Posted on 01/23/2003 8:38:01 PM PST by Angelwood
(This is written without notes and is intended as an overview. It does not include the stories of all those who stood with us. Those who were there, please add your stories.)
The Patriots Rally for America III in support of our troops fighting the war on terrorism was held at Constitution Gardens near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall early on Saturday morning, January 18, 2003. From the podium just before the rally ended, an announcement was made about our plans for the afternoon observance of the IAC/ANSWER-sponsored anti-war protest march through the streets of D.C., past the Marine Barracks at 8th and I Streets, S.E., ending at the Navy Yard.
Everyone was told to meet in front of the Marine Barracks at 8th and I, S.E. around 1:00 or 1:30 p.m. In the interval between the rally and the march, there was plenty of time to get some lunch, get warmed up, and get fortified for the afternoon ahead.
Thankfully, the stage crew was waiting in the wings to break down the equipment, so there was no delay in leaving after the rally. Convoys and carpools were formed, directions were given, and we made our way in small groups across the city. Most of us found street parking fairly close to the parade route. There were some areas marked with "No Parking -- Emergency" signs, but the fine print on the signs stated that the parking prohibition didn’t go into effect for several days yet. That’s where we parked.
A large number of us joined up outside the main gates of the Marine Barracks. The gates were locked and had a huge SUV that had been backed up and parked close to prevent the gates from being forced open.
Across the street, there were a number of small businesses, most of which were closed. A sub shop directly across from the Marine Barracks was open and we all piled in. The sub shop was very small inside. There was one booth for 4 by the window with a small shelf along the wall holding a hot coffee maker, cups and fixings. Along the wall by the door were several large beverage coolers. There was a high L-shaped counter with a number of stools around it (not nearly enough). When we all piled inside the shop, there was hardly any room to move.
There were two ladies working the sub shop and they immediately started taking orders. Thankfully, the food turned out to be absolutely delicious. Needless to say, it took awhile for everyone to be served and we took turns eating, using the restroom facilities and getting warm. Though other businesses closed down because of the march, the sub shop stayed open and we were able to pop in and out during the rest of the afternoon as the need arose.
We started out standing in front of the Marine Barracks -- on the SUNNY side of the street. It wasn’t too bad out in the sun. Unfortunately, the DC Police plan was to position policemen at intervals stretched out to cover the whole block in front of the Marine Barracks. They asked us to move to the business side of the street…where it was very shady and noticeably colder. We always cooperate with the DC Police and we said a few prayers of thanks for the warm sub shop on our side of the street.
We had a fairly good turnout by this time and set up a few chairs near the curb and stretched out across from the main gates of the Marine Barracks. Traffic was still moving through the area and a gentleman saw our signs and stopped to check us out. It was only a few minutes later when we realized he was back intending to join us and asking for a sign to hold. He stayed the entire time we were demonstrating and joined in enthusiastically. Unfortunately, he got a bit carried away when the marchers were passing by and kept getting too close to the policemen standing in front of us. He got two warnings that he was crowding them so we moved him to another area and made sure he stood back. He continued to vigorously chant and wave his sign.
While we were waiting for the march to arrive, the Marine veterans proudly sang out the Marine Corps Hymn for their brothers in the barracks across the street. They didn't do it for show -- there were no media cameras present -- they sung it from the heart.
Just before the anti-war protesters reached the edge of the Barracks, the police marched in a line from one end of the block to the other. We cheered and applauded the officers as they took their positions. Many of them responded with thankful waves and smiles. One was heard to say, "Thank You." The officers fanned out along the way and stood a few feet from each other. They did this on our side of the street also. Chief Ramsey walked the line shaking the hands of the policemen.
Then someone standing on a high stoop spotted the oncoming mass.
We were ready for them. More people were arriving to join us. We didn’t take roll call, but a reporter estimated that we numbered around 80. Our large American and Marine Corps flags waved defiantly in the ice cold wind. Our signs were held high, we were warmed up, and we had megaphones and truth on our side.
It didn’t take long for the swarm of demonstrators to reach us and the contacts began. Angry words were shouted out, single digit hand signs from the marchers were thrust at us and individuals tried to talk their way past the police line to get to us.
The camera crews began snapping pictures or rolling tape. Doctor Raoul commanded one of the megaphones and started leading us in chants while tgslTakoma stood back to capture the scenes on her camera. Kristinn and Angelwood walked behind our line, keeping an eye out for trouble.
We were all busy near the curb engaging the anti-war group when tgslTakoma yelled out a warning. From her perch on the set of stairs, she could see groups of anti-war protesters cutting out of the crowd and coming down the sidewalk behind us. More and more of them were trying to surge through and surround our position.
The police acted quickly to form a wedge from the edge of the building to the curb so as to funnel the anti-war marchers back into the street. It was difficult, but the officers managed to divert the protesters. The opposite corner was then taped off so we were confined to about one-third of the block with the police standing in between the two groups. Eventually, our friends from the rally, the Guardian Angels, made their way to our corner and stood at the wedge in front of the policemen to help divert the crowd. Their efforts greatly helped to take the edge off a potential flashpoint. We appreciated their presence on our flank.
Doctor Raoul led us in chants:
We Gave Peace A Chance -- We Got 9 - 1 - 1
Drill ANWR, Lay Pipe -- Keep The Caribou Warm
Swim to Cuba (some of us got creative and were waving our arms like we were swimming -- it kept us warm)
Why Call It ANSWER -- It’s World Workers Party
Your Red Roots Are Showing
(We yelled each chant at least 4 times in a row before going on to another one.)
Kristinn and tgslTakoma recognized Workers World Party leader and ANSWER spokesman Brian Becker standing on the bed of a huge gas-guzzling truck with sound system that had stopped at 8th and I. As captured by C-SPAN, Becker was screaming out leftist anti-American cliches while Kristinn and tgslTakoma jeered him with a sing-song refrain of, "Becker is a commie, Becker is a commie, Becker is a commie!" They then called out questions to him, "Hey Becker! How much is Saddam paying you to do this? How much are you getting from Kim Jong Il, Becker?"
A Vietnam Veteran who heard about the rally, contacted us and joined us at the Marine Barracks, borrowed a megaphone and sang an interesting rendition of GOD BLESS AMERICA. He received plenty of invectives from the anti-war folks, but he gave back as good as he got. He didn’t get a copy of the Rules of Protesting and we had to ask him to tone his rhetoric down just a bit.
The profanities and screaming fits from the peace marchers continued. Most of them were quite angry for a bunch of peace and love types. The signs they carried had anti-semitic symbols, profanities, and one even had a picture of President Bush on a wanted poster -- "Wanted Dead or Alive!"
There were a number of variations of signs with the peace symbol or peace dove on them. Several people carrying the peace doves gave us the single digit salute.
We saw many Palestinian Authority, leftist revolutionary and anarchist flags; tgslTakoma was able to document their presence in the march with the photographs she took. Along with these flags came the people with heads wrapped and faces covered or completely dressed in black. We regularly asked them why they were afraid to show their faces.
Some of the arguments and confrontations were very passionate. tgslTakoma was a powerhouse as she used her megaphone to take the marchers to task. She kept pace behind the police line with several people and gave them what for about aligning themselves with communists and dictators. Then she pointed out the difference between America and the other countries. She named the dictators supported by the ANSWER leaders and told the marchers what would happen to them if they dared to stand up and march down the street in those countries -- shot, beheaded, run over by a tank (guess the country and the dictator). It was an impressive performance; tgslTakoma was truly fired up and magnificent.
The onslaught continued for almost two hours. It felt as though there was a column of hate oozing through the street -- focused on us. The temperature steadily dropped and some of our stalwart members stood tall, but shivering. We had to persuade several of our group to take a break in the sub shop and warm up. A few people came to the protest already sporting colds and we worried about their long exposure to the cold.
Back up the line to the wedge protected by the Guardian Angels, there were anti-warriors who were tired of the march or cold themselves and wanted to get out. The policemen wouldn’t let anyone through into our area. One very well-dressed man wearing a child backpack, pushing an empty baby carriage, with his wife carrying their crying child right behind him, tried to leave the march. He used the excuse that he had a wife and child who needed to get out of the cold. The policeman, emphatic that no chance of trouble would be brooked, said, "You chose to be here; keep moving. No, you cannot go that way." The sign propped up in the man’s backpack said, "I Don’t Drive an SUV, So I’m Against the War." They had no choice but to merge with the main body of the marchers and move on.
The marchers carried some huge signs or puppets in their parade. There was a guy dressed up as Uncle Sam with a Pinocchio-style nose. He was standing on top of a truck. A pole with a bar hanging down from the top horizontally had pieces of cut up baby dolls covered in red paint tied to the bar dangling down. A huge, white peace dove with a vine in its mouth and with sheets made to look like wings fluttered by our position. It was very distinctive.
Later, a huge, white peace dove passed by again. We thought it was the same dove. Awhile later, we saw the peace dove a third time. Some of the protesters were circling around the block to come through over and over to the make the march look longer and bigger than it was.
By that time, we decided that we'd had enough and called it a day. Coincidently, so did the anti-war marchers. A few tried to engage us in more dialogue as they made their way back to a nearby Metro station, but most of us were too sick and tired of them to give a damn about what else they had to say.
free dixie,sw
free dixie,sw
free dixie,sw
free dixie,sw
Your comments above bear repeating. I saw the same thing and I got to the point that I couldn't take pictures of the vets faces for that reason. Maybe I'm a big wimp... but some of the looks on our vets faces as they watched the passing parade of single-digit salutes, profane signs, yelling and curses, hurt me to watch... and angered me at times to the point that I had to turn away from the parade to compose myself. I think that one of those times is when FreeTheHostages saw me working over the crowd (verbally) with my bullhorn.
FRee dixie,sw
free dixie,sw
Isn't this just typical. The supposed peace lovers seem to be so full of anger.
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