Oh, my! photo by Jonn Lilyea, This ain't Hell
Posted on 03/25/2008 10:35:10 PM PDT by kristinn
Honor roll of Freepers and FRiends: trooprally; Cindy_True_Supporter; Angelwood; rongkirby; Just A Nobody; Prezusa222; kburi; Basil; Jimmy Valentine's brother; Christopher Lincoln; Trueblackman; kristinn; a young lurker (HS Student that intends to join the Marines upon graduation ); another Second Amendment Sister (WI) and Coby (Vets for Freedom, OIF).
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) must enforce local law and the rights afforded to every person under the United States Constitution. The law allows MPD personnel to make arrests only when there is probable cause to do so. The MPD cannot arrest every peaceful demonstrator for the sake of a few rowdy participants. There has not, and will never be a directive from Chief Cathy Lanier or a member of her command staff to do nothing when the law is being broken.
MPD Public Information Office on March 20th, 2008
At 17th and L streets NW, eight protesters draped in black and wearing tan masks formed a circle with their arms linked through piping, blocking morning traffic.....A female protester from the circle, who refused to give her name but said she was from the District, said police had told the circle members that none would be arrested unless they committed a felony.
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire, March 20, 2008
On the anniversary itself, the group said that 13 different actions took place throughout the city, staggered purposely to spread the police force. Many took place on K Street, where many corporations that support the war -- particularly oil companies -- have offices.
"We had the run of the place," said Kathy Stavis, another group member from Wesleyan.
The Gateway, March 25, 2008
March 19th offers a unique opportunity for our movement to grow after 5 years of war. We know there are key pillars of support that enable this illegal and immoral war for oil and global domination to continue. On March 19th we will take nonviolent direct action to disrupt each of these key pillars in Washington DC and in communities across this country. In what we hope will be an unprecedented day of collective action and solidarity we will take a variety of actions over a 24-hour period to commemorate 5 years of war.
...Focusing on the pillars of war, our actions will take place at multiple sites, demonstrating the real costs of war and offering visions for a more just and sustainable world, a world at peace.
...United by common demands and organizing principles, groups are encouraged to participate in nonviolent mass actions and/or organize their own actions in coordination with others. There could be sit-ins, die-ins, blockades, pray-ins, bike blockades, street theater, poetry readings, puppets, speak-outs and more at government agencies, war profiteers, corporate media, military recruitment centers, or other pillars of war and empire in DC. Unleash Your Imagination!
5 Years Too Many (United for Peace and Justice)
What are the "pillars of war" United for Peace and Justice is trying to undermine? Glad you asked. Here's one as described by UFPJ:
Pillars of War and Empire
A) TROOPS/ MILITARY
The Bush administration can't fight war or maintain an occupation without troops -- or without obedient troops. Nor can they begin new wars without enough compliant soldiers and the military machine to carry it out. This pillar could be weakened by:
Supporting troops (or private or government employees) who refuse deployment or orders in compliance with international law.
Counter-recruitment: Reduce the military's ability to recruit young people, disproportionately low income and of color.
Appeal for Redress and GI rights information
Disrupting industry meetings and events
Blocking shipments to Iraq
The other "pillars" are: B) FUNDING – CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT; C) CORPORATIONS/ International Financial Institutions (IFIs); D) SECURITY STATE AND LAW; E) MEDIA DISINFORMATION
The lengthy introduction is almost over. Here are some words from the Students for a Democratic Society about their Funk the War riot that targeted the recruiting center:
This March, SDS is urging all students, as part of the broader community of people of conscience, to voice our opposition to the war in Iraq. As the presidential election nears, candidates need to be sent a clear message: we will not stand for vague time lines and empty promises, we will not tolerate sanctions, threats, and aggression against Iran, and that we will stand in solidarity with the Iraqi people who are struggling to liberate their country.
We want as many people as possible to join us in this protest; the larger the protest the stronger the impact we have, and the sooner we can help end this war. We are calling on any and all student and youth based organizations that are opposed to the war in Iraq to mobilize their memberships, their campus, their community and hit the streets for the week of March 17-21, with March 20 as the focal point.* We are calling on students to take action on their own campuses, where we have the power to reach the entire student body with our message and build resistance on our own campuses. We are calling on our fellow students and youth to take the lead and do whatever it takes–from rallies, marches, walk-outs, civil disobedience, and direct action–to send a clear message to the U.S. government: Get out of Iraq Now!
SDS announcement
On March 19th, the anniversary of the War, SDS will be holding a titanic “Funk The War” dance party and dramatic civil disobedience in the nation’s capitol of Washington. Hundreds of DC SDS members, along with friends The Baltimore Algebra Project and United for Peace and Justice, will be occupying the streets and the offices of war profiteers with hundreds of students and a mobile sound system.
SDS press release, March 18, 2008
You may have noticed the lack of any mention of Code Pink in the intro. That's because they were busy earning their "Worst Prop of the Day Award":
Oh, my! photo by Jonn Lilyea, This ain't Hell
Mr. Trooprally wrote this report about the A.M. action at the recruiting center:
Cindy_True_Supporter and I arrived for the early 7AM to 11AM shift. With a parking garage two doors down from the Recruiter Center we were relieved to not have to walk very far. In the early dawn, we met several active duty soldiers and airman and retired Vets who thanked us for being there. The support for us being there seemed pretty good that in the morning. A few early morning sprinkles had us putting the signs under the recruiter center’s canopy. We even got interviewed by a gal from NPR.
About 8AM we heard and saw numerous police cars (5) and motorcycles (10) coming up L St. towards where we heard the mOonbats were gathering. To our surprised they stopped infront of the recruiter center the motorcycle officers hopping the curb and parking their bikes on each side of the recruiter center. Cindy and I looked at each other, hoping they didn’t think we were the anarchist. But they were to be the calvary, at least until (under orders from the Chief) they acted like the France and Spain later in the day.
About 9AM Kristinn and RongKirby showed up. By now most of the motorcycle officers had left for other hot spots. The officers in the car remained.
Coby of Vets for Freedom stopped by for a while but had to leave, promising to come back around noon, which he did.
The anarchists tried to block L St. at 13th Street with a chain attached to bicycles. They didn’t get far as the police quickly removed the bikes.
Basil and a Second Amendment Sister soon arrived. Our numbers were getting bigger.
We had a small group of anarchist come down the street from 13th Street carrying a “windmill”. It was constantly getting stuck in the trees lining the street. What idiots. Some verbal bantering went back and forth with the police between us.
And one idiot, I can’t even give him the satisfaction of calling him an anarchist, came by. We bantered back and forth before I called him an idiot. He whined to the police (who were behind me) that I was verbally assaulting him, and can I call him an idiot. Apparently so because the idiot started shaking his head YES, mimicking the police, and replied, “He can?”.
Across the street from the recruiter center was a building under construction. Some workers on a scaffolding, were cheering on the “windmill people”. They had previously hollered anti-Bush slogans when Cindy_True_Supporter and I first showed up. So this time I hollered up to them, “Are you legal?”. As soon their boss heard that, he quickly yelled to his workers to get to work or leave. Not a peep out of them after that.
A little after 10 AM Code Pink and a mob from other groups (100 strong) was seen coming up L St. from 14th Street. They stopped for a while and blocked the intersection of L and 14th Street. Code Pink then proceeded up L Street and passed the recruiter center. I quickly got out the bull horn and freeped them. And after they passed by us (I didn’t get any pics of them passing by us, too busy with the bull horn and my cigar) the police were doing what they did best that day, sat around instead of arresting the anarchists.
At 11AM, assured that the rest of the FReepers were in place and ready for the anarchists, Cindy_True_Supporter and I left. We later saw tgslTakoma’s thread about the attack on the Recruiter Center and my heart sunk. While two more FReepers wouldn’t have made a difference, we weren’t there.
Rongkirby's report:
I was with the local chapter of freepers today at 13th and L, DC. This is the same group of dedicated troop supporters that has been at Walter Reed for 3 (yes three years ). Today TroopRally and Cindy_ True _Supporter were there at 7 AM. We had several run in’s with the moonbats. This time though we had a lot of police officers. Thanks to Bev of Band of Mothers who called DC police the last time the moonbats ransacked the Recruiter Station until she got the right answer ( it will not happen again ). The moonbats poured red paint on the side walk the first time. The second time about 3 PM they ( about 200 ) were an angry crowd and moved right up to the police line. They threw rocks and then several glass bottles of red paint one breaking against the window. Splattered paint was on most of us and on the officers. The officers held their line but made no arrest, then herded them on down the street. Coby, Kristinn and several were interviewed. We accomplished our goal, thanks to all.
Kristinn's report:
The D.C. Chapter accomplished our goal last Wednesday: We kept the anti-American leftists from ransacking the recruiting center again. The recruiting center stayed OPEN all day. The MPD officers were given crappy rules of engagement from their political bosses. They did the best they could under the rules given them. They hung tough and endured abuse from the leftists that they should have been allowed to make arrests for.
The first attack by the Funk the War mob was tamer than the first. One rock was thrown, but it hit the awning and bounced away from us. They deployed two glass paint bombs but they fell way short and landed on the sidewalk in their crowd.
The second attack was much more virulent. Three glass paint bombs were thrown. One hit a police officer full in the chest. One landed waist high between the Freeper line. The third hit head high on the plate glass window of the recruiting center. Glass shards, red paint, the base units of the bombs and the rock were recovered by me as evidence.
We stayed until almost 8 p.m. just in case the leftists returned. they didn't. MPD officers stayed at the recruiting center well into the night after we left.
Below are a few photos and a link to a moonbat's YouTube from the first attack:
Rongkirby and Cindy_True_Supporter
Rongkirby, Basil and kristinn
MPD set up early and stayed all day.
Medea Benjamin's boyfriend looking for her crash pad.
The evidence.
Link to DC Indymedia report with lefty photos of attacks.
Lefty YouTube video of first attack.
I'm repeating the honor roll because all who stood guard at the recruiting center deserve extra recognition for putting their bodies on the line for our troops that day:
trooprally; Cindy_True_Supporter; Angelwood; rongkirby; Just A Nobody; Prezusa222; kburi; Basil; Jimmy Valentine's brother; Christopher Lincoln; Trueblackman; a young lurker (HS Student that intends to join the Marines upon graduation ); another Second Amendment Sister (WI) and Coby (Vets for Freedom, OIF).
D.C.'s Mayor Fenty, the City Council and Chief Lanier deserve raspberries for allowing the leftists to freely riot and assault people.
Check this out too, if you haven’t already seen it:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1991646/posts
Amazing
You guys kick ass. Compared to what happened to you, a screaming mob wasn’t much to deal with out in SF.
You can be sure our terrorist enemies were taking notes last week.
You’re baaaad.
They were throwing glass paint bombs in SF last week, too.
Major kudos to the following Freepers, who stood their ground on March 19th against the unwashed hordes of rioters:
trooprally; Cindy_True_Supporter; Angelwood; rongkirby; Just A Nobody; Prezusa222; kburi; Basil; Jimmy Valentine's brother; Christopher Lincoln; Trueblackman; Kristinn; a young lurker (HS Student that intends to join the Marines upon graduation ); another Second Amendment Sister (WI) and Coby (Vets for Freedom, OIF
I copied all your names to my computer desktop so they would have a prominent place to be honored. God bless you every one.
Yep - my thanks to all.
“Supporting troops (or private or government employees) who refuse deployment or orders in compliance with international law.”
Perhaps I just live in a totalitarian police state, but in the UK this would count as a crime. Supporting troops who refuse to obey orders is equivalent to inciting them to break their oath of allegiance, which is the same as inciting to perjury.
Would there be any mileage to this in the US? I don’t know.
...and a young lurker, Second Amendment Sister (WI) and Coby.
Thanks for being there!
Not looking good for for April. Patriots are getting really pissed.
[Mr] T
Oh, they were that, too!
Screeching their supercilious slogans is what they did best. At one point I yelled something back at one of them and the police officer told ME to shut up.
In the officer's defense I will say they explained later that I was behind him, which caused him to lose his focus on what was in front of him. After the very nice explanation it made perfect sense and I felt terrible for the faux pas.
Thanks for the ping! Miss you!!!
In today's USA few things are considered crimes when the actions are committed by the protected home-grown terrorists and their enablers.
inciting to perjury
You may recall our impeached rapist was exonerated of perjury charges. The only punishment executed for perjury in the USA would be against conservatives, or those perceived as such.
We have had a couple soldiers refuse to deploy. (It was the sole reason they enlisted, IMHO.) They are given 15 minutes of rock star status and disappear into the night. I cannot recall if any of them were dishonorably discharged or served time in the brig.
The officers were NOT HAPPY about their orders. One said this NEVER would have been allowed 20 years ago. Another said it would not have been permitted 10 years ago. Lawsuits are powerful things and have neutered our country!
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