Traffic in critical condition as protesters stage 'die-in'

NY Daily News ^ | 3/27/3 | AP

[WaveThatFlag]

Hundreds of chanting anti-war protesters lined Fifth Avenue on Thursday and dozens rushed into the street and lay down at the beginning of a series of civil disobedience actions planned for throughout the day. Officers, some in riot gear and on horseback, clamped plastic handcuffs onto about 150 protesters who refused to get up, and half-carried them into police vehicles.

Anti-war groups have called for a day of widespread civil disobedience, including blocking busy intersections and a “die-in” to protest media and corporate “profiteering from the war.”

As helicopters hovered overhead, the protesters — some beating drums and chanting “Hey-hey, ho-ho, Bush’s war has to go” and “Peace Now!” — jammed police pens along Fifth Avenue between 49th and 50th streets, near St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Saks Fifth Avenue store.

Organizers of the ad-hoc coalition, which calls itself M27, said the “die-in” was intended to symbolize Iraqi war victims.

About an hour later, some protesters still sat on the curb awaiting transfer to police vehicles. Johannah Westmacott, a Fordham University student, jotted down officers’ badge numbers.

“Nothing else gets attention,” said Westmacott, explaining the civil disobedience. “It’s not news when people voice their opinions.”

One lane of Fifth Avenue was reopened to traffic.

One organizer, Eric Larson, said roving groups of protesters also planned to jam intersections in other parts of midtown and lower Manhattan.

Russ Forster, a filmmaker from Chicago, said, “People are willing to risk life and limb, sitting in the middle of Fifth Avenue. I think that’s a pretty strong statement.”

The demonstration attracted several counterprotesters, including a man with a red, white and blue bandanna under a hardhat who stood toe-to-toe with a young protester with a pony tail and sideburns arguing about the war.

One pro-war activist held a sign that read: “Traitors, have you forgotten Sept. 11?”

“Whether you’re for or against it, we need to pull together,” said Rachel Harary, 20, of Oceanside, on Long Island. “Put on your flag and get them home.”

Later, a small group of protesters, draped in black and walking to the beat of a drum, staged a mock funeral march on the same block of Fifth Avenue.

Police and security officers placed a web of barricades on streets in Rockefeller Center, home of the GE Building, NBC headquarters and The Associated Press, to prevent a planned “die-in” there.

One Fifth Avenue protester held a sign showing a picture of parrots and the words, “Don’t Parrot the Right-wing Propaganda.”

Another protester, Lee Whiting, 44, held up a sign that said, “Embedded? or In Bed?” Embedded, she said, means that “journalists are presenting almost exclusively the military view of this war.”

On Wednesday, 16 protesters lay down in a Fifth Avenue intersection, halting traffic for blocks before being carried into police vans.

The traffic-blocking technique was used in recent anti-war protests in San Francisco, which led to thousands of arrests and complaints that police used excessive force.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said Wednesday that anti-war protests were costing millions of dollars in department overtime and drawing police resources away from crime-fighting and anti-terrorism operations.

“People are out to disrupt life in the city,” Kelly said. “This is more than protest, more than free speech. We’re talking about violating the law.”

[concerned about politics]

If a terrorist attack were to hit, emergency personal would not be able to respond. The police and ambulences would not be available to aid the wounded.
NY has always been a Muslim target, and they like to attack where they'd have massive casualities. A huge protest group would be an easy slaughter.

One tube of anthrax or small pox in the crowd, and all those liberal facists would be dead, and those who survived would kill others who are innocent.

[FryingPan101]

http://doody36.home.attbi.com/liberty.htm
Lest we forget.

[Redcloak]

[Paul Atreides]

Those people would be in dire straits if some terrorist wanted to hit a building on Fifth Avenue.

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

Looks like the police are stopping that from happening.

Not saying anything against the police, just that is my take from the pictures on the news of the scene, that they are trying to steer traffic around them to avoid that.

[Ryle]

People are willing to risk life and limb, sitting in the middle of Fifth Avenue. I think that’s a pretty strong statement.”

American and coalition men and women in the military are willing to risk life and limb, sitting in the Iraqi desert and traveling the route to Baghdad. I think THAT's a lot stronger statement. And I don't think there's any doubt as to which group is really putting their lives on the line.

[WaveThatFlag]

It won't come to that. The media would love to have you believe that these losers shut the city down. Sorry, but that didn't happen.

Police officers were waiting for them. We were warned to expect them in my office. As a matter of fact, we have been under a code-red lockdown in my particular building since last Wednesday.

This morning, less than twenty protestors laid down on Fifth Avenue some time after 8:00am. They did this in front of Sacks, which did not disrupt business, as the store hadn't opened yet. They were immediately arrested. Police had one lane of traffic opened up a couple of minutes later. There were a couple of hundred other protestors, who were contained by the police presence. None of these poeple believed in their cause enough to get arrested, and they all went home in an hour or so. I just went out to get lunch. Police have roped off a designated protest area. There is one pathetic middle-aged man carrying a sign. That's it. The rest of Rock Plaza is filled with high school kids on class trips, and mothers taking young children skating. It is a beautiful day. Life goes on. They accomplished nothing. Except that mocked-up pictures of their "protest" are sure to get to our boys in Iraq. But, maybe that's the point. A lot of the hard-core old-school radical protestors make no apology for the fact that they are rooting for Iraq in this war. Why?

One other point. There was one thing that struck me about the protestors this morning. There were two prominent groups. Kids from the age 16 to 20, and adults 45+. Interestingly they two groups share a common fashion sense. The latter group are aging hippies happy to find a protest. The former are the typical impressionable adolescents happy to defy authority in any form. I was one of them once myself. There was nobody between the ages of 20 and 40. Why? Because we have jobs, we understand what this war is designed to accomplish, and we are two young to remeber Viet Nam.

[js1138]

Rush is worng, or at least a littly behind. The new home of the militant left is not environtmentalism. It is a colition of Islamism, environtmantalism, "peace", and any other suckers that harbor anti American or anti capitalist sentiments. It's all about power.

[CyberAnt]

Interesting story out of SF - the DA there is planning to fine the organizers of the protests. It cost the city of SF over $900,000 per day for extra police and emergency personnel. The city is not happy!

If SF manages to fine these people - you can bet other cities will follow. If they attack their money supply, perhaps it will put a stop to this violent stuff.

We had 3000+ at our rally, but the city only deployed 2 police cars. I rest my case.

[Johnny Gage]

Time to fire up the "Soylent Green" Processing facility.

[appalachian_dweller]

>> What the hell would they do if someone died in an ambulance becuase their sorry asses were blocking the route <<

Some protesters in Washington DC did exactly that the other day. I don't think anyone died, but they did block an ambulance. Driver should have run them over. I would have. If they are dumb enough to get in front of me, I'm mad enough to cause them bodily harm. @$$holes!!!

Professional Protesters. Let's let SH live, give him his own island, and send these POS protesters to live under his rule.

[Search4Truth]

Fatherless children.

[michigander]

If they pretend to be "dead," then just pretend to "run over" them.

They're just playing opossum.
Take a can of yellow spray paint and get an imitation of this photo.

[Happy2BMe]

What Every FReeper Needs to Know - The Enemy Within - (A.N.S.W.E.R.) Plans Mass Sabotage

Freeper Resource: Sleuthing The Iraq-Bin Laden Connection (Redone)

[Bikers4Bush]

Their right to free speech does not trump my right to travel unhindered.

[eastsider]

Russ Forster, a filmmaker from Chicago, said, "People are willing to risk life and limb, sitting in the middle of Fifth Avenue. I think that’s a pretty strong statement."

Russ Forster is an idiot. It's the troops in Iraq who are risking life and limb, not the idiots sitting in the middle of Fifth Avenue.

[Semper Paratus]

There is an emergency situtation in Washington Heights with a building collapse.
Any traffic tieup like that and blood should be on their hands.

[WaveThatFlag]

WWRD?

Well, he couldn't fire them. They obviously don't have jobs.

[ez]

Once a protester is arrested, they should hold him til the war is over, IMHO.

[WaveThatFlag]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/867847/posts