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Please see post #10.

FReepers on scene - American Preservative, nastypumps, and two FRiends. Anyone FRelse?

Observations - Since this was billed as a march against Terror, I thought, finally, a place for coming together to express outrage and anger vocally after the many months of being "pacified" and "being taught" to be "tolerant" from the President on down. However, upon arriving at the Civic Center, it was obvious this too, was not going to be. Why? 'Cause the music being played over the loudspeakers was of the "Kumbaya" sort, and, imo, that was the tone of the march to be.

As I didn't really hear the speakers at the rally, I don't really know what kind of passion they spoke with, but, the march was relatively mild, imo (and I was towards the back, so, I don't know how it was up front.) A couple of guys had bullhorns, but, the chants I recall were, "Down with terror!" "Peace! Now!" "Teach your children not to hate!" (Oy vey.)

There was one group of about 30 Lefties at the Civic Center Plaza, on the plaza, near the rally. The police finally moved them aways away, but they were still on the plaza. (I wonder if the march organizers had a permit for the whole plaza, 'cause in the past, when we pro-Americans would counter the Lefties at the Plaza, we were told they (the Lefties) had a permit for the whole plaza and we would have to be across the street and were not allowed on the Plaza.)

When the march got on Market street, there was another group - they were about 10, mostly Arab. A couple of "woman of cover" (literally, head to toe in black dress) and some of the guys dressed in military fatigue pants. THEY had a bullhorn and used it til the batteries ran out (: )) (...but, then they got some more.) Loudly ranting, "FREE FREE PALESTINE!!" and "Allah Akbar!" "1,2,3,4 We don't want your Nazi-Racist War!" (Ah, the Lefties taught them well!), they followed us down Market St, blaring to all. A few people yelled at them every so often. Police on bikes were used as a moving barricade. (There may have a confrontation at the end of the march, but, I was away from it.) Some marchers tried singing "peace" songs to counter them. (Can I say, "Oy Vey" again?)

The march ended at Justin Herman Plaza, singing the Israeli and American national anthems.

Maybe I missed seeing an "!"in the title and THAT energy (oldlizzie, d-m-i, CCC, and CG you were missed! ; )), but, hey, it was good first major effort by Grassroots, imo. After all, this is San Francisco - so to see American and Israeli flags and 3 thousand people marching down Market Street, had to be "fantastic" to some!

Was great to be there with you & our 2 brave FRiends from other events. You, in particular, work hard to get the word out at your own expense! Thanks, again, for the flag.
I could not have made it all the way down Market St. without you guys. But jeepers, FReepers, "A.P." you are so right about the problems. There should have been more punch--I mean that figuratively, of course :)--and less pacification of crude, lewd people who are truly vicious in their anti-USA & anti-Semitism...was very glad (and this is unusual for a Gay person--conservative or not--to have a chance to say) that there were so many fundamentalist Christians with us. They were standing/marching bravely with Jews all the way.
I am ashamed of my fellow Jewish/Jewish-heritage Marinites who always stay home in San Rafael, Mill Valley & Tiburon, etc., to sip their "Soy Half-caf'Lattes" & chat about all the usual nonsense when 80+ year old Russian Jews (my heritage, I'm proud to say), who know a thing or two about state sanctioned anti-religious terror, took to the ugly* streets with signs proclaimimg "Proud To Be An American!"
Whatever the problems, though, great men & women & young people of every background did the work each American should be doing for themselves & those they love.
*Speaking of "ugly" what are those people in San Francisco thinking???? They have allowed the city to become & remain a cesspool of filth, urine, vomit, and disease. But the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well, nevertheless...we had a polite "street person" stand outside the elaborate green kiosk pay toilets (tres, tres Parisian don't you recall?) & cage quarters out of our anxious hands so he could slip a slug into the slot to open the door! Only needed 1 slug as he could hit "coin return" each time. Now, there is a man who should be running the place!
Had to laugh...but not too hard as I had to wait 30 minutes for my turn.
G-d bless you all! Off to NYC (hometown) next weekend for month or so & will visit Ground Zero around 7/4 & offer a prayer for all of us--even the fools in Marin.
Regards, "nasty..."

I was there yesterday and wondered if any other Freepers were there. I looked around but didn't see any signs. I did see a Republican voter registration table, near the front.

I noticed the whole "Peace" thing also. My impression was that these people realized that the only way to have real peace and freedom is to fight for it. They seemed to understand peace isn't surrendering to the bullies, as the leftists like to imply. I did have a problem with singing the Lenninist song "Give Peace A Chance" at the end.

I for one was really amazed at the size of the crowd. It was good to finally be in a crowd which outnumbered Osama's and Yassir's little helpers. A few of us did some counters in San Rafael and it seemed we were always outnumbered, but got more honks and thumbs up than the other side.

I did notice the bullhorns and the people of cover (plus the couple scraggly, hippie types who looked like they hadn't had a bath in a month.) I walked by one of the Bart/Muni terminals and saw some of them yelling some of the most obscene and violent vitriol, followed up by the "We don't want your racist war". (BARF) When I heard that, I did yell at them, "Shut up you Nazis".

Channel 2's coverage was pretty good. Channel 4's (KRON) was terribly one-sided. The Chronicle this morning had a brief mention with a photo on B2. Yet, it seems the Chronicle never hesitates to give half the front page to 300 people who burn flags and spew anti-American rhetoric. It would be great to have a big pro-America rally in S.F. also.