Saturday's march in DC was my first large-scale political protest, and like other first-timers there, I was amazed by the depth and the sheer diversity of the crowd. It seemed like all ages, all races, all walks of life were represented, and represented in a massive way.
I suppose this isn't a diary so much as a photoblog post. My thoughts on the whole thing are still too jumbled--the weekend's been a series of really long days, and I've only just had time to sit down and put this diary together.
All that being said, the march was an incredible experience, both for having been there, and for having seen people's reactions when I've told them about it. Being in such a huge crowd without people getting nasty with each other over the waiting was inspiring in and of itself! I'm so grateful to RenaRF for organizing, and for all the other bloggers for coming along--it was great to get to Starbucks at 10 and see so much orange, and even better to march along with you all (once we finally got moving, anyway!)
Here are the thumbnails for the pics, click any thumbnail to see to the larger pic. (Sorry for the back-button hassle, but I know photobucket will frog me out if I try to post the larger pics here and more than 3 people read this!)
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L to R: pre-march, at Starbucks; some ladies from VT (also at Starbucks) who got on their bus at 10pm the night before the protest--talk about dedication!; mandatory Freeper picture (sorry for the blur!) across Pennsylvania Ave from the Code Pink rally around 9:30am; Code Pink rally setup, also around 9:30.
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L to R: Code Pink "Fire Bush" banner; SE Michigan Veterans for Peace; alternative energy sign; the Mall (and Rena) when we first arrived around 11:30am.
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L to R: the Webb For President faction, 4 or 5 signs strong but very well-supported for all that; Iranian men protesting US warmongering toward Iran; (mandatory disclaimer: the 'show the way' sign was mine); war/pork/piggybank/pig sign (I got about six different explanations from 10 different people, but got distracted before I actually found the guy with the sign again!)
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L to R: A very nice, very dedicated guy, clearly not a protest n00b like myself; the drummers (I believe that's the Rhythm Workers union, but can't quite read the sign in the pic like I thought I'd be able to; in any event, they put on a spectacular show); the last two pics on this row were taken as folks were putting up the list of names of every US soldier killed in Iraq to date.
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L to R: short view of some of the many tables lined up behind the speakers' platform; first panel of the list of US soldiers killed in Iraq, a list that was emphatically and tragically too long; a view of some signs closer to the stage (the big black towers hold the speakers); these steps, facing south on the edge of the Mall, filled up with people waiting to march as the day went on.
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L to R: These folks came from Wyoming and wanted it known they live close to Cheney, and that he's apparently not a very popular guy in his neighborhood these days; great sign and great people from Auburn NY; the last two signs were done in felt and carried by a group of ladies (younger and older) walking together, all of whom were very excited to be there.
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L to R: the first two pics are of a gentleman who was singing for a good long while to protest the damage our soldiers are taking over there; the third is a picture of the backbone which reads "Impeach, Indict, Imprison"[note below], while the people carrying it were getting into place to march; the Mall, before noon, when the crowd really started to arrive.
[note: the backbone was at least 20 feet long and stretched over PVC pipe (it looked heavy as hell and was carried by quite a few people, on poles far above the crowd's head--you could probably see it a mile off bobbing above the crowd)]
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L to R: Flags waving along 7th Street (the major north-south road through downtown, which cuts through the Mall); Drop Bush Not Bombs; people heading toward 7th Street to cross to the demonstration area; a better shot of the Iranian protesters.
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L to R: Anti-torture protesters dressed as Abu Ghraib inmates; From the mouths of babes (okay, well, a little older than 'babes', but you get the idea); two of many, many Code Pink demonstraters; one of the truest signs of the day.
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L to R: Another great sign: an oil rig coming up out of Bush's head (if you look at the bottom of the pic you can see the crank that makes the rig go up and down like it's drilling)--Bush's mouth also opens and closes, and there's a little sign inside that says "Blah"; a great Kossack sign; a blurry shot of crowd and signs; closer to the beginning of the march, when the crowd was starting to get really thick.
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L to R: Another great Kossack sign (TiP?); signs, with the dome in the background, as we waited to march; one of many "Bush Pull Out" signs; one of many signs referring to NOLA or Katrina--we certainly haven't forgotten.
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L to R: Yet another great Kossack sign (I wish I could remember exactly whose was whose, I should have written this up when I got home!); a half-hour before the march began; about 15 minutes before the march began; another great Kossack sign (maybe litigatormom's?).
Near the end of the march (around 3:30, I'd say), we sat down to rest our feet, and in a very small break in the crowd, this was the view going up Independence Avenue back toward the Capitol (sorry again for the blurriness). The Capitol is back beyond the trees in the upper left-hand corner of the photo--this isThe march, from where Luna, Corky and I sat was just a flood of people pouring over that hill and down toward us.
Thanks for taking a peek! This may be something of a hit-and-run diary, at least till I get settled at work, but I'll check back for comments as soon as I get a chance!