupid (hit police officer on the head)
To top it off I am willing to bet that the only time of "Veteran" this dude is is a veteran clymer.
Lock him up.
Thanks for looking that up!
Nothing on Edward Carr.
Greeley, CO., home to University of Northern Colorado. Used to be Colorado Teachers College. Biggest collection of hairy legged dykes outside of San Francisco. Many of the male? students are gay. One of my friends had an adopted son who went there. He is a total flamer today and she has disowned him.
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