Posted on 05/24/2007 9:41:16 AM PDT by Lady J USA 1981
Passion Was There For The 'Other Side'
Bush's Visit Attracts Gathering Of Eagles For Show Of Support
By Julie Wernau, Published on 5/24/2007
New London — It was 8 a.m. Wednesday, three hours before President Bush was scheduled to arrive at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
Keith Soileau had been ready since 4:30.
Soileau, a member of a newly formed national group called Gathering of Eagles, was one of the first to situate himself in front of a fence decorated with American flags at the academy entrance. Across the street, anti-war, anti-Bush demonstrators had taken over the hill.
“You may generally see an American flag being held by the traitors, but they generally hold them upside down,” Soileau, of Lebanon, yelled over the blare of rock music pumping from a sound system across the street.
The Eagles' sound system was still en route, and supportive motorcyclists were just starting to arrive on Williams Street.
By day's end, more than 1,000 people on both sides had taken over the academy entrance, some from as far away as Maine and North Carolina.
“One of the reasons we're here is so that the families who are driving in to see their sons and daughters graduating from the academy know there are people who are on the other side, supporting them,” said Charlie Wardell, a member of Gathering of Eagles.
The group formed just a few months ago through a grass-roots Internet campaign that began with retired Navy Capt. Larry Bailey.
Bailey, of North Carolina, said that by reaching out to military bloggers, the group was able to stop what it perceived to be a threat to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on March 17 — when a group led by Cindy Sheehan, Jane Fonda and Ramsey Clark marched to protest America's involvement in the Iraq War. The date marked the fourth anniversary of the war's beginning.
Wardell said there was talk that the ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition had told people to “bring spray paint.”
“With six weeks to go and no money in the bank, we put 30,000 people on the mall,” Bailey said. “... I was a Vietnam veteran, so I knew the passion was there. We'd waited 40 years to get back at Jane Fonda.”
A man on the Eagles' side yelled through a megaphone: “You better thank God folks like us fought — you're scumbags!” in response to protesters' chants of, “Hey Bush, you can't hide, we charge you with genocide!”
The two groups were separated by little more than a few traffic cones, a few police officers and a double yellow line. The ANSWER Coalition, fortified by protesters from peace groups like The Raging Grannies and Code Pink Women for Peace, vowed to stay until Bush left.
Both sides hurled insults at each other.
“What they're saying is not true,” said Priscilla Lounds, a volunteer activist with ANSWER. “Their group works on intimidation, propaganda and lies.”
Lounds denied the accusation that activists had planned to spray-paint the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
“It was a march to the Pentagon,” she said, “because that's where the problem is.”
This, coming from the Masters of Projection.
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***“Their group works on intimidation, propaganda and lies.”***
If I was on their side and saw a guy the size of RaceBannon, I’d certainly be intimidated.
I am SO glad we had a presence at the Academy! That is AWESOME!
the pictures there are awesome!! thanks for the link.
Me too,and I wasn't even there.
I am glad everyone showed up, also.
Sadly, Connecticut Freepers were far and few between. We had people come from North Carolina, people from Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts...but those who would have read abot the rally here on FR, there was a dismal few.
if SD were closer, i would have been there. ::grin:: i didn't have a free ride this time. you dun good man, you dun good! ;o)
I was describing the feeling after having been there, a Marshall among vets, to a gal who is transitioning from Air Force to Army. I couldn't put it into words, but I found I didn't need to..a few words out of my mouth, she saw the tears and the look in my eyes and it reflected that of her own!!
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