Thousands rally on anniversary of invasion of Iraq (carried signs that read "Indict Bush Now")

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By MATTHEW BARAKAT

WASHINGTON (AP) - Thousands of protesters carried signs that read "Indict Bush Now" and flag-draped cardboard coffins on Saturday urging the immediate withdrawal of all troops sent into combat overseas.

Protesters rallied at Lafayette Park across from the White House and then began marching through downtown seven years after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Seven protesters, including activist Cindy Sheehan, were arrested after the rally. Stops on the march route include military contractor Halliburton, the Mortgage Bankers Association and The Washington Post offices.

The protest - which calls for the immediate withdrawal of troops sent to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan - drew a smaller crowd than the tens of thousands who marched in 2006 and 2007. But organizers said many more people have become disenchanted with President Barack Obama, who has pledged to withdraw troops from Iraq, because he ordered more troops into Afghanistan.

Sheehan began shouting "arrest that war criminal" through a bullhorn and pointing to the White House from an area of sidewalk park police had closed off Saturday afternoon. The other six protesters were among a group of more than a dozen who had lain down on the sidewalk next to the row of cardboard coffins.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20100320/D9EIJCEO0.html

[gimama]

1. FINALLY! Some freakin-msm-coverage!

Thank YOU for the post & link!

[xxqqqzme]

2. "...drew a smaller crowd than the

tens of thousands who marched in 2006 and 2007..." You would never know that from the reports filed at the time. You only knew that if you were part of the demonstrations.

[gimama]

3. YOU are SO right on!

& I feel like NOTHING has changed,
media- wise,
or accountability-wise,
or POLICY-
WISE..

nothing except the national debt,
Nation's depression, & BODY COUNTS..

[mother earth]

4. Thank you!!! By all means it is way past time for indictment.

But let's not limit it to Bush, the whole Cheney-led lying, treasonous cabal must be indicted, and that would include a host of other accessories to the crime, including Rumsfeld for sure. The bums are still profiting from the crimes they have committed, and there's several that continue to be perpetrated. Why has there been no action on this front?

They think they will continue by stealing another election in 2012 and having Dick's evil spawn in the WH, for yet another round? Liz is spewing for a reason, they want more time to do the country in and they think they can pull it off, and why not, they've gotten away with all of their crimes so far.

K & R, this screams out for justice!

[gimama]

7. Yeppers!

Ck these out..
www.indiegogo.com/bush
Vince Bugliosi(prosecuted manson) is serious about going after these traitorous bat rastards..please share widely!
www.indictbushnow.org (signs)
www.prosecutegeorgebush.com

BELIEVE.

[robinblue]

5. "People are getting used to the war, and don't bother even to think about it anymore." for the

part, I think Hoang is right.




...........Later, activist and former U.S. presidential contender Ralph Nader said there has been no real difference in American foreign policy since Obama's election.

"He's kept Guantanamo open, he's continued to use indefinite detention, he refuses to pay for the war," Nader said.

In New York City, there were far fewer protesters at a similar rally. A few dozen enthusiastic protesters gathered near a military recruiting station in Times Square, though they were far outnumbered by uninterested tourists.

A group of older women calling themselves the Raging Grannies sang, "The country is broke, this war is a joke." Four demonstrators evoked images of the U.S. detention camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by dressing in orange uniforms and wearing black hoods.

Liz Proefriedt, a retired Roman Catholic nun, held up a banner that read, "Bread not bombs."

"It's sad that a lot of people did not come out for this protest," said Kathy Hoang, of Manchester, Conn. "People are getting used to the war, and don't bother even to think about it anymore."

[gimama]

8. Others are obsessed by it..

not an hour passes without
worry, sadness & anger this is STILL happening.
I'm 1 of those..it won't be over for ME,
till ALL Our Troops are HOME,
& the war criminals are prosecuted.

I Work, walk, pray, & enVision THAT sweeet day!

Hey, welcome to DU, YOU!

:hi:

[robinblue]

25. Thanks, and I think about about

the wars almost daily also. Sometimes I bring up the conversation with friends and it is as if the war is over. We do not hear often of the explosions and deaths of a few years ago and the evening news seldom covers it anymore.

[Kolesar]

10. Nader is wrong again

President Obama has been removing our armies from Iraq.

[TheWatcher]

23. No, he hasn't.

We have promises of time tables for removal that seem to keep expanding.

6 Months, 16 Months, 19 Months, 23 Months.

Don't kid yourself.

We are NEVER leaving Iraq.

Ever.

And within 2 years we will probably be at war again, whether it be Iran, Yemen, Somalia, or wherever the "men in caves" who are trying to "get us" are.

It's all a big joke.

Unfortunately, the joke is on us.

[Kolesar]

24. The US armies are under 100,000 in Iraq--way down from even the "presurge" time...eom

[Rage Inc.]

11. K&R

[gimama]

6. hmm, ONLY "7 arrested..including Cindy Sheehan"..

Hey, that's dang goood, out of "thousands"..
prob'ly more tbaggers arrested today;)

WE ought to have a contest,
& name the OTHER 6 PEACE Activists arrested!
:woohoo:

[EFerrari]

27. Notice, no arrests for the assault on that Congressman yesterday.

[gimama]

28. I KNOW..!

I've been kinda ticked off/worried,
that ALL the msm coverage/attention goes to tbaggers,
ALL the popo attention goes to NON-violent PEACE Activists.

HUH?!?

[EFerrari]

29. Now I'm wondering it that's right because LiberalLoner mentioned

there had been an arrest. There's a lot going on right now. :)

[gimama]

9. kick for PEACE & JUSTICE!

Sure could use some o' THAT!

[midnight]

12. Anti-war protesters rally near White House; 5 arrested

Source: Political Ticker

Posted: March 20th, 2010 05:49 PM ET

From CNN's Brian Rokus

Anti-war protesters took to the streets of Washington on Saturday.

Washington (CNN) - Chanting "We are the change," hundreds of anti-war protesters gathered across from the White House on Saturday, the seventh anniversary of the war in Iraq.

More than a dozen speakers, including politician Ralph Nader and anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan, addressed the crowd before the group marched through Washington. Protesters delivered symbolic coffins draped with international flags to the offices of Halliburton - a controversial energy services company once helmed by former Vice President Dick Cheney - and the White House.

Police arrested five people after they laid down by the coffins in front of the White House.


Saturday's crowd carried signs including "Indict Bush now" and "We need jobs and schools not war."

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/20/anti-war-protesters-rally-near-white-house-5-arrested/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+rss/cnn_politicalticker+(Blog:+Political+Ticker)&fbid=1qlcZCPmtxG

---

This comment if headed would save so many lives and money...."War is bankrupting this country," said marcher Lisa Savage, who had traveled from Maine where she says her local school district is more than $1 million short on its budget.

[npk]

13. So how many teabaggers were arrested

For inciting a riot. I guess that would be a big fat 0

[wildflower]

14. I was wondering the same thing n/t

[alp227]

16. Hmm...today a Teabagger got arrested (sorta)

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., said he was a few yards behind Lewis and distinctly heard "nigger."

"It was a chorus," Cleaver said. "In a way, I feel sorry for those people who are doing this nasty stuff - they're being whipped up. I decided I wouldn't be angry with any of them."

Cleaver's office said later in a statement that he'd also been spat upon and that Capitol Police had arrested his assailant. The statement praised the police, who Cleaver said escorted the members of Congress into the Capitol past the demonstrators.

"The man who spat on the congressman was arrested, but the congressman has chosen not to press charges," the statement said.

Source: Tea party protesters hurl racial insults at Georgia Rep. John Lewis, McClatchy

Some past incidents,

In April 2009 in Detroit, a Teabagger got arrested for protesting in the middle of a road.

Source: Tea Party Protestor Arrested in Middle of Road, WXYZ-TV

In November 2009 in San Francisco, some teabaggers were arrested for "unlawful entry and disorderly conduct" outside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's district office. Interestingly, one of the protesters was John Ratzenberger, who played Cliff Clavin on the '80s sitcom Cheers.

Source: Tea Partiers heckle police as protesters arrested, Raw Story

Just search Tea Party arrested on Google, you'll find more. :)

[npk]

18. Thanks for the info. n/t

[vincenzoesq]

15. How come

...we couldn't get any coverage when thousands of us marched against Bush's war, but with President Obama in office, protests are newsworthy?

[alp227]

17. Good point

The media is too obsessed with the astroturfed Tea Party movement but not movements really made by the people like anti-war protests.

See also,

For major papers, 9-12 march -- but not Iraq war protest -- warranted front-page coverage, by Media Matters

Media: Angry right-wingers are important; angry libs are annoying, column by Eric Boehlert of Media Matters

Generally, the media has gotten so intimidated by (mostly silly) accusations of liberal bias, corporate control, public relations firms, and government pressure that it usually dumbs down the story or sneaks right-wing spin as fact.

[frylock]

19. you already know why..

but quite frankly I don't care if it were my mother in the WH. I'm glad to finally see some damn protests. The more coverage the better.

[Lorien]

20. So let me get this straight. The teabaggers can do this:

Threaten violence against the President and Dems. But protesting the war is verboten??

WHO IS IN CHARGE HERE??

[TomCADem]

21. D.C. antiwar march draws thousands on seventh-anniversary of Iraq invasion

Source: Washington Post

Thousands of demonstrators protested the seventh anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq on Saturday in a march through downtown Washington. Many expressed concern that health care and the dismal economy have begun to overshadow the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Other protesters said they wanted to contrast the financial cost of the wars with money needed for health care, job growth, and cash-strapped local governments and school systems.

"A huge part of the antiwar movement has been focused on the Bush administration and its policies in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Brian Becker, national coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition, which organized the march. "Bush is gone. Millions of people thought his exit would mean an end to these wars. Instead, after one year of real-life experience, they're far from ending."

***
Carrying signs saying "Healthcare not warfare" and "Drop tuition, not bombs," the group shouted "Money for jobs and education, not more war and occupation!" and "Troops out now!" as construction workers and tourists looked on. At Halliburton, protesters ripped apart a dummy of former vice president Richard B. Cheney and trampled the pieces.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/20/AR2010032002876.html

---

So, why is the corporate media highlighting a smaller anti-healthcare reform rally, while ignoring an anti-war rally? It seems that Fox News must have missed this anti-war, pro-health care reform rally, so I guess it did not happen. Instead, people are more concerned about stopping health care reform apparently.

[CC]

22. Because they are backed by the right wing

politicians and the Saudi News Network (AKA Fox).

[gimama]

26. Kick ..PEACE actions continue..nt