Posted on 09/11/2013 3:32:02 PM PDT by tenger
Here's my action report for the 9-11 events in DC. I live in Hagerstown and I took the day off and went to DC to support the Bikers, and to take photos of the event. The weather was sunny and in the 90s here with very little breeze. When I arrived I literally said out loud, "where is everybody?" I was surprised completely to find the Muslims were non-existent anywhere near the National Mall (later on that). I first met a few bikers who had parked their cycles near the Capitol building on Jefferson Street. Behind them in the slightly wooded area were about 10-15 motorcycle cops. Not sure if it was their lunch break or maybe even a doughnut break. :) In any event, they were respectful and left the bikers alone. By 12:30 they had left.
Back to the event. Several times from 11am to about 12:30 a wave of bikers rode past the Capitol building and I captured some of that. Then someone said that a larger group of them were on Constitution Avenue near the Washington Monument (under repair as you'll see in a few photos), so I made my way over there. Lot of bikers there both riding and relaxing. Not sure where they all started from and not sure where they ended but it wasn't like Rolling Thunder where thousands roll by at a time. They were mainly in groups of 10 and 20 riding by. Don't have the numbers but from what I saw nothing near two million bikers. However, I think the threat of having that many bikers in town could have scared off the other group. Who knows?
Back to the Muslims. I think they were the group of 40 or so protesting the U.S. Government being the real terrorist or something. I didn't stay long enough to hear their message. They were in the baking sun with absolutely no protection, and since and I was getting redder, I moved on. Literally, nothing to see there! I only have one shot of them. They were actually fairly close in proximity to the Christian preachers.
So that's my report. I have included a link to the photos I uploaded to Flickr. I'd upload them to FR from there but quite honestly, the heat and the walking drained a lot out of me. So if someone feels industrious, have at it. I think they did capture the moment.
For anyone interested, I used a Fujifilm x100, which has a 23mm fixed lens.
So here's the Flickr link. 2 Million Bikers
Nice! Thanks.
Blue helmets...
Good one!
Read on another thread that the majority of them (as a group) will bike around D.C. to avoid complications/burdening the citizens there, whereas any of the bikers that want to go as individuals can go, if they want.
There probably were not two million of them but they were certainly a largish multiple of the jihadist presence.
“Enjoyed the photos, especially the deuce-n-half cargo transporter, a better vehicle has yet to be built...IMO”
Got my deuce and a half license in DaNang, 1969. First time behind the wheel was in downtown DaNang.
Terrifying! I just knew I was going to run over some little kid or a guy on a bicycle.
I lived through it. So did the little kids and guys on bicycles.
:-)
Good pics, Thanks!
There were a lot that stayed on the Beltway and never came in to the city. Too many.
Capitol police originally said 800,000 then increased it to a million.
Pictures to share
Nice. So where’s the million mussies?? Oh, right - 25 showed up to represent all of those who couldn’t make it.
“Capitol police originally said 800,000 then increased it to a million.”
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Wow, that is great. The photos indicated only small and scattered groups. It would have been great to see a photo of them, all gathered in the Mall.
Unless they gathered in the mall area after I left, which I don’t think they were planning to do, there were no photos on the lawn. Most of the Mall grass area between the Washington Monument and Capitol Building was roped off as they’re growing the grass out again. Yes, I heard some reports about the riders on the beltway so that figure could be a million, but where I was it was closer to “thousands.”
Is there yet an official count of how many bikers came?
Great pics! And I bet you love that gem of a Fuji camera.
Anymore in Washington it's only a figure of speech ... only questioned if the liberal media doesn't agree with your politics. The Park Service and local DC police don't comment on numbers ... it's a no win situation.
Great work! Thanks!
You have done what our sorry Media failed to do today, thanks.
OUTSTANDING! Thank you.
Citizen (FReeper) journalism BUMP!
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