[Exit148]

"ANYONE PLANNING TO ATTEND THE RALLY IS TO GO TO 41ST and FIRST AVE. Ask any officer where the counter rally is."

Well ----What a bust!

I got there early enough, parked on 41st and 2nd, and spent the next 1 3/4 hours trying to get to 1st without first going up to 64th!!

You could only walk on the West side of 2nd, and all the side streets were verboten, unless you lived there. I finally spoke to one officer about my dilemma. He said our rally had been moved to 41st and he let me go East, but the stairs down to 1st were blocked by the police. I could look down at the UN plaza, at 41st and 1st, and saw lots of police, but no Freepers. Those police said that 1st Ave was closed to traffic. I went back to 2nd and tried to go South, but couldn't. All walkers had to go North!! When I spoke to other police, they were polite, but knew nothing about our rally, and told me if I wanted to go to 1st, I had to go 20 blocks North and then come down!!

Forget it! Walking among all those unwashed for that 1+ hour was enough -- never mind for 20 blocks!! The sidewalk was really crowded -- most carried signs, some had radios and I could hear Sharpton ranting, some wore all kinds of peacenic get-ups, some with their pink spiked hair looked like freaks ----- you know -- the usual idiots. I hated being among them as tho I was one of them.

These guys may not have been parading on the street, but they WERE parading! At one intersection, they wouldn't stop and let cars, with the green light, pass. You should have heard the car horns. Drivers were pis++++--- er, ticked off! (GOOD!)

I finally got back in the car and left. The radio news said the anti's were ignoring the police and were crossing barricades to get into the street ----and succeeding. It said there were scuffles as the anti's pushed by and that in some areas, the police were letting them thru.

I tried. I didn't dare hold my sign (BLESS OUR TROOPS and PEACE THRU STRENGTH) up high among all the unwashed. I was chicken and now I hang my head in shame.

It was frustrating not to have some way to get in touch with those at 'ground Fr.com'. Maybe next time we can exchange cell#?

[abner]

Wow! Valiant effort! I'm just glad you made it out without any major bumps or bruises!

Again, wow!

[Conservababe]

You have nothing to be ashamed of, really. In a fluid situation you must go with your gut instinct.

Your efforts are appreciated.

[Tamzee]

How incredibly frustrating :-((((

They won't follow the rules and so other people are denied THEIR freedom of speech.... utter slime...

NY Post said it perfectly yesterday, called them "rabblement".

[StarFan]

I was chicken and now I hang my head in shame. In shame? You can't be serious after all you endured. Please hold your head up high for your valiant effort not only today but for all you've done in the past. Are you still in the City?

[freeperfromnj]

Were the freepers also up near Columbus Circle? The AP is reporting that there were as many as 1,000 demonstrators countering the peaceniks with signs that read "Bomb Iraq."

[baseballmom]

Don't you dare !!! You were there - you've got more guts than most people. Next time....

[Angelwood]

Thanks for the report from among the so-called "peaceniks." Don't worry about anything. You were there! And lived to tell about it! LOL

Seriously, you did what you could to make it to the rally and circumstances were beyond your control. It's good that you left before getting run over by some of these peace loving types who made sure that they flaunted the laws and perhaps intended to do whatever was necessary to get arrested.

You done good, Exit. FReep On!

[tgslTakoma]

Awww, exit... you are a real trooper, and have no reason at all to hang your head. You were there. Circumstances beyond your control kept you away from the contingent of FReepers, this time. You are one of my heroes, and I'm glad that you got home safely.

[sauropod]

So sorry you were not able to make it. IT was hard for us and we were already in the city.

HHC apologizes to you too. She said she had no idea it was gonna be that hard. 'Pod

[Doctor Raoul]

I tried. I didn't dare hold my sign (BLESS OUR TROOPS and PEACE THRU STRENGTH) up high among all the unwashed. I was chicken and now I hang my head in shame.

Don't feel that way, it's called fear and it's there to protect you. Some of the left are very prone to violence when confronted by an opposing opinion. They may have attacked you or you might have gotten hurt as they either stole or destroyed your sign.

We saw quite a few of they that were agitated at our presence and I'm sure if there wasn't police present, they'd have gotten physical. High self-esteem and low self-control you know.

[ELS]

Walking among all those unwashed for that 1+ hour was enough -- never mind for 20 blocks!!

Well, you were more fortunate than I. I walked in their midst from 42nd to 70-something St. before I headed east to continue trying to get to our rally. They were everywhere I went! 3rd Av, 2nd Av, 1st Av ... ARRGH! What a nightmare! 2.5 hours after I had arrived at Grand Central a policeman escorted me to McFaddens.