Posted on 03/02/2003 6:19:03 PM PST by diotima
The Free Republic Chapter of Los Angeles (also known as The Hollywood Resistance Force) along with a coalition of other conservative organizations held a "Support Our Troops" rally in Los Angeles this afternoon.
The LA Chapter of FR with the Liberty Belles, FitAimAct, College Republicans and BOND met early this morning downtown for our rally, listened to great speeches from the likes of Ted Hayes, of FITAIMACT and Dome Village, Jesse Lee Peterson of BOND, Joe Lauria of the Liberty Belles and FR's own RON DOG.
After the speeches were given we began our march around downtown. A large group of people carring giant American Flags, Bush/Cheney signs, Support Our Troops signs, and the compulsory "France Should Be Ashamed" signs, desended upon the LA MARATHON. As we marched we chanted "Liberate Iraq!" and other marching slogans.
****WE ACTUALLY MARCHED IN THE MARATHON ALMOST TO THE FINISH LINE**** We heard cries of support, thumbs up and many thanks from the LA Police force! (One of them leaned over and said to the person marching next to me 'I am so gald to see you guys here!') When we finished our march, we had interviews with KABC, channel 7 (we have already been on TV) and several other media outlets, I couldn't keep them all straight. If anyone else knows please post them.
When we were finished, marched back along the streets to horns honking and thumbs and returned to our original location.
I'll let eveyone else who was there come in and post their comments. Today's rally was a great success and ai think the key was joining up with other organizations in the area to combine forces and make an impact.
Thanks to the hard work by everyone involved!! Thanks Everyone!
50 years? LOL!
There is 12 inches of snow just an hour or so out of LA in the local mountains. Melting quick, as two weeks ago there was almost two feet at the 6000 foot level.
Don't feel ashamed. At least two rallies were held in Seattle. The small numbers of participants don't matter as much as the effect.
If only a small number are expected, they should gather at a public place like a courthouse where a lot of traffic passes by, like on a Saturday when people are driving into town for shopping. The people can spread out in a line and wave their signs at the cars as they drive by. That's maximum effect.
(That was the setup of a pro-Bush rally we had in Pittsburgh PA in Nov. 2000 at the height of the election controversy.)
We only had a couple hundred folks in the D.C. Rally, but we did (FINALLY) get C-SPAN coverage. To have maximum impact, we need to pick a date -- in advance -- and have rallies organized simultaneously in at least 10 cities around the country. That way, every Freeper everywhere in the nation should be within reasonable range of a rally they can attend.
We need more time for preparation than we've had for most of our Rallies. I suggest a date a month from now. By then, the war will be on, and the national dynamic will have changed. I also have one perhaps off the wall suggestion. We could publicly invite the Anti-War people to send two speakers (their choice) for 15 minutes each, to take their best shot at OUR rallies. Follwo them up with capable debaters who can take apart, brick by brick, whatever they say.
Just a thought.
Congressman Billybob
Latest column, "Thomas Wolfe's Angel," now up on UPI and FR.
Hope to see a large contingent of Cali freepers signing on for the FReeps Ahoy cruise in May. It's a fundraising effort for Free Republic Network's activism and chapter-building programs. Support FRN!
Bring your pix and videos of the March and we'll show them during our activism programs on board. Wear those super caps! Register today!
We can all spin our rally yarns together on the good freeper ship, the Triumph (great name, eh what?)
Leni
Freeps Ahoy Cruise Chair
So why didn't you get a pick up truck, drive to the snow, make a patriotic snowman (holds an American flag) in the truck bed and drive the snowman back to be in the march? Or, you could save the trip, throw a puddle of water in the truck bed and mount an American flag there. Then you could just say that the puddle used to be a snowman and who would know?
What was the temp at march time?
Whatever it was, you FReepers did great!
That may be, but I think your subject is a natural model.
"Just in case anyone hasn't caught on, we marched... ...during the LA Marathon.From the RADIO Hall of Fame:
Of course there were 50k present, actually, some put the figure at 100k, but we didn't march the entire 25 mile marathon route.When we returned, we thought we would have a little fun with it..." - Bon J
GREAT report, diotima and Bob J!!!
"And NOW you know The Rest of the Story!"
I **love* the title to this thread!And, EVERYTHING that you posted is strictly correct, even though there were not 50,000 FReepers present at our march and rally, and even though we only marched the last mile or so of the 26+ mile course. :o)
This MASSIVELY successful event will be the first of MANY that utilize the classic strategy developed by our AMAZING new FRiend, Ted Hayes:Next on the schedule in this series of FReeping major public events:Hold our rallies where the people ALREADY are!
"Not in OSCAR's Name!"
FReeper help needed to promote our pro-USA rally at the Academy Awards (3/23)
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS - "March Against Terrorism" at the L.A. Marathon - SUNDAY (3/2) - 10 am to noon ^ | March 1, 2003 | RonDog
Posted on 03/01/2003 2:11 AM PST by RonDog
CLICK HERE for the rest of the thread
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