Anti-War Activists Line Fifth Avenue In Silent Protest

[Robbien]

Each person represented one soldier killed in Iraq by holding up a small sign with the soldier's name, age and hometown. The line stretched from 8th Street all the way up to 75th Street.

The group United for Peace and Justice is behind the event. Protestors say the line helps demonstrate the effect the war is having.

"I think the effect is to make people realize or to say to our neighbors that we care not only about this not only in terms of a political action, but also the personal, that this is a very personal action," said Rachel Dearagon.

"I think it makes it a lot more obvious to people. You can hear a number, but to actually see the number in front of you, to see people that are in effect dead, standing in front of you, it's really powerful," said Jordan Maki.

"Just out here, just so people know what a horrible job Bush is doing, with the whole everything," said Michael Gilhool. "The way the war's being run and just to let people be aware of all the soldiers who've died and the innocent civilians who've died in Iraq. It's a travesty."

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=62678

[AX10]

1. kick

[blm]

2. Thankyou citizens

.

[Cha]

3. THank you New Yorkers!

I love that City..I couldn't live there but admire those who do..and now look what they're doin'!

[uppityperson]

4. Good way to make a point of the numbers.

Try counting out pennies, or beans. See how it is. For me, the first couple hundred were numbers being counted, then it started to get me that each of these was a dead person.

[RufusEarl]

5. Well done New York !

[patrice]

6. I like the smart Sustainable scale of such demonstrations too.

Not that BIG demonstrations don't have a place, but we need more demonstrations more often, and this size is more doable for more people everywhere.

Thanks New York!

[babylonsister]

7. Now that's a statement! I heart New York! nt

[RangerSmith]

8. Very wise and effective! /nt

[VegasWolf]

9. Wouldn't it be nice to have a non CHICKENSHIT NY SENATOR there to

support them.

[leQ]

10. their website hasn't posted any pics... did anybody here go?

did you take pics? i'd sure love to see how it went.

[ShockediSay]

11. Any MSM coverage?

Or do they act like it's a non-issue.

I think MSM ownership in the issue here.

[mnhtnbb]

12. Good for New York!

[ZaiusNation]

13. Constitutional Rights: It's not like you were using them anyway

[Judi Lynn]

14. Wonderful idea. Hope it will be repeated in other places.

Reminding people real people are involved, pointing out it's something they should care about is surely not a waste of time.

Enough reminders they can't quickly dismiss may have a real impact.

[ClintonTyree]

15. That's wonderful, however..........

New York State and New York City, in particular, aren't the best places to hold a rally such as this. They're preaching to the choir. Demonstrations such as these need to be held in Red States, Red Cities, across America. Bush enablers across the land need to be awakened from their "terror funk", need to be shown the human cost of Bush's Folly. They'll never be able to grasp the monetary costs but perhaps a demonstration such as this in "the heartland" (how I loathe that word) would be helpful in showing them the number of lives wasted in Bush's own private war.
Don't get me wrong. I applaud, "United for Peace and Justice's" attempts to demonstrate the lunacy so pervasive in the White House. I only question their venue. This will go unnoticed in "the heartland", the people we MUST reach if we're to break the chains of the Republican monopoly on our government.

[Karenca]

16. I agree

We do not need to remind our neighbors in NYC about this administration's atrocities.

Unfortunately, we ARE preaching to the choir.

[glitch]

17. I think silent protests are the most powerful. I would've loved to have

been in on this one. I would also like to see a kind of performance art where people are just walking down the sidewalk, looking like normal pedestrians, and on cue they all shout something, like "Impeach!" all together, not even breaking pace. Or some other synchronized action, like the waves people do in stadiums, only on the streets.
Wouldn't that be so cool?

[KurtNYC]

18. About 6 months back I suggested

that a protest could be done where each person holds a picture of a fallen soldier and we stand about 10 feet apart from lower broadway as far up the street as it stretched. So of course I think this is a great idea. Glad to see it got coverage.

[twaddler01]

19. GOOD

:thumbsup: