German protesters call Bush 'No. 1 Terrorist'

[Rose Siding]

MAINZ, Germany, Feb 23 (Reuters) - About 12,000 protesters, many carrying banners reading "Bush go home," "No. 1 Terrorist" and "Warmonger," marched through the German city of Mainz on Wednesday, but were mostly kept away from the visiting U.S. president.

The official rally, which was twice as big as expected, never got within earshot of U.S. President George W. Bush, but a small group of protestors rushed towards his car as he left to visit a U.S. base in nearby Wiesbaden. Police wrestled several demonstrators to the ground and led them away in handcuffs, a Reuters witness said.
...
Ignoring snow and freezing temperatures, the demonstrators held banners chastising Bush in English with slogans such as: "You can bomb the world to pieces but not into peace."...
...
German police confiscated one poster that read: "We had our Hitler, now you have yours."

Some protesters praised Schroeder for his anti-war stance.
...
A force of 10,000 police officers staged one of the biggest postwar security operations. Frogmen searched the Rhine for explosives, 1,300 manhole covers were welded shut and thousands of residents were displaced.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/02/23/german_protesters_call_bush_no_1_terrorist/

[CottonBear]

1. The Germans really, really hate *.

Just imagine protests like this in the US:

"...Several protesters wearing fake U.S. army uniforms pulled a trailer with dummies of blood-covered Iraq prisoners impaled on iron bars under a banner: "We don't want your type of freedom."..."

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

12. if we had a free press we'd have protests like this here-we have lockdown-

everyone's walking around thinking everything's just A- OK-
"greatest country in the world we are", yup--they hate us for our freedom--

time to fire up the SUV and drop the kids off for soccer practice--dope-dee doh.

[gorbal]

43. WE DO have protests like that here in the US.

Because we lack a free and fair press, you didn't know that.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

57. I've been to almost EVERY protest in L.A.-we don't have protests like that

not even close to the free expression Europe has.
The fascists sent out TANKS in Westwood (near UCLA)-
Seriously, there were tanks to threaten the protestors--pics were posted on D.U.

We should have all been in the streets when the first election was rigged.
or at least when the second one was.

nope, it's dopedy doh here
like I said, here it's just "fire up the SV and drop off the kids at soccer practice!"

[lala_rawraw]

45. um...we have a

press that is not MSM, but you know enough to run out into the streets, no?

[gorbal]

62. Did you go to DNC 2000?

I moved away from LA shortly after that one.

I went to the last three major protests in NYC. Hundreds of thousands of people and almost completely uncovered by the major networks and the papers. Of course, that was NYC.:)

[Sequoia]

28. Because he reminds them so much of Hilter

[leftchick]

35. Me Too!!!

[driver8]

38. Oh man -- that is classic!! How appropriate... n/t

[twaddler01]

39. Nice

n/t

[Acryliccalico]

51. I just love this one

I would love to have a banner like that to run up the flag pole on the front of my house.

[bowens43]

2. So do American protesters

[grumpy old fart]

3. This should be the scene wherever chimp raises his head in the U.S. also.

[noahmijo]

4. I wish there were more than 12,000..probably were though

[Iterate]

20. 12,000?

I wish there were more too, but the police and the B* advance teams did a good job of limiting the numbers.

First, it was a difficult crowd to estimate. One central march with many thousands wandering around at the edge of the exclusion zone and spread out over the city center. People would move in and out of the main parade. They would leave to get coffee. To the casual observer some people there might not have appeared to be protesters, but they stood quietly, like a vigil. No doubt the press is not counting the many who protested in nearby towns.

It's the middle of the work week. Transportation was awful but the fear of gridlock kept many people away. Fear of violence kept many away. 12,000 police kept many away. I was 32F with light snow, terrible weather for here. (Eat your hear out Buffalo.)

And how motivated would Americans be to protest the visit of a European Minister?

[mojavekid]

36. Thank you for the news mainz_68

and for standing up and being counted. You are right on with your reply, as well IMO.

And by the way, Welcome to DU!:hi:

[keopeli]

58. Thanks mainz, and welcome to DU!

[AllyCat]

60. Welcome to DU Mainz!

--And how motivated would Americans be to protest the visit of a European Minister? --

Not too motivated since they all seem like actual leaders compared to *
Given the right a**hole, many of us would show, and the press would report about 10% of the actual number of attendees.

[Goathead]

5. "We had our Hitler, now you have yours."

German police confiscated one poster that read: "We had our Hitler, now you have yours."

That seems very ironic. Confiscated? Suppressing someones' right to express them self? I have heard that the mere mention of Hitler in Germany is verboten, but posters being confiscated sounds exactly like something that Hitler would have done. By the by, that poster is dead on!

[Griffy]

15. That struck me too... the Germans know what we do,bush is..

the face of fascism. Hitler didnt ever get the A bomb... bush has 1000's.. we must stop him, break the PROPAGANDA hold on the public and expose this man!

[twaddler01]

40. My mom is probably right...

She has this prophecy that * will be impeached before the end of this term...

[meganmonkey]

19. There is major sensitivity about Hitler references there

from my experience. It's probably the only thing that gets that suppression of expression in Germany.

[Sequoia]

29. Time for one of you talented types to do one up for DU!

[Glenda]

6. Here's the pic associated with that article

[Rose Siding]

14. Contrast with "Ich bin ein Berliner"

[zann725]

52. I was just thinking about that. So sad.

'Them were the days...'

[Supersedeas]

22. if only the MSM would show the 'Merikan public how the 51% is perceived

[MellowOne]

31. Do you have a link to this picture

I would like to send it to someone.

[Glenda]

32. YOu can right click on photos, then look at Properties

to find the URL.

OR, I will give it to you:
http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/AP_Photo/2005/02/23/1109181757_1823

and add .jpg to the end of it

It was on the boston.com homepage, but not there anymore

[katinmn]

7. Our new image overseas

I really, really hate the way * has turned the world against us.

[katinmn]

8. Another picture of the protesters

http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,440002,00.jpg

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

9. you won't hear about this on the "evening news" or on 60 minutes

We have a news blackout here-
The ABC news (on the radio) is running a "success" story about the pWe-di-dent's European visit.
Success?
France, Germany, and friends refuse to succumb to the will of Boosh and won't.
--look at the protests! They actually listen and abide by the "will of their people".

Lies and distortions of truth-it's all we get in our "free" country.

We deserve a free press.
At least we could have "investigative reporting".
We used to have that.
What happened?
60 minutes used to bust corruption--when's the last time you've seen that on their show?
All we get is Michael Jackson shit and Steroid Use by athletes.
Never a mention of Iraq any more.
Never a mention of any WH scandals.

And the latest " Gannon Gate " story is the biggest scandal in recent history,
and we hear absolutely nothing about it on any major news outlets.

Let's face it, we are in a totalitarian society where exposure of truth is not tolerated.

Time for a peaceful revolution.
Regime Change Now!

[Iterate]

18. not a success!

ABC better check the facts.

a quick poll here says that 66% of Germans don't believe this will change anything.

Sure, the ministers were polite to each other, some smiles even. But look closely at the nature of any claimed agreements. Nothing, nothing.

[shantipriya]

10. Protesters against BUSH

The worst thing a leader of a country can do is tarnish the country's honor and reputation in the eyes of the world.On that basis the CHIMP should be impeached and the other hawks in the Admin should br tried for treason.

[SupormomFreeAtLast]

11. bush protected even overseas

<< The official rally, which was twice as big as expected, never got within earshot of U.S. President George W. Bush, but a small group of protestors rushed towards his car as he left to visit a U.S. base in nearby Wiesbaden >>

I wonder what would happen if he actually had to face the protesters one day.

[egoprofit]

13. hating bush is a univseral language n/t

[Iterate]

16. News from the frontlines in Mainz

I just got back after a day on the frontlines in Mainz.

First, Spiegel Online http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,343310,00.html
and the previous Reuters feed (Boston.com) seem to have the best handle on things. BBC World is always somewhat clueless, so don’t always trust their accuracy when it comes to simple facts. They report “a few hundred” demonstrators. There were a few hundred people there at midnight last night.

Chalk up the minor victories:

A peaceful and diverse groups of demonstrators. Loud and colorful. A high value is placed on witty slogans and there were plenty of them. Everyone knows some things are exaggerated. So what? Plenty of speeches and folk music. We were reminded how Kennedy mixed with the crowd in Berlin. Clinton, also while President, strolled to a local restaurant in Berlin with only a few Secret Service and staff.

We didn’t hear ‘Ich bin ein Mainzer.’

As far as I know now B* was “kept out” of the of the symbolically important Gutenberg Museum (and its Bible) and the Cathedral (the Dom). Mrs. Bush visited both while the men talked politics. If this is true, it’s only because of the potential for public outrage and it denies him the symbolic link between the Radical Christian Clerics in the US and mainstream churches of Euorope.

Some Greenpeace activists managed to get a boat across the Rhein and a banner unfurled. Quickly arrested. Some others broke through a police line outside of the Wiesbaden airbase and charged the motorcade. Also quickly arrested.

The press, by-and-large, noticed the empty streets. Peace in an empty city is no victory.

The original ‘town hall meeting’ was abandoned. Instead (and probably what you are seeing), a very small group (25 or so?) of young former exchange students were lectured.

More in a later post…

[meganmonkey]

24. Thank you for your info!!!

And welcome to DU!

:toast:

[CottonBear]

25. Thank you for the report from Mainz.

We are sorry that Bu$h is there. Unfortunately, we will have him back here soon enough.

[katinmn]

47. I'm glad he was kept out of the Gutenberg Museum.

My family is German, my sirname rhymes with Mainz, and visiting the Gutenberg Museum in 2001 was a pilgrimage for me since I have worked in and studied journalism my whole life.

I have been having awful images in my mind of * roaming around Mainz ever since I learned he was going there.

[Iterate]

59. Sorry katinmn...

...but the information I have now is that they did visit the museum briefly. It was kept very quiet in the press, not part of the announced itinerary, and not confirmed until well after they had left. Laura Bush and Doris Schröder-Köpf then met with Cardinal Lehmann at the Dom for a brief organ recital. There was a short video on the evening news -very strange, pathetic really, to see them seated there, alone in that huge cathedral.

This part of the visit was heartbreaking to me as well as I also consider these places sacred in my own way and their presence there a desecration, but at least the public outrage will prevent them from using the images for political purposes. And at least they didn’t have the freedom to roam Mainz and use that to claim validation of their policies.

[katinmn]

61. Thanks for pointing out the silver lining.

They can't use the trip to Mainz as propaganda. Seems the biggest story there was the number of protesters that showed up.

Yay, Mainz!

[donheld]

49. I wish i could have been there

i wish our people would protest like Europeans.

[Jester_11218]

17. Here are the facts to back up the Germans...

http://tvnewslies.org/html/george_w__bush_-_world_s_leadi.html

They are 100% right. He is the worlds leading terrorist.

[veracity]

26. great download...! thanks

this is something that should be posted on forums all over...just to remind people of the truth....

[SomewhereOutThere424]

21. Now THAT is funny

Coming from the people who once had hitler leading them. Now it's official, we don't need to act like it's just a joke when we call bush the next hitler. ;) They know a bad leader when they see one, I'm willing to bet they're making ammends for their own past faulty governments by exploiting bush for who he really is.

[Iterate]

23. Not all ideal.

I don't want Ami's to think this was all ideal. The authorities strictly and severely limited the demonstrations. There was quibling over the size of banners that would be allowed. Certain keywords were banned from posters and speeches, i.e. 'terrorist', 'murderer',and the more understandable 'Hitler', 'Nazi', etc., a clear violation of any notion of free speech.

The 'No. 1 Terrorist' poster was marginally allowed. Some banners were confiscated.

Protesters were not allowed to form groups outside of out of the permitted protest zone, though they could, and did, walk through as individuals. They were not allowed any displays when near the edge of the exclusion zone. (To which I can personally attest)

The police presence, reportedly 12,000 in uniform, was truly intimidating, especially if you got away from the permitted area. Tanks, APCs, watercannon, smoke and CS generators, barricades. A reporter from Berlin told me that there were many thousands (he said CIA) more undercover. 150,000 could not have broken that line.

[ffm172]

56. and still

a reporter from a big German TV station just walked around and got very close (touching) the limousine from *. Hello security???? :eyes:

[Stevious]

27. yep

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/bush_germany_protest_dc

:kick:

[Laurab]

46. Rate that story up - it's up pretty high now

lets keep it that way!

:kick:

[MellowOne]

30. None of the European countries

Would let Bush as a leader happen in their countries. The people would stand up, do whatever it took to get him out of office. Why are we the people so weak and powerless?

[Art_from_Ark]

34. Well, Italy has Berlusconi

and the UK has Tony Blair

[paineinthearse]

33. Not one freekin word on the 6:30PM NBC/CBS/ABC evening news

I channel surfed until they went on to other news.

In another thread, first hand reports place the number of protesters between 12000-15000, with significant shut-downs of transportation systems.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

42. Tree.......Forest.....

If a tree falls in the forest, and nobody reports about it, did it really happen?

Frickin' American Media Bastards! It got reported on Countdown though. Token Keith.

[IndianaGreen]

44. Keith Olbermann said the German police were taken by surprise

by the size of the crowd. Keith said the cops were only expecting about 6,000 protesters, and got at least twice that number. Can't say the same about the rest of the MSM.

[rivertext]

37. good march pic from German indymedia

For more visit:

http://germany.indymedia.org/2005/02/107837.shtml

[aureolinus]

53. I still don't think anything will ever match the Bush poo flags.

Has that caught on here at all?

[bluedonkey]

41. A local station here

said * was 'warmly' received.
BWWWAAAAAAAAAAA!!

Hallo Mainz! One of my fav places in Germany.

[donheld]

48. He is the No 1 terrorist

or worse yet the world bully.

[ckramer]

50. Listen!

[GetTheRightVote]

54. It is heart warming to see that the European are not fooled by *

and is new speech pattern to hid his true agenda.

:kick:

[MrSlayer]

55. Well if anyone could recognize a terrorist/warmonger/dictator type.....

They fell for that shit once, it's not going to happen again. Good for them, too bad no one will even notice here.

[CBHagman]

63. As usual, The Washington Post tried to downplay it.

There were no pictures, of course, and Michael Fletcher's article referred to "several thousand demonstrators opposed to the war in Iraq" appearing on the streets of Mainz, Germany. "Several thousand."

Then again, when 100,000 Britons marched against Bush during his proud state visit (when he was basically sealed off from the populace), The Washington Post also acted as though there were no story there at all. A U.S. president goes on a state visit to one of the nation's closest allies, and 100,000 protest. What do they have to do to get the pooh-bahs at the Post to react?

[Iterate]

64. The theme was 'Bush Not Welcome'!

Two points about situations like this that drive me crazy when the press plays games.

First the numbers game; counts, expectations, sloppy reporters who repeat bad info and don't bother to check, reporters and officials with agendas and yes, even organizers who exaggerate. It is what it is on any given event. They don't sell tickets. No one can know for sure before time or after. Reuters in this case was more accurate and consistent than most.

Second, and much more important, when the press and officials try to redefine why 10,000-12,000 would all show up at the same place, at the same time, wearing silly costumes or drab unidentifiable clothing and carrying awkward banners.

Folks, if it was about the war they could have done it when the weather was better and the highways weren't closed.

Truth is, each person has their own set of reasons for what they do or don't do. Issues expressed on banners and posters were nearly as varied as this forum. The collective reason the organizers used was simply "Bush Not Welcome" and that's why people showed up where they did and when they did. The Washington Post and others need to respect that.

I might add that we do have a right to know one knowable number-the number of police. I would assume someone keeps track. Then our headline could read, '12,451 police prevent 9-12,000 Germans from embarrassing President Bush; 200,000 more ignore him and stay home"