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.
Was on the University of North Texas campus yesterday and saw a beat up small pick up with dozens of bumper stickers: "Jesus Christ was a liberal", and just as bad "Get your rosary off my ovary".
These kids get this stuff in the Universites with tenured Professors who despise our way of life.
Today, I went jogging down Massachusetts Avenue about a half-hour after the "anti-war" march. Outside the VP's residence, I told a bunch of particularly filthy looking protesters that "You can get a free shower in Jail". One shouted back at me "You've never been to jail". Further along on the jog, I asked some folks clustered around a "Bush is a terrorist" sign - "How many U.S. flags did you guys burn today?" They just glared at me. Finally I wrapped it up by telling some hippie-types to stop stealing flowers from the Luxembourg Embassy's garden. Not exactly a Freep, but decent exercise.
Go home children! Chase whale hunters or plug in your Play Stations. Leave the resolution of this conflict to those that work for a living.
Hmmm. As far as I know, Dick Cheney doesn't have any secret Biowar or Nuclear weapons labs under any of his houses, so I can't see that any of his actions have pushed us toward the war. Those folks just have bass-ackwards notions about whose responsible for the current troubles.
AARGH! Watch that spelling!!
WHO'S responsible!
We knew about the march today, but gave it a miss. We're planning a rally on October 26 to counter the IAC-A.N.S.W.E.R. anti-war demonstration.
I've enjoyed reading the spin by the organizers of this week's fiasco. They ticked off the residents of D.C. and alienated people who would be sympathetic to their cause by the violence. I can't wait for them to come back next April :-)
I suppose technically 2500 is "thousands." "Hundreds" would have been more accurate.
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