Posted on 09/30/2001 5:06:34 PM PDT by kristinn
For the first time since their campaign of roving city-to-city terrorism began in Seattle several years ago, Communist/anarchist, America-hating 'anti-globalization' protesters were met by citizens determined to stand up against their violence and intimidation. Led by the D.C. Chapter of Free Republic, a total of about two hundred Americans drew a 'line in the sand' at the Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. today, where nine months earlier the Communist/anarchists had assaulted the memorial by trying to tear down the flags and signals on the masts there during the inaugural parade of President George W. Bush.
With America going to war as a result of the terrorist attacks on September 11 which destroyed the World Trade Center towers and damaged the Pentagon, killing approximately 7,000 people through the suicide hijackings of four airliners (one plane crashed without hitting its still-unknown target because the passengers fought back successfully), the counter-demonstrators did not want to see the Navy Memorial assaulted again.
They started gathering before 8 a.m., as news of anarchists planning to roam the city filled the airwaves. As the numbers of counter-demonstrators grew to about 40 by 10 a.m., small groups of the anarchists walked by peacefully.
Reporters from print and broadcast media soon swarmed around the counter-demonstrators, attracted by the many large American flags flying crisply in the strong morning breeze. The demonstrators faced the American flag atop the 50-foot high flagpole in the front of the memorial and said the Pledge of Allegiance. Given the circumstances, it was a very moving moment for all.
The demonstrators continued to prepare more signs declaring their support of America's armed forces, President Bush, the families and victims of those killed and injured in the terrorist attacks on September 11 and the country as a whole as it prepares to fight terrorism, while they waited for the anticipated several thousand 'antiwar, anti-racism' Communists and anarchists to march by on their way to a rally at the Capitol.
Former New York Senator Pat Moynihan (D), who lives in the neighborhood, came out to greet the patriotic demonstrators and give his support to them. The surprised demonstrators and media gathered around him as he spoke for a few minutes and shook hands with them. Along with his encouragement, he reminded the demonstrators of the violent nature of the protesters they would soon be facing and asked them to remain peaceful and let law enforcement handle them.
He was pleased to hear that that was their plan. He walked back to his home, shadowed by a few anarchists and some of the media. Before he left, the demonstrators thanked him for the work he is doing on President Bush's Social Security committee to partially privatize the retirement program.
Law enforcement officers from various federal agencies, along with D.C. Metropolitan Police, began to arrive at the memorial in large numbers and spoke with the demonstrators about their plans to counter the protesters. The LEOs explained to the counter-demonstrators that their goal of staying at the memorial to protect the flag was possible, but untenable because the protesters had obtained a permit for the memorial. At best, they would be allowed to stay close to the main flagpole in a small group of less than twenty-five while the rest would have to move across the street to the National Archives.
The demonstrators readily obeyed the orders of the LEOs and split up. As word spread of violence at the starting point of the protestors' march at Freedom Plaza four block away, the LEOs ordered the remaining demonstrators to go across the street and join the others at the Archives for their own protection.
The LEOs informed the demonstrators that they were under orders to not let the the protesters take the flags down like they tried to do on Inauguration Day. Confident that the flags would be protected, the demonstrators joined their compatriots across the street. By this time, around 11:30 a.m., their numbers had swelled to around 100--with the media hanging on in anticpation of a violent clash between the groups.
The protesters' rally at Freedom Plaza dragged as speaker after speaker basked in the glory of the C-Span cameras providing live coverage of the rally.
The demonstrators waited patiently for several hours for the protesters to begin their march. The demonstrators assured every reporter they spoke with that they intended to remain peaceful and let law enforcement handle any disturbance caused by the protesters. The demonstrators went so far as to pass around 'rules for protesting' to ensure the civil nature of their gathering.
Finally, the protesters started marching down Pennsylvania Avenue, led by a procession of police vehicles. A lead crew working for the protesters stopped and assembled a small stage and P.A. in front of the Navy Memorial. The moment finally arrived for the two groups to meet. The several thousand mostly young Communists and anarchists were stunned to see what by then were about two hundred flag waving patriotic Americans packed on the sidewalk in front of the Archives, standing up against their anti-American protest.
Around one hundred LEOs on foot and horseback, dressed in full riot gear (including the horses which wore clear eye-protecting face masks) formed a line between the two groups--a line which was unbroken despite repeated attempts by anarchists to break through. To their credit, the protesters had their own marshalls who also worked to hold back the anarchists.
The demonstrators and protesters faced off across the thin blue line, hurling insults and chants at each other--but not rocks and bottles.
While the protesters chanted "war is not the answer" to the terrorist attacks, the demonstrators responded by parodying a 1960s peace song by loudly singing, "All we are saying, is give war a chance". This brought shocked, perplexed looks to faces of the self-styled peace protesters.
The protesters' chants became disorganized and dispirited as the demonstrators launched a continuous barrage of counter chants that ranged from serious rebuttal to outright ridicule: "Peace through love" was answered with "Peace through superior firepower".
The demonstrators turned an old tactic of the left against them, pointing to signs they carried featuring photos of the World Trade Center attacks while chanting, "Shame, shame, shame", and, "No justice, no peace", as the protesters demanded no retaliation for the heinous attacks.
Many of the Communist/anarchist protesters were reduced to swearing at the demonstrators as they continued to mock them with chants of, "We don't care what you say, we're going to bomb them anyway"; and were repeatedly invited to "swim to Cuba" if life in the United States was so bad (none of them accepted the offer).
Out-protested and out-foxed by the patriotic demonstrators, the Communist/anarchist protesters surrendered, leaving the memorial without giving any speeches from the stage they had set-up at that sacred site and sullenly marched off to finish their protest at Senators Park on Capitol Hill.
As the demoralized stragglers quietly brought up the rear carrying anti-meat, pro-vegetarian banners, they were rhetorically given a parting kick in the ass with mocking cries of "Gardening is murder! Weeds have rights, too!" from the demonstrators, which brought howls of laughter from the LEOs--who could finally relax now that trouble had passed.
The LEOs expressed gratitude for the presence of the patriotic Americans. For once, they had citizens present standing with them in the face of violent, avowed enemies of the United States.
The presence of the demonstrators threw a monkey-wrench in the plans of the Communist/anarchist protesters, a blow from which they did not recover. Less than an hour later, they were seen departing Senators Park with no trace of joy or victory on their faces. They had been beaten at their own game--and they knew it.
The adults had finally spoken up and said, 'NO', to these insolent, indulged brats, and it broke their spirit. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now, to break their will. Honor Roll for today: Angelwood, Doctor Raoul,Dave Dilegge, tgslTakoma, Taxman (+2), The Glaswegian(+1), ELS, Jimmy Valentine's brother, Gore_War_Vet, viadexter, FreeTheHostages (+1), testforecho, Scholastic, endzt, Federal Farmer, rabidralph, Clay more, GunsareOK, stand watie, sauropod, leadpenny, Hail Caesar, Ravens Warlord, maica, Freedame, tomkat (+1), TBP, and El Negro (should be a new FReeper as of tonight). I'm sure I missed a few of you, so please chime in. We also had several lurkers come out. In addition, we were joined by a bunch of tourists who agreed with our stand. We didn't see any tourists go out and join the other side :-) Thanks go out to: the Maryland TRT for 'plan B'; James Parmalee of NorthernVirgianiaGOP.com for helping to get the word out about today; and special thanks to Sean Hannity, whose mention of our demonstration on his newly syndicated radio show yesterday brought out dozens of people from up and down the East Coast. I left out many details, such as signs and conversations, so please add your observations and comments. EAGLES UP !!!
When I was 17 my father was the stupidest man in the entire world. When I was 25 I was amazed at how much the old man had learned in such a short time.
Gee, and I thought all along it was poop from the Park Police horses.
Blast from the past BUMP!!
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