Posted on 09/29/2002 4:43:37 PM PDT by HAL9000
WASHINGTON, Sep 29, 2002 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- Thousands of people opposing a war with Iraq marched to the residence of Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday, culminating three days of smaller-than-expected demonstrations.Protesters, some holding signs that said "No Blood for Oil," blamed Cheney for pushing the nation toward war. Police estimated about 2,500 people turned out for the peaceful event.
Demonstrator threats to shut down the nation's capital and disrupt meetings of world financial leaders during the weekend fell flat and all protesters had evaporated from city streets by dusk Sunday.
However, protest organizers insisted their goals were met: drawing attention to those seeking more money for global AIDS research and calling for changes in world economic policies.
"It's been a highly successful couple of days," said David Levy, who was the only protest organizer to show up for a Sunday morning news conference to evaluate the demonstrations.
Police had prepared for as many as 20,000 demonstrators, but during the largest event, on Saturday, a much smaller number filled a five-block long stretch of a four-lane street as they shouted opposition to policies of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, which were holding their annual meetings nearby.
"No, we didn't change the state of the global economy," said Zoe Baldwin, 21, a college senior from Garfield, N.J. "The main purpose for most of these demonstrations, it's basically a huge outreach tool."
Meetings of global financial institutions have been a magnet to violence-scarred protests since 1999, when anti-globalization protesters clashed with police in Seattle. In April 2000, Washington police arrested about 1,300 people during demonstrations against the IMF and World Bank. There were fewer than 700 arrests this year, almost all of them people who gathered in a park Friday without a permit to demonstrate.
The World Bank and IMF scaled back this year's September meeting from a week to two days to trim security costs. The finance ministers return to Washington in the spring, but next year's larger annual fall meeting is to be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
I thought the protestors were still asking for more recounts in Broward and Dade County.
Kissin cousin of Alec?
Protesters, some holding signs that said "No Blood for Oil," blamed Cheney ...Is Vice President Cheney violating agreements he made with the UN to not develop WMDs?
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| Sun Sep 29, 5:33 PM ET |
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Washington Metropolitan police officers lead as demonstrators march towards Vice President Dick Cheney's residence down Massachusetts Ave., known as Embassy Row, in Washington Sunday, Sept. 29, 2002, as part of the ongoing protests during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank's annual meetings. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) |
No one is planning to. I think we're planning to trade some tomahawks, some cluster bombs, and maybe a daisy cutter or two for Iraqi oil.
Wait until they graduate and get a mortgage, a spouse, and some kids. Most of 'em will come around, only to be replaced by the next generation of angst-ridden miscreants.
How do I know? I used to be one of 'em.
Sure.
Remind me: WHY do we have an "AIDS office" in the White House.
Oh yeah, big success. Lotta great strides forward were made this weekend by a group of green-haired, dirty underwear clad, orfice-pierced anarchists.
From their rich, liberal parents who failed to teach them about personal responsibility and discipline.
OK, help me here. There is gazillion of barrels of Iraqi oil that can't be sold because of trade embargos. Currently all that can be sold legally is the UN permitted pittance of oil for food and medecine.
We kick Saddams ass out of Iraq and they return to full production, putting more oil on the international market. Who's the loser here? The big oil companies by my reckoning as they see smaller profits.
What problem do these drop-outs have with that. I say drop-outs since they don't seem to have an education.
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