...After those meetings was cancelled, the action center which backed a group that was part of last year's raucous and at times violent protests at a IMF-World Bank meeting in the District decided to hold an anti-war demonstration instead.
Still, organizer Brian Becker promised a "lawful, orderly, disciplined demonstration" and armband-wearing peacekeepers will make sure the rally remains orderly.
The peacekeepers also will offer protection from counterdemonstrators, who may seek to disrupt the unpopular message of the protest that misguided U.S. policies spawned the terrorists that struck the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, Mr. Becker said.
Also keeping an eye on the protestors will be uniformed Secret Service agents, U.S. Park Police officers and Metropolitan Police Department officers.
If the protesters show up in the numbers indicated on their original permit at least 5,000 people from IAC and up to 3,000 from the Green Party they will be met by a "large contingent" of civil-disturbance unit officers specially trained in crowd control, said Sgt. Joe Gentile of the Metro Police Department.
And FReepers
Boy. You guys are up early.