24 annotated photos from today’s rally by your faithful correspondent on a bike. Enjoy.
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| 9:30 am and the metro was already packed. The elderly couple were on their way — she wore a DFA San Diego hat and her Dean badge, and he wore his Korean War Veteran cap. The University of Maryland Womens Crew was on board; when I asked politely if they were attending the protest, they laughed, pumped air signs, and looked at me as though I were crazy. It was interesting that even the ride downtown reflected that the protesters, on average, skewed toward middle-age/elderly. |
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| Speaking of Howard Dean, I stopped by the counter-protest first, as it was scheduled to begin earlier (10:00 am). This gentleman was nice enough to let me photograph his custom t-shirt: Howard Dean is scum. What about the children? |
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| ANSWER staging area for bus arrivals at Freedom Plaza. Within 5 minutes, another two buses arrived with signs in the window urging “Honk for Peace”. |
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| I rode in with the Raging Grannies. I’m in motion on a bike — they’re not running! |
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| impeachbush.org did a great job of turning out marchers. Their signs were everywhere. The purple man flopping around in the wind to the right belongs to SEIU New York Health & Human Service Union. Union turned out in big numbers today. |
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| Some excellent advice from the Napa Valley. |
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| The Reverend. It was still early — later, during the actual march, I spotted him getting chauffered around in an unmarked police car with priority sirens whining. I bet he’s got more pull with the DC police than Bush. |
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| Respect the Moms. |
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| A DU’er |
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| One of many peace organizations. |
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| The World Wide Web comes to life. So pleased to meet some Billionaires for Bush, who graciously allowed this peasant a photo. |
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| No protest can begin before the Tibetan Monks arrive. It’s a rule. |
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| I love bagpipes. |
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| New England Progressive Democrats are in the house! |
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| Will Pitt, of truthout.org lights up. Back of t-shirt reads: Stone Cold Fucking Liberal. |
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| DU’ers Represent! |
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| We want Union (We want Union)! Kick-ass Union (Kick-ass Union)! |
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| It was a bevy of special interest groups! A pragmatist’s nightmare! |
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| The Working Assets board. |
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| On the ‘bad’ side of town, the counter-protestors get a call that the march has started and head to their position — behind a fenced barrier and wall of police on Pennsylvania and 9th-10th Sts. NW |
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| The first protesters in a long line of many heading down 14th St to Pennsylvania Ave. |
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| The first group heading down Pennsylvania Ave. One block down to the left, the counter-protestors anticipate their arrival. |
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| Everybody’s looking to their left to yell back at the counter-protestors. When one side shouts “USA-USA” the other side responds in kind. When one side shouts “Shame on You, Shame on You”, the same is hollered back. |
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| My vote for “best sign in the protest”. A Katrina survivor carries a sign that reads: “Iraqis didn’t leave me on a roof”. |
END OF FIRST SET OF PHOTOS