This protest must have been small potatoes indeed! In the first place, they could only muster approximately 300 people (assuming your estimate is accurate) in antiwar New England. To make it seem even more pitiful, Protest Warrior. com's signs were nowhere to be seen, indicating that it wasn't worth their time.
What, no puppets?
I live within walking distance of the protest location, but was (blissfully) unaware it was going on.
The turnout seems remarkably low for one of the bluest neighborhoods of one of the bluest cities of one of the bluest states. Mind you, this was just a few blocks from both the Brown and RISD campuses!
My experience was similar. The protestors turned out about 300-500 people, by my (admittedly unpracticed) guess, in the heart of deep-blue Minneapolis... folks, were talking indigo here.
I was one of the demonstrators, though my signs, and those of the Protest Warrior personnel around me, didn't quite fit in. The one that I carried most often read : Iraq "Peace" Action Coalition..Arab Democracy- Not in Our Name". The apalling thing was that it took forever for the other demonstrators to catch on. I heard 2 women next to me discussing another PW sign: "10 out of 10 dictators agree: ANYBODY BUT BUSH". They weren't sure if "it was on their side".
Of course, once they figured it out, the PW leader next to me was first subjected to a stream of profanity, and then assaulted. Gotta love the, um, peace movement's commitment to, um, freedom of speech.
Good on ya Kelli...your report caught the atmosphere as well as the mental gulf between you and the protesters. Plus there was real street theater: the sevice man and his comment and your attempt to let him know you were on his side. I was studying in Berkeley in '91 when the first Gulf war happened and the left was out there the first day shouting "No Blood For Oil"...as a former opponent of the Viet Nam war I was shocked...have these people thought thier position through? No I concluded, and I don't think they have yet....because it isn't about thought, but blind belief. I am not around the corner but in Perth Western Australia so your on the ground reporting of the event was really helpful...much better than reading about the San Francisco protests...too big. Besides I am a New Englander too and it was nice to hear from home terrtory.
KP, Thanks! You've done a really good thing with this post. Your coverage, photos, commentary all form something I call real information. If one does not agree with your politics, one at least knows where you're coming from. And if one does agree (I do) -- Hooh Rah!! How refreshingly unlike the MSM, to be so openly candid. And who wants to restrict us bloggers?
I'm looking for a picture I saw last week in which an insane (is there any other kind) looking protestor stood behind a cage holding a sign that said (I'm paraphrasing) "Support the Insurgents.) Nothing says "We Support the Troops" like that picture.
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