Anyone go to one? Is there one in your town? I didn't go to the main one, but there was a smaller one on B'way in NYC so I joined in for awhile. There was also a really cool bike protest going down B'way. Pretty cool and from my point of view very encougaging.
Comments
The Contumacy, a student-run conservative paper, ran some unbelievable interviews where those protesting had little idea what was going on. A sad truth I've noticed at most protests in this area and in general over the country.
It seems like these things are more of a social "happening" than a real, cause-fueled protest.
It started in front of the US embassy. I and many of the participants I know was there one year, five month and four days ago to place flowers in front of the gates.
I especially liked that all the speeches focused on the current policy of the administration but recognised the american people and the positive influence the constitution of US have had on the world.
I´ll add some pictures when I find some that do justice to the demonstration
[ 02-15-2003: Message edited by: Anders the White ]</p>
There's also a group that, when confronted will just shout very very loudly until the questioner gives up. The <a href="http://www.contumacy.org/"; target="_blank">Contumacy</a> has it on video, I'll see if I can find an online version or if I can in touch with them to see if they will put it online. Very funny, just like that on-campus thing John Stossel did a few years back.
Protest can be a great means of getting a point across. But I'm afraid that in this era of the sound-byte many folks take the intellectual standard below what our founding fathers meant by allowing for "peaceable assembly".
There have been good ones recently, but this particular one was a farce.
excerpt:
My family and almost all Iraqi families will feel hurt and anger when Saddam's media shows on the TV, with great happiness, parts of Saturday's demonstration in London. But where were you when thousands of Iraqi people were killed by Saddam's forces at the end of the Gulf war to crush the uprising? Only now when the war is to reach Saddam has everybody become so concerned about the human life in Iraq.
[ 02-15-2003: Message edited by: groverat ]</p>
<strong>
Looks more like an Anti-USA protest than an anti-war protest to me. Glad they're not ashamed to show their faces either.
[ 02-15-2003: Message edited by: Eugene ]</p>
And apparently some at the <a href="http://www.observer.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12239,896511,00.html"; target="_blank">big UK march</a> didn't either.
'I'm not political, not at all. I don't even watch the news,' said Alvina Desir, queuing on the Embankment for the start of the march at noon. 'I've never been on a march in my life and never had any intention. But something's happened recently, to me and so many friends - we just know there's something going wrong in this country. No one's being consulted, and it's starting to feel worrying - more worrying than the scaremongering we've been getting about the terrorist threat. I simply don't see how war can be the answer and I don't know anyone who does. And, apart from anything else, as a black woman in London, it feels dangerous to spread racial tension after all that's been done.'
tut tut
750,000 is the largest one ever in the British history.
Ever I heard there were more than 600 people turn up for protest in far far remote area called Lerwick in the Shetland Islands, outside north east of Scotland. :eek:
Here's the news article about these in BBC News online :-<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2765041.stm"; target="_blank">Anti War Protests</a>
Looked at the photos of people in the protest, this made me relieased that I should have gone there. Beginning to get regert for not going there???? <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> Well, never mind.
As some of you don't went to the protests in your local areas, did you felt regeretted by not going there?
Funky
<strong><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,3604,895397,00.html"; target="_blank">Counterpoint</a>
</strong><hr></blockquote>
I don't disagree with the article, but having read it, two thoughts immediately come to mind.
Firstly, I'd guess the vast majority of people in the protests are anti war, not pro Saddam. They would probably like to see Saddam deposed as much as anyone, but believe war isn't the best way to achieve it. Thousands of Iraqi people have already been killed by Saddam, killing hundreds if not thousands more during a war isn't really going to help them.
Secondly, I wouldn't expect many Iraqi people living in Britain to have taken part in the protests, simply because they aren't representative of the Iraqi people in general. For someone to have left the country of their birth and gained some form of British citizenship, their circumstances must have been exceptional, rather than the norm.
As for Saddam personally agreeing to executions, we all know Texas is the execution capital of the world, the only difference being it's done with the full consent of the law, rather than in secret.
[ 02-15-2003: Message edited by: RodUK ]</p>
edit: sorting boobs and the well informed
[ 02-15-2003: Message edited by: Matsu ]</p>
All those protests against the WTO and World Bank contain an astonishing array of special interests, from communists, to the Sierra Club, to gun lobbyists. I imagine some of these larger protests are the same thing.
Unless rioting breaks out, all's well with that though.
And Groverat really what do you expect in Texas? Isn't the school system slightly more successful than say Missisipi's? <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />
[quote]
The World Says No To War action began in Melbourne, Australia, on Friday with the biggest protest in the city's history. Over 200,000 people gathered in the streets in a massive display of dissent to any war on Iraq in the largest protests in the city's history. Read more about the demonstrations.
Over 10 million people worldwide in 603 cities are expected to rally this weekend against a war on Iraq.
<hr></blockquote>
<a href="http://www.indymedia.org"; target="_blank">indymedia.org</a>
I happen to agree with this war, but I wouldn't classify myself as a patriot. I'm a liberal hawk... or does that make me an independent thinker?
[ 02-15-2003: Message edited by: serrano ]</p>
Mike Love Not War.
My major problem with this war issue is that if we were going to get rid of Saddam, why didn't we do it years ago? Before tens of thousands of iraqi kids died and countless others having suffered irreparable developmental delays due to malnutrition. Years ago, an attack likely would have been met with support by the iraqi people, but now? After years of suffering, it's too little too late.
<strong>My major problem with this war issue is that if we were going to get rid of Saddam, why didn't we do it years ago? Before tens of thousands of iraqi kids died and countless others having suffered irreparable developmental delays due to malnutrition. Years ago, an attack likely would have been met with support by the iraqi people, but now? After years of suffering, it's too little too late.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I'm not sure it's too late, though I think politicking amoungst ourselves (not just now, but in the Clinton administration, the Un years ago, etc.) has let him sit this long. I don't see this "why not years ago?" argument as an argument against action (be it inspections, war, whatever else is left), rather a call to action.
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It seems like these things are more of a social "happening" than a real, cause-fueled protest.
</strong>
<hr></blockquote>
This guy only turned up to try and hit on chicks.
[ 02-15-2003: Message edited by: stupider...likeafox ]</p>
I have not spoken to a single person that has any respect for Bush as a world leader. Evidence of WMD "The smoking gun" has not been shown. And just think.... whilst this witch hunt in Iraq is happening Osama Bin Laden has time to regroup terror cells and plan nasty things! American war technology/intelligence has failed to stop him, and he is most definitely a threat! I'm suprised the USA has forgotten the real cause of 9/11 so quickly!
As one of the slogans said on the march: "Make tea not war" LOL
LOVE & PEACE!