http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4505194.html
Tens of thousands in D.C. demand end to war in Iraq
WASHINGTON — A raucous multitude of protesters, led by some of the aging activists of the past, staged a series of rallies and a march on the Capitol on Saturday to demand that the United States end its war in Iraq.
Under a blue sky, tens of thousands of people angry about the war and other policies of the Bush administration danced, sang, shouted and chanted their opposition.
They came from across the country, and across the activist spectrum, with a wide array of grievances. Many seemed to be under 30, but there were others who said they had been at the famed anti-war protests of the 1960s and 70s.
They came to Washington at what they said was a moment of opportunity to push the new Congress to take action against the war, even as the Bush administration is accelerating plans to send an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq. This week the Senate will begin debating a resolution of disapproval of the president's Iraq policy, setting up a dramatic confrontation with the White House.
Some protesters plan to stay and lobby their representatives in Congress. Other anti-war activists intend to barnstorm states this week and urge senators to oppose the troop escalation.
While Saturday's throng was vociferous, there was no official crowd estimate. It was filled with longtime opponents of the conflict and the administration.
"Its primary value is that it keeps up the pressure," said former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, of South Dakota. "There is a sense that, by summer, a march like this will be two or three times as large."
Some came on behalf of relatives in the service. A New Yorker came for her younger brother, who she said was about to be deployed. She had a framed picture of him in a knapsack. An Akron, Ohio, woman came with her infant son, saying his father, in the Navy in Kuwait, hasn't seen him.
Among the celebrities who appeared was Jane Fonda, 69, the actress and activist who during the Vietnam War was criticized for sympathizing with the North Vietnamese.
She told the crowd that this was the first time she had spoken at an anti-war rally in 34 years.
"I've been afraid that because of the lies that have been and continue to be spread about me and that war, that they would be used to hurt this new antiwar movement," she told the crowd. "But silence is no longer an option."
But Fonda's presence drew counterprotesters.
Members of the conservative Free Republic group picketed an anti-war rally at the Navy Memorial where Fonda spoke earlier in the day. "Hanoi Jane," one sign read. "Wrong then, wrong now."
The day's events unfolded peacefully. And after a cold morning with temperatures in the mid-20s, the day quickly warmed, and protesters were unzipping jackets as the mercury topped 50 degrees.
The crowd may not have matched the numbers of similar protests in September 2005 and January 2003.
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Susan Sarandon, et al.
All the usual players.
Scum. Ingrates. America haters.
Spoiled enemies of freedom.
Amen.