DC Chapter Forms "Human Shield" to Protect White House Sunday

Associated Press photos | 1/18/03 | Associated Press

[FreeTheHostages]

As those of you watching Foxnews national know, the "peace" protestors continue to protest here in Washington. They're on a march from the Justice Department to the White House, and one of the things they say they want to do is inspect President Bush's "presidential palace" for weapons.

Saddam uses humans as shields in times of war. But of course these "peace" protestors wouldn't harm innocent civilians. So some memberes of the DC Chapter of Free Republic are forming a "human shield."

[SeenTheLight]

Good job D.C. FReepers!

A San Francisco FReeper salutes you!

[FreeTheHostages]

"Maybe I'll post a vanity later, with some of my thoughts and feelings about the past couple of days' events"

PLEASE do that. I'd love to read it. CATCH THIS:

Hey, I left an hour early Saturday, don't kill me! I wanted to walk back along the end of the protest to see the protestors' signs. As I doubled-back along Pennsylvania, there were a bunch of college Republicans hanging out on the second-floor balcony of 600 Pennsylvania, drinking champagne and taunting the leftists with a banner that said "Hippies Go Home!" The leftists were gathering on the median green as if to surge toward the north side of Pennsylvania and the DC Cops were holding them back. I was walking on the north side (toward the Capitol), and I shouted up at the Republican college students (so they identified themselves) to try to tell them about the Freep. But a DC Cop mistook me for a leftist. I tried to explain but he wanted me to move. They heard enough of what I said about the din to know I was friendly, and they told the cop to let me up so they could give me a beer! But the cop would have none of it. Drats -- I tried to join common cause with them (and sell them on the idea of linking up with us in the future), but the cop was very firm on which direction he wanted me to move in.

So on I moved. A few blocks later, right outside the Capitol, I saw the Capitol Police putting a protestor in the back of a car, under arrest. This wasn't in the news and I couldn't get anyone to tell me what the charges were.

Drats, drats: I came *so close* to linking up with some college kids that were actually DOING something about the leftists coming to town. Don't recognize any of their faces as from prior Freeps.

[timestax]

bump!

[FreeTheHostages]

"I was disappointed that there weren't more folks standing with us"

Don't be!! And we loved your work on the bullhorn. I hung out some with that nicely dressed George Mason female graduate student who -- remember -- heard about us on the morning television news and came on out! She loved to listen to you on the bullhorn.

There WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH US -- MILLIONS! Consider this:

289 Million Americans Avoid Peace Rallies
Scrappleface ^ | 19JAN03 | pgobrien
Posted on 01/19/2003 6:07 PM EST by pgobrien
(2003-01-19) -- Police across the nation estimate the crowd that avoided yesterday's anti-war demonstrations at about 289 million. Americans from coast-to-coast voted in absentia against criticizing the Bush administration for Iraq's failure to comply with U.N. resolutions.

Anti-anti-war demonstrators gathered in grocery stores, shopping malls and private homes to proclaim their disagreement with protestors marching in the streets of Washington D.C. and San Francisco.

"Going about my regular Saturday routine is my way of saying I disagree with the radical left-wing agenda of the anti-Bush crowd," said college student Melanie Sampson, who spent the day preparing a term paper for a literature course.


Police reported no unusual problems with the droves that stayed away from the protests.

[URL via post at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/825606/posts]

[FreeTheHostages]

Tgsl, if you're worried more weren't with us, that's legit. But if it cheers you up at all, consider that most conservatives live in fly-over country so it's harder for them to get to these coastal protests. I'm just as happy as can be that Fred Mertz FLEW IN FROM KENTUCKY!! "I'm home safely in Kentucky now. I flew home this afternoon and boy are my arms tired;^)," says Fred. Go, Fred, go!! That just brightens my heart and gives me hope.

[FreeTheHostages]

KLT!! Great work!! We owe you a trip to NYC on 2/15, huh? Here are photos of our counterprotest.

[FreeTheHostages]

Yeah, forgive me. My niece babysitting appointments are sacred, I make no bones about it being so! But I was *late* Sunday in order to get the thread up. (Really doesn't compare to being in 20 degree weather for another 6 hours, does it?) You're the man.

[FreeTheHostages]

The protest zone! LOL

[tgslTakoma]

I'm sorry for taking so long to get the pix done. I had to go to work last night after I posted that I was working on links. Let's try this as a teaser...

Angelwood, BufordP and Jimmy Valentine's brother - teasing the Code Pink peace grrrls.

[tgslTakoma]

Somebody please tell me that you can see the image on your computer. Please?!

[Fred Mertz]

I can view the pic. It's a hoot!

[tgslTakoma]

Fantastic! I didn't break anything! Now I'll get to work with other pix...

[VaBthang4]

How sad...It is the wealthy old white people
who are protesting war now and the young
Americans who are arresting them.

ROTFLMTO...

Anyone care to wager that these drips were also
arrested at the Democratic Convention in 68?

Two wasted lives....right there...

Study them...dont make the same mistakes they did.

[tgslTakoma]

There is a reason that the left uses the elderly for their civil disobedience arrest photo ops... to get the sympathy of the photo viewer... "Look at the cops! Arresting somebody's grandparents, all because they want to exercise their right to free speech!"

I'm sure that the couple arrested in the photo you posted were coached by their A.N.S.W.E.R. communist handlers in how to pose for the photos... "keep a straight face, passive look, look sad..."

[tgslTakoma]

You have FReepmail!

[Brad’s Gramma]

The Code Pink Girly Girl is on Sean Hannity right now.

WHAT A DITZ!!!!!!

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Caption should read, "Anglewood flanked by Jimmy Valentines other brother (a known misoynist) and Jimmy Valentines brother exprees their opinion of the Pinkos for Peace."

[RonDog]

See also Angelwood's excellent NEW thread:

DC Chapter Forms "Human Shield" to Protect White House Sunday, 1/19/03
-- After-Action Report
DC Chapter of Free Republic ^ | January 20, 1003 | Angelwood and tgslTakoma
Posted on 01/20/2003 2:36 PM PST by Angelwood

Kristinn came up with the idea to stage a freep at the White House and stand as Human Shields to protect the White House against the anti-war demonstrators organized and backed by IAC/ANSWER (a front group for the World Workers Party – communists).

We had intelligence that small groups would be marching from the Justice Department around the White House and that some of the protesters planned to demand the inspection of the White House for weapons of mass destruction. There were also reports that 50 or so protesters had volunteered to participate in civil disobedience and break the law in order to get arrested.

We planned a "stealth" freep, keeping details under wraps to prevent the anti-war groups from getting wind of our plans and disrupting us. It isn't easy to keep such plans secret.

At 10:00 a.m. most of us were on the way to the White House, bundled up in double and triple everything in order to keep warm. It was marginally warmer than on Saturday, but it was windier as well. In fact, the wind unfurled our flags and showed the stars and stripes off beautifully, but it also made holding foam board signs difficult.

We found parking by the Veterans Administration and walked a block to Lafayette Park. There were maintenance workers putting fencing into place and closing off the edge of the park bordering H Street as we walked into the park on our way to the front of the White House. Lafayette Park was practically deserted except for various police departments already in place for the scheduled anti-war protest march.

The permanent anti-nuke protesters were in their usual spots, along with the Code Pink ladies that have recently taken up a permanent protesting presence at the White House as well.

Stretched out along 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue were Park Police and DC Police vehicles of every description: Large truck vans for detainees (arrested individuals), horse trailers filled with the horses used by the Park Police for crowd control, vans, cars, unmarked cars, motorcycles and trucks. Both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue at 15th and 17th were blocked.

Doctor Raoul was first on the scene, followed closely by BufordP, LisaFab and her friend, Ed, Xthe17th, kristinn, tgslTakoma, Angelwood, Jimmy Valentine’s brother and Taxman. There were enough of us to hold up the signs that tgslTakoma hand painted in PINK, which spelled out our purpose to protect the White House from the protesters – HUMAN SHIELDS. We were joined a little later by a man carrying a flag from the 82nd Airborne (please contact us so we can get the pictures to you), two young and enthusiastic College Republicans from American University and a Gulf War vet who wanted to stand with us.

We started out standing on the sidewalk in front of the White House, but the concrete barriers were in the way. So, we moved into the street. Somehow, police cars blocking the view were moved away and we soon had a wide area in which to stand with our signs spread out.

We immediately generated some discussion from people who had obviously been part of the anti-war rally and a couple of photographers stopped to take photos. A man stopped to ask if the woman accompanying him could have her picture taken in front of us. She declined to hold a sign, but said she wanted to stand up for what she believed in.

We chanted some of the catch phrases that we used on Saturday...

CLICK HERE for more

[MarMema]

Bravo! I wish I could be there and join you.

[El Gato]

Why????

A clear violation of the first amendent. Freedom of speech and assembly. But then nobody really pays any attention to those old words written by dead white men anymore...unless the people concerned are left wing anti American wackos. If they are "right wing anti-government militias" well, then lock 'em up and throw away the key.