Live From the SF Pro Iraq Demonstration

Original Observaton | 03/20/2003 | InABunkerUnderSF

[InABunkerUnderSF]

Greetings from high above Market Street - InAnOfficeAboveSF. The SFPD is trying their best to keep the streets open but every time the get one intersection cleared another is blocked. The people that have been arrested are being kept in a pen on the corner of Market and Sansome, across the street from the Pacific Stock Exchange. Whenever the pen gets full they load the crown onto a Muni bus and haul them off to who knows where (Guantanamo we hope).

I had to wade through the demo to get to work so stopped off at McDonalds just to support Globalization and listen to the protest for a few minutes. It was there that I heard one of the worse things I’ve ever heard in my life – several hundred people who don’t speak French trying to sing the Marseilles. How the French could support these people after what they did to the French National Anthem is beyond me.

On the way through the crow I passed by the sound system – no bull horns for these guys. I was surprised to see that some of their exhortations were pre-recorded. Must save them from getting hoarse with all the chanting. The signs were pretty tame. The chants were very tame (“No F***ing War!” Was about the toughest thing going.) It’s like all of the groups couldn’t agree on an agenda so it’s sort of a least common denominator demonstration.

SFPD has just enlarged the pen and the demonstrators have chained themselves together across Market Street. SFPD have called in the Fire Department with their power saws to cut through the chains. The demonstrators better hope none of the SFFD guys remember 9/11.

[retrokitten]

One of the 'solidarity groups' is 'puking for peace'! Poor cops :(.

Oh you have got to be kidding!! That is just repulsive and totally idiotic.

[GoreIsLove]

they're blocking 45 fremont because of bechtel. same theory.

[Black Agnes]

Click on the streaming radio link I posted above. It's got live commentary from these guys. I'm not kidding 'puking for peace'. 3 High schools are doing walkouts...Freemont, Oakland and Oakland Tech will be going to 14 and Broadway ...

[Black Agnes]

One of the groups is 'puking for peace'. Gross.

[WVNan]

Wouldn't you love to walk through that crowd of idiots with a very large hatpin? Jab....OUCH! Jab....OUCH! Who did that? Jab....OUCH! (looking all innnocent...who did what?)

[Black Agnes]

*cackle*.

[Black Agnes]

They're allegedly just citing and releasing these protestors...

[WVNan]

Time for the firehoses.

[org.whodat]

Do you have a sling shot and some marbles?

Do you want me to send you one???

[Darksheare]

"Don't Tread on Me" by Metallica.
Full Bass, and top volume.

[tinamina]

Ironically, Calpers is a major investor in the Carlylse Group. A lot of these protestors are probably public sector ( welfare workers?) employees.

[Black Agnes]

Caller said earlier that the parking and traffic cops were very sympathetic to the commies.

[retrokitten]

It's got live commentary from these guys. I'm not kidding 'puking for peace'.

You know, I will just take your word for it. LOL!

[Black Agnes]

They're also talking about a 'French themed picnic' going on later. 'Wine, chocolates, baguettes, berets'. No mention of snails or white flags however.

[TLBSHOW]

lol

[L.N. Smithee]

Been watching coverage on KTVU-2

KTVU was virtually advertising the protest during its coverage of the first strikes on Saddam's supposed bunkers. In place of the "crawl" at the bottom of the CNN screen, KTVU put times and locations of protests in Santa Rosa's courthouse and Justin Herman Plaza.

[Black Agnes]

Supposedly there's a little black bloc action also.

[Lost Highway]

Why anyone would want to live in SF is beyond me.

[Kozak]

Any way to get a reminder to the SFFD?
I'll shoot (no pun intended) an e-mail their way.....

If you do send them this link

www.politicsandprotest.org
in case they need theri memory refreshed regarding 911

[RonDog]

From Yahoo! NEWS:

	Police officers arrest a demonstrator during one of many citywide protests against the war in Iraq (news - web sites) on Wednesday, March 20, 2003, in San Francisco, Calif. Behind her, firefighters use a circular saw to cut through tubes that protesters used to join themselves together. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) - Mar 20 12:42 PM ET
	A National Guardsman who identified himself only as Specialist Pimentel, stands guard at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Thursday, March 20, 2003. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) - Mar 20 12:40 PM ET
	As police officers look on, firemen cut apart demonstrators who had chained themselves together inside tubes and blocked traffic on Market Street in San Francisco to protest the war against Iraq (news - web sites) in San Francisco, March 20, 2003. Thousands of anti-war protestors took to the streets of downtown San Francisco to disrupt the work day as a protest to the war. REUTERS/Lou Dematteis - Mar 20 11:22 AM ET
	Eric Cornforth, 16, lies on the ground to represent Iraqi teenagers who he said will be killed in the U.S. war against Iraq (news - web sites), during an anti-war protest in San Francisco on Wednesday, March 19, 2003. (AP Photo/Jakub Mosur) - Mar 20 1:05 AM ET
	Actor Danny Glover (news), center, takes part in an anti-war protest in San Francisco Wednesday, March 19, 2003. The protest occured on the hour of President Bush (news - web sites)'s ultimatum to Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) to leave Iraq (news - web sites) or face an attack by the U.S.-led coalition forces. (AP Photo/Jakub Mosur) - Mar 20 1:03 AM ET
	Linda, 25, speaks on a megaphone while sitting on the shoulders of two protesters during an anti-war protest in San Francisco on Wednesday, March 19, 2003. (AP Photo/Jakub Mosur) - Mar 20 1:07 AM ET
	Francesca Myman, front, marches in a rally against a war on Iraq (news - web sites), Wednesday, March 19, 2003, in San Francisco, before President Bush (news - web sites)'s address to the nation. Bush said U.S. forces launched airstrikes against 'targets of military importance.' A U.S. military official said about three dozen cruise missiles were fired from a small number of ships at 'leadership targets.' (AP Photo/George Nikitin) - Mar 20 12:58 AM ET
	Josie Kirkland, front, marches in a rally against the war in Iraq (news - web sites), Wednesday, March 19, 2003, in San Francisco, before President Bush (news - web sites)'s address to the nation. Bush said the conflict in Iraq may be long and difficult but the U.S. troops will succeed at their mission 'to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger.' (AP Photo/George Nikitin) - Mar 20 12:45 AM ET
	With his four-year-old daughter Tubbylyn on his shoulders, Bobby Marangco of San Francisco flashes the peace sign during a rally protesting the war against Iraq (news - web sites) in San Francisco on March 19, 2003. Protests against the war took place all around the San Francisco Bay Area today. REUTERS/Lou Dematteis - Mar 19 9:37 PM ET