Anti-war protesters spray paint Capitol building

[sabra]

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/012507/protesters.html

Anti-war protesters spray paint Capitol building

Anti-war protesters were allowed to spray paint on part of the west front steps of the United States Capitol building after police were ordered to break their security line by their leadership, two sources told The Hill.

According to the sources, police officers were livid when they were told to fall back by U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Chief Phillip Morse and Deputy Chief Daniel Nichols. "They were the commanders on the scene," one source said,who requested anonymity. "It was disgusting."

...

Approximately 300 protesters were allowed to take the steps and began to spray paint "anarchist symbols" and phrase such as "Our capitol building" and "you can’t stop us" around the area, the source said.

...

Yet, the sources who talked to The Hill were furious that protesters were not stopped before reaching the Capitol.

"To get that close to the Capitol building, that is ridiculous," the second source said. "(Police) were told not to arrest anyone."

[Name removed]

1. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[YOY]

2. Is it true or just the anarchists acting like 5-year-olds again?

Why is it you never see an anarchist over 25? Is it because they really do grow the f*** up at certain points?

[bigworld]

3. Or are the powers that be again trying

to convince the public that _all_ antiwar people are anarchist assholes , by allowing them to vandalize the capitol building?

Something's fishy about this story.

[YOY]

7. Of course...that too

n/t

[tanyev]

10. "a splinter group of Anarchists who were seeking a confrontation with police"

Maybe it was these guys.

[librechik]

16. my thoughts exactly. The cops couldn't arrest cuz those guys were FBIs

in disguise.

Just like that "NYT reporter" that went around trying to get reactions of people to the idea that protestors spit on a GI "and she saw it"--funny the spit victim turned out to be another one of the gov's willing little puppets who strangely gets spit onor the like repeatedly over several months! And strangely seeks publicity over the incidents! Isn't that strange???

Certain folks have made a career out of impersonating black bloc types. What could be easier?

[endarkenment]

30. They were not FBI in disguise

Not unless the FBI is recruiting real young these days. They were the usual anarcho-punks breaking the rules. I think 300 is a gross exageration. From what I saw the numbers were more like 50, with perhaps 100 or 200 curious folks watching the idiots.

There will always be this sort of shenanigans, the media will always blow it out of proportion, and we it seems will always fall for it and go into a spiral of self hatred.

Kids will be kids. It was just paint.

[ShortnFiery]

51. I love PUNKS! :P

At least they get attention and are not the KILLERS. :P

Irreverent and loud may be what we need to break through the Media Filter. :shrug:

[skipos]

32. Could you explain that pic to me please? nt

[Tesha]

37. Those are Republican paid activists...

Those are Republican paid activists rioting at one
of the Florida elections offices in 2000 and causing
the shutdown of the Presidential recount.

They were each later identified and tied back to
various Republican campaign committees.

Tesha

[TexasLawyer]

95. It does sound fishy

Why would there be orders from higher up to let THIS particular group cause property damage?

And why would they "spray paint" (if it was paint and not wax pencil) LAME slogans like "you can't stop us" and "our capital building"?

LAME-O

[TexasLawyer]

96. The text that goes with the numbers

This angry mob, which successfully stopped the recount in Miami-Dade County
during the 2000 election standoff, was portrayed by the media as
an uprising by Florida voters.

Here are the identities of the protesters:

1. Tom Pyle, policy analyst, office of House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.).

2. Garry Malphrus, majority chief counsel and staff director, House Judiciary subcommittee on criminal justice.

3. Rory Cooper, political division staff member at the National Republican Congressional Committee.

4. Kevin Smith, former House Republican conference analyst and more recently of Voter.com.

5. Steven Brophy, former aide to Sen. Fred D. Thompson (R-Tenn.), now working at the consulting firm KPMG.

6. Matt Schlapp, former chief of staff for Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), now on the Bush campaign staff in Austin.

7. Roger Morse, aide to Rep. Van Hilleary (R-Tenn).

8. Duane Gibson, aide to Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska) of the House Resources Committee.

9. Chuck Royal, legislative assistant to Rep. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).

10. Layna McConkey, former legislative assistant to former Rep. Jim Ross Lightfoot (R-Iowa) now at Steelman Health Strategies.

http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/blfloridagopmob.htm

[abluelady]

13. Bingo. eom

[shanti]

24. that's how i see it

they "allowed" some of them to do the spray painting, and by doing so, tarred the lot of them. veryyyyy fishy.

[seg4527]

73. they didn't just allow them

there was quite a bit of violence earlier on in the march from dupont circle. military recruitment center and a fox news van were smashed up, as well as physical skirmishes with cops. the cops probably didn't want things to get more violent than they already had.

[Mnemosyne]

34. I was over near the Reflecting Pool when these kids

were getting ready to head for the Capitol. They were completely surrounded by police, on foot, horses and motorcycles. I couldn't see them well there were so many cops around them.

They were just being loud and obnoxious. My sister overheard a cop telling another, "in 30 seconds, it happens" and by golly gee, in about 30 seconds the cops parted and the kids marched to the Capitol with most of the motor cops going to the left of the Pool and the protesters and rest of the cops going right. We had to hustle to get out of the way, it happened fast. I lost track of the mounted cops.

Something seemed wrong standing there watching before the rush. I warned my sister to get ready to move. And I agree; something smells.

Personally, my sister and I believe it seemed staged. If you really think about it, the anarchists and the repukes want the same basic thing. No government, as I understand it. Maybe it explains the kerchiefs over their faces; wouldn't want anyone recognizing them as staffers on the Hill.

Nothing is ever unimaginable with these people anymore.

[Bjorn Against]

58. Real anarchists are very, very different from Republicans...

These people are not anarchists, they are most likely Republicans who are trying to give the protesters a bad name. I am very suspicious of why the police allowed them to do this, I am willing to bet they were given permission in advance so that they could use them for propaganda purposes.

If you want to know about what anarchism really is read some Emma Goldman or Noam Chomsky, it is certainly far different than Republicanism.

[Mnemosyne]

67. My comparison is of their desire for no government. Although I

understand the repukes only want it small enough to drown in NO. I know little about anarchists, except they are usually young and passionate.

The entire thing did seem staged, imo. And there were no 300 of them either, maybe 75 - 100 at most.

[seg4527]

72. there were 300, here's a picture to prove it

you all obviously know very little about anarchists. a sad fact of America is how little they know about "radicals" who have fought the good fight when you are busy being ignorant. Read some labor union history.

[Mnemosyne]

80. I said I know little about anarchists and the group

in the picture was not the size of the group I saw. I am sure the bunch I saw was a set-up. Were you there?

[seg4527]

83. my take, plus a general reply

the capitol was rushed three times. There are many pictures of the first one, and I was there for the last one, so I can attest to both of those being legit. The one in the middle I don't know.

I was really pissed off last night when I saw all these messages, although I've calmed down a little. I'm not going to claim anything on the 2nd rushing of the capitol, but I can assume that most of them were probably the same ones from the 1st and 3rd. However, I think what happens in these situation is that people get worried when they see us, a bunch of masked punks, doing crazy stuff. That says something about the political climate for the left in the US more than anything about individuals. Storming buildings has been a tactic that people have used for centuries, as well as property destruction. The whole masked thing is relatively new, I suppose, being used in the french student protest in the late 60's, the german autonomist movements in the 80's, the zapatistas in mexico, various anti-globalization groups around the world, and in the United States from the time of the first gulf war protests in the early 90's through today, especially in the period of the late 90's through 2001, when there were many anti-globalization protests.

Anarchist organizations work with more mainstream organizations to varying degrees across the country. I'm a black bloc participant, as well as an organizer of many protests locally. I usually try to work to make sure the people are on the same page, try to keep hostilities down between the groups before the march, mobilize for the protest to make it as big as it can be, and then join the black bloc the day of and cause some ruckus towards the system.

Black bloc tactics aren't for everybody, that's obvious, just as marching around calmly for 2 hours also isnt' for everybody. I think if we eliminate suspicion and fear though, we'll go a long way together, even if we don't always agree. The tactics we use really aren't that different from many actions of the 1960's here. I've been told my lots of protest vets of the 60's that they wish they could be with us, like in the old days, but they are just to old, so take that for what it's worth.

If you have any other questions about black blocs, or anarchism in general, feel free to ask. Even if we don't agree, education and mutual respect can go a hell of a long way. For basic stuff, here are two links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchism and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_bloc

[Mnemosyne]

88. I appreciate the links seg! I am always willing to learn.

I never meant to insult you in any way! I've always believed that most anarchists are young and passionate, right on the passion, wrong on the age! I've just read a bit at the links in your post and never realized how strikingly similar my beliefs are to an anarchists.

I have been a pariah in my town since age 12 when I told off the Eastern Stars, much to the horror of my female relatives. I have never been part of society, always on the outside. The eternal quest for more and better possessions is something I've never understood either.

I'll read more shortly, very intrigued.

Thank you!

[seg4527]

90. you're welcome

i think lots of people on the left have at least a lot in common with anarchist philosophy, but of course, anarchists are portrayed a certain way, and we have to deal with that. It's kind of a bummer, we probably should have picked a different name for ourselves than a synonym for chaos, but oh well.

Lots of the black bloc types as myself are young middle class white kids, I won't argue with anything there. I think growing up as part of the "typical american dream" and knowing it plays with your psychology in a way, and when you start seeing how other people are forced to live, it's hard to control the anger.

Anarchism is a very large umbrella, by the way. We all have different beliefs in tactics and such (for example, voting: most anarchists boycott voting. i vote in local elections, because i believe you can make a big difference there. i typically vote on referendums the most, then if i have any friends running for an office, who are usually running green party, and then if there are any hotly contested races, i vote on them too. i don't think there's a problem with voting, and i don't even get upset at people voting for democrats, as long as they know that their actions and passion should never start or end simply with the voting booth) . I know a bunch of older anarchists, but they're usually the ones running the community centers and bookstores (not that the young ones don't do that either) and are less likely to be labeled anarchists by others.

The best anarchist website on the net is www.infoshop.org . It is currently offline, but should be back up within a couple of days, if you wish to bookmark it and check it out when it's back. All of the indymedia projects are mostly anarchist in nature too (www.indymedia.org us.indymedia.org dc.indymedia.org twincities.indymedia.org et cetera)

As I probably already said, feel free to PM me or anything if you ever feel like chatting about politics or have any questions. :-)

In solidarity,

Steve

[Unvanguard]

99. No, the Republicans don't, whatever they might say.

They want it huge - so that it can protect the property and interests of their rich friends. Look at what's happened under Reagan and Bush.

Anarchists, on the other hand, recognize that the traditional role of the state has been to protect the ruling class, and propose that, as such, it ought to be abolished and replaced with free and egalitarian association.

[Odin2005]

49. It also tends to be the anarchists that turn protests into riots.

At least according to a commie friend. The Anarchists will destroy some property to make a "point," thus causing the police to come down on all the protesters.

[Synnical]

71. Good for them

Don't you people remember the Battle in Seattle? The police couldn't stop some protesters from throwing a brick into a Starbucks. And then the police when all shit and bricks insane?

Gladly, the Capital Police in DC are accustomed to protests, and are very, very cool.

[ikojo]

91. I was in Seattle and witnessed some police

brutality and when the cops were done harassing a protestor they told other protestors to take care of her. They didn't offer to help with her abrasions.

[gorbal]

69. I thought of that at the last DC rally I attended

All these people were spraypanting this gigantic wall around the White House. It made me wonder if the Whitehouse was real, or just an opticle illusion. You can walk around the Whitehouse acting as suspiciously as you please, and see absolutely no one. My theory; the squirrles are secret agents.

[firefox_fan]

92. Very fishy.

Were the anarchists even for real or paid to make the anti-war movement look bad?

[ShortnFiery]

50. Well, they don't lie and kill hundreds of thousands of people, but hell,

let's hate them more than anyone else? :crazy:

[babylonsister]

4. Were they 'allowed' so all anti-war protesters could be tarnished? nt

[Little Wing]

5. Show me the pictures

[Hissyspit]

41. I will have photos of the rushing of the Capitol and from the steps later tonight or

tomorrow. I do not have any of any spray-painting, as I didn't see any. but keep an eye for my threads, though.

[Pharaoh]

6. Where are the pics?

[Mika]

8. The so called "anarchists" are the cops best friends.

That's why so many get rides to rallies in cop cars. (I saw that happen at the Miami anti FTAA rally.)

[bigworld]

9. You and can hardly get on the capitol steps on an ordinary day..

... I find it hard to believe they allowed hardcore anarchists up there on saturday if the police _weren't_ looking for a provocation.

[mcscajun]

21. Good point, and here's another:

Ever hear (or see any press coverage of) an Anarchist-only rally?

I'd bet good money against.

[Ian David]

29. Anarchists can't organize their own rally.

It's complete Anarchy every time they try.

[mcscajun]

33. Ha! You got it!

:rofl:

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

54. Ever been to an Anarchist bake sale?

No, neither have I. But I'd like to go to one.

[PassingFair]

68. You have to buy at the sale. There's no "order".

The last anarchist bake sale I went to had "cocktails", too!

[seg4527]

74. funny stuff

here in the twin cities, we have at least one bookstore, a community center, and the really really free market, where free food is brought and exchanged to whomever is willing to come.

oh, yeah, and protests are planned. especially around free trade issues, Oaxaca mexico, et cetera.

but of course, stereotypes are funnier than facts, so sorry to disturb your little laugh-in.

[NashVegas]

59. I Once Saw a Skinhead Checking Newspaper Racks for Bombs On His Way to a Protest

He'd get out of a police car, check a rack. Get back in, go down a block. Repeat.

This was during a Bush visit.

[OhioChick]

11. Interesting.......

No mention of spray paint here:


"There were a few tense moments outside the Capitol when several hundred protesters tried to rush the building. Police scuffled and wrestled with some and eventually set up barricades and a police line to keep them at bay. The protesters shouted "Our Congress!" and some carried riot shields with the slogan "U.S. out of everywhere."

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/01/27/ap3368841.html

[Old and In the Way]

12. I'm betting that this was the work of College Republicans.

The fact that they were allowed to do this tells me that this was an act meant to bring disrepute to the entire anti-war rally. Pretty strange there were no pictures. Bet their identity was meant to remain unpublicized.

[Tin Man]

15. Good point.

If the story is true, just who were these guys, and why did the Capitol police permit them to deface the Capitol?

I think I smell a rat.

[wordpix]

45. I smell a rat, too---the Capitol is one of the most well protected places in the country

The fact these "anarchists" were allowed to spray paint the Capitol steps while DC police were told to just watch and not arrest is really fishy. Follow the chain of command and it will lead to the WH and repuke Congressmen.

[Robbien]

14. This sounds like a put up story

Our government is so sick.

[stillcool]

17. I wonder...

what are anarchist symbols? And, who the no-name sources are? Very interesting little ditty.

[mcscajun]

20. Here's one symbol. And I'll believe this story ONLY when I see pics.

And not One Second before.

Put-up Job -- agents provocateurs at work. :grr:

[Auntie Bush]

22. Put up job is right. This smells like something Rove would be behind.

[stillcool]

26. thanks...I looked it up..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchist_symbolism

[NuttyFluffers]

66. yup, it screams AGITPROP. far too "convenient."

in fact, i'm going to assume now and forever, until i see evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, that all such events are gov't agitprop. it would be good to condition/prepare other people into thinking the same way. that way this nonsense will finally stop when it no longer works.

[seg4527]

75. i was there, here's my story

i didn't see the graffiti. i saw the storming of the capitol, and i saw the police force the protestors back 3 times, sometimes it got a little violent, but there were no arrests.

if you think that anyone who is bored with coming to DC, listening to jesse jackson scream keep the hope alive for 10 minutes straight, march around, go home, and never change a god damn thing is a republican, then go ahead. i suppose somehow there is logic behind it.

[Arkansas Granny]

18. If you look for this on Google News you find 3 sources. They are

The Hill, Hot Air (featuring Michele Malkin) and the Lone Star Times. I think I'm going to wait for better documentation before I believe this one.

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=paint+capitol+steps

[unpossibles]

25. sheesh. Gotta love the comments....

and I expect a flurry of angry emails about this to hit soon.

one of the comments:

The people breaking the law keep pushing the line back a little at a time and keep getting away with it. The Government keeps backing down and they keep pushing, next thing you will see is an occupation. Oh wait; the illegals have already done that.

If I did not see the picture of the Capital in the background I would have thought it was taken in one of the mid-east countries.

[jwirr]

19. For the most part those who demonstrated Sunday are not

enemies of government - just *ss government. So who were the police trying to protect? They should have stood at the entrance door where they scan people for weapons and let freedom ring on the steps.

[sakabatou]

23. I smell somthing fishy... or rep

[bigworld]

27. Calling Mr. Parlock.. Mr Parlock?

[Ian David]

28. False flag operation: FBI agents posing as Anarchists.

Still, the real Anarchists fucking suck, too.

[seg4527]

76. 40 hours work week, minimum wage, no child labor

yeah, those things all suck.

read about militant labor movements of the early 1900's and try not to be such an ignoramus, please.

[Ian David]

79. That has nothing to do with ANARCHISTS..

just because you showed-up to disrupt the labor union marches, too.

Anarchists are like seagulls-- they show up, make a lot of noise, shit all over everything, and leave.

[seg4527]

81. um, try the IWW, buddy

ever hear of it? It was actually quite a large union, with 100,000 members and many more supporters.

Back in the early 1900's, communism and anarchism had a lot of support in the labor unions, and in some present day unions, they still do.

If we're seagulls, what does that make the other 300,000 protestors? They showed up, stayed quiet, shat themselves when some people attempted to raise the stakes, and then left.

[Ian David]

82. Maybe on AnarchyUnderground.com you guys can bask in glory of dubious victories over 100 years ago.

Since then, you've done... what? Assassinate William McKinley?

[seg4527]

84. you were in a position where you were saying stuff that wasn't true

The anarchist movement isn't that strong in the US, although before 9/11 we were growing (WTO, IMF protests). We still have lots of infoshops and collectives around though.

I was simply pointing out that when you say we disrupted labor marches, you're wrong.

Maybe on idontcareaboutfactsunderground you can bask in the glory of saying stuff that's not true.

As for me, I've been here since 2000/2001ish, and I remember when people were a lot more open minded.

It makes me a little sad to see people so hostile, although I've come to expect it. I consider myself part of the underground aspect of Democratic Underground, although that aspect of it isnt' nearly as big as it used to be.

Either way, capitalist mainstream liberals weren't with anarchists/communists/leftists and others fighting the good fight back then. You guys are just always a few decades behind the times. *yawn*

[Ian David]

86. Well, you're probably right about some of that stuff, so...

I'm going to go edit the Wikipedia entry on Anarchists to make you wrong again.

So there!

:P

[Canuckistanian]

105. ROFL!

Yeah, you tell him/her!

[joshcryer]

87. I've met several anarchists here...

I wouldn't be too bummed out, most people here simply don't know what anarchism really is (for instance, I doubt many would even know that anarchism predates Marxist communism). This is not an insult to DU, it's just what happens when you have a site where thousands of people post.

But the anarchists I have met here are cool. So yeah. :D

[seg4527]

89. totally

we come in all stripes. as someone said once, you love us when we're setting up food not bombs, indymedias, infoshops, bookstores, charities, really really free markets, et cetera. As soon as we actually start to take a stand, you want to send us to the gallows. :-)

Here's also an anarchist faq http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/1931/

There are tons of examples of Anarchism in practice, from some of the Native Americans through the fight against fascism in the Spanish Civil War. As well as large movements today still in Mexico, Greece, and other countries.

And, as often shows up in the graffiti vandalism, "we are winning" :-)

[ikojo]

93. If the Gompers led American Federation of Labor

had not worked with the government to bring down the IWW, I suspect life for workers worldwide would be better. The IWW, or Wobblies as they were called, believed in ONE BIG UNION. They did not believe a union stopped at a country's borders. Just as capital knows no borders, so too should workers rights know no borders.

Only now, 100 years later, do some American unions believe in unionizing overseas workers.

[proud2BlibKansan]

31. Sounds just like the spit story

[brentspeak]

35. Where are the pictures of the graffiti -- and of the people who allegedly did this?

I have trouble believing this story without that kind of visual proof.

[KansDem]

38. I agree...

Approximately 300 protesters were allowed to take the steps and began to spray paint "anarchist symbols" and phrase such as "Our capitol building" and "you can’t stop us" around the area, the source said.

Since when?

When Bush wanted his war with Iraq, I remember critics being rounded up and sent to "first amendment zones." There was virtually no coverage of these protesters. Yet, when Bush wants his war with Iran and a majority of Americans want to pull out of Iraq, we see published reports about "anarchists" spray-painting the walls of Congress?

I don't think so...

[Judi Lynn]

40. It would have been an easy matter for SOMEONE to get a photo,

considering how many people were there who brought their cameras to record the day's events.

[screembloodymurder]

42. When did this happen?

We met on the steps at 4:00 p.m. I searched the steps for my friends for 15 minutes and saw no graffiti. I sat on the steps for half an hour and never saw any graffiti. There were fifty cops on the steps and many more under the building. Where are the pictures?

[wordpix]

46. note what they painted: "Our Capitol building" and "you can't stop us." Sounds like repukes to me

[seg4527]

77. here's a picture of the group marching

but a little after they started the march.

again, i was there,didnt' see any graffiti, but it could have happened.

[Dancing_Dave]

36. Nice to see that creative spirit!

We've gotta let young people express themselves in this movement and have their little adventures! ;-)

[ShortnFiery]

39. "To get that close to the Capitol building, that is ridiculous," the second source said.

Almost as ridiculous as killing nearly 3100 of our troops and 650,000 Iraqi citizens due to our Executive Branch's LIES. :eyes:

[Freddie Stubbs]

43. Did anyone notice the name of the author of this story?

[mcscajun]

55. Now that is *truly* odd.

[Toucano]

56. Jackie is Dennis's daughter. n/t

[IndianaGreen]

44. As an institution, Congress failed the American people and it is a joke!

A real Congress would be holding impeachment hearings right now on the lead up to the Iraq War, and the lies Bush and Cheney told for their war of choice. The Capitol steps are drenched with the blood of the martyrs killed by American avarice in Iraq and elsewhere.

[MagickMuffin]

47. SOP for Psy-Ops mind control

This is nothing new when it comes to large protests. The Feds have been doing this for decades.

If this story were true then someone would have taken pics to prove it. I don't take anyone's word for anything like this without having visual proof.

SHOW ME THE DAMN PICTURES........

Also no Major news outlet is reporting on this, so my guess is this is more of the RW ILLUSIONS, or should I rephrase that to read DELUSIONS!


Upon looking at the author of the article for The Hill is Jackie Kucinich! She is Dennis' daughter. I in the process of emailing her to ask "why no pics?"

[MagickMuffin]

48. I called Dennis Kucinich's office in DC

I explained I was needing confirmation concerning the article by JK. He said he didn't know anything about it.

So, before I hung up I asked "Wouldn't it be BIG NEWS around the Capitol that it had been defaced?"
His response was YEA, it probably would be BIG NEWS....

Ah well, as I said before "SHOW ME THE PICS"

[dysfunctional press]

52. if they can pull off a 9/11....

staging a capitol spray-painting would be a piece of cake.

[INDIA]

65. HA! Good one! n/t

[annabanana]

53. BS. . claim a youtube posting.... none found...

none linked...

100% BS

[Guaranteed]

57. Really hoping this isn't true. Of course

it's entirely possible that it isn't.

[superconnected]

60. calling anarchists "anti-war protestors" is making all anti-war protestors look bad.

Who funded these articles? Who let the anarchists though.

Gawd it looks like a setup to make the dems look bad.

[Unvanguard]

100. Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm an anarchist. I was also at the protests Saturday (though not involved with any other anarchists, and not part of this action.)

What am I, if not an anti-war protestor? I really would like to know, so that I can stop propagating this deception.

[struggle4progress]

61. Spray paint can be quite difficult to remove from porous masonry surfaces ...

... such as the Capitol's West front marble steps, where this allegedly occurred and where foot-traffic and weathering might be expected to produce a fairly absorbent stone. The fact that these alleged defacings are no longer there, having supposedly been removed almost immediately, might reasonably raise some question about what actually happened.

Removing Graffiti from Historic Masonry
http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/TPS/briefs/brief38.htm

[MaggieSwanson]

62. It wasn't spray paint.

I saw what looked like grease pencil graffiti on the steps of the capital building. I wish now that I had photographed it. It was decidedly NOT spray paint.

Here are some photos of the Anarchists preparing to surge the People's house (Whose House? OUR House!)


On their way to the Capital...


Look behind me, they have gone through the barricades.


Thanks to them, I got to stand here:


And not way over here:


I wish I had gone over with them.

-Maggie

[joshcryer]

64. Good post! Anarchists rock, no?

They don't cede to authority like so many other "protestors" do. What would be the point if all we did was walk around under *their* guidelines? Anarchists are the ones tearing down the free speech zones, not the "liberals."

BTW, you're a cutie. :D Thanks for sharing.

[seg4527]

78. thank you so much

people like you make DU rock!!!!

They wound up storming the capitol 3 times, i was there for the last one.

As you can see above, some people really pissed me off in this topic. So thanks for cheering me up, Maggie. :-)

[joshcryer]

85. Thanks for the defense here...

I wrote I guess an insulting thing to the first reply to the OP, who had said "I wish peace protestors beat up these idiot anarchists" and the whole subthread got deleted. I was pretty pissed but just refrained from posting because it's just astounding how people are calling anarchists RW plants! Impossible!!!

[Unvanguard]

101. Can you give me an approximate time?

I'm curious... I noticed nothing until I read the reports afterward.

[Canuckistanian]

104. "US OUT OF EVERYWHERE", I love it!

Great pics.

[superconnected]

63. The whole point is the last sentence -

"Tens of thousands of people rallied on the Mall and the Capitol complex Saturday in protest of the increased troop deployments and the war in Iraq."


Anything to spoil the war rally and make the rallying people look like "anarchists". It's clearly the rethugs. Guess what they're trying to replace the war rally news with - this.

[Synnical]

70. I sent Ms. Kucinich this letter

Dear Ms. Kucinich,

I'm skeptical of this news item. Is there any photographic proof of this "spray painting"? Because as far as I've viewed, and I've viewed many photos and videos from the January 27th Anti-War March and Rally there is no evidence to support this piece. Even the so-called "anarchists" at DC Indy Media report no such action.

http://dc.indymedia.org/


Thanks for any response.

CFS
-Fort Lauderdale, FL

[Synnical]

94. Her response

Chief of Police Philip Morse statement:
“While there were minor instances of spray painting of pavement by a splinter group of Anarchists who were seeking a confrontation with the police, their attempts to breach into secure areas and rush the doors of the Capitol were thwarted,” Morse said. “ The graffiti was easily removed by the dedicated AOC staff, some of whom responded in on their day off to quickly clean the area.”

Thanks for reading.
Best,
Jackie

Okey-dokey then. No, there is no evidence beyond Morse's statement.

[TexasLawyer]

97. 'Spontaneous' Mob Violence

Once you learn about this, you'll believe similar "mob" stories:

In Florida, the Bush campaign quietly organized "rent-a-rioters" and flew them to Florida from all over the country. While disingenuously portraying the protests as "spontaneous grass-roots efforts," the Bush campaign sent special squads of GOP Congressional staffers who, in several instances, led violent attacks on Democratic observers, smashed windows, and tried to force their way into vote-counting rooms. This was not civil disobedience intended to show disagreement, but a concerted attack designed to threaten and intimidate. 38

Shortly after the election, the Bush campaign began a two-pronged program to import as many protesters into Florida as they could. The first prong was done openly: phone-trees reached out across the country to coax party loyalists to head down and fight Al Gore's "theft" of the election. This much is standard political fare. What was unusual was the more discreet second prong.

Under the direction of House Republican Whip Tom DeLay (of Texas, mind you), staff members of GOP Congressmen were quietly approached with offers of all-expenses-paid trips to Florida, "all paid for by the Bush campaign." 39 In addition to staying in swanky beach-side hotels, part of their reward would be an exclusive Thanksgiving Day party in Ft. Lauderdale.

According to the Wall Street Journal, more than 200 Congressional staffers signed on, with many of them staying in Florida for over a week. "Once word leaked out," said one GOP operative, "everybody wanted in." 40 (Kulish & Vandehei, Wall Street Journal 11/27/2000, op. cit.)

<snip>

http://www.lumpen.com/coup2k/framer.html?pg=7

[western mass]

102. FBI agents provocateurs...

A tried and true FBI tactic against the left going back to the 60's. Of course they weren't *all* FBI agents: it only takes one. Why do you think the police would let this happen as opposed to smashing some heads?

Of course they're using them again. Look no further than the FL "terrorist cell" case...

[Unvanguard]

98. Is that supposed to be bad, or something?

:shrug:

[Canuckistanian]

103. Agitators

That was my first thought. Aided and abetted by the USCP, I see now.

[rocktivity]

106. I KNEW there was something peculiar about this story!

A "gang" of "liberal terrorists" graffitis the Capitol building during a "peace march," and it WASN'T the lead story in the MSM, plus the subject of a miniseries on Fox? Well, if the demonstrators had legal "permission" to do it (regardless of how the cops felt), then NOBODY BROKE THE LAW, DUH!!!

:headbang:
rocknation