Inauguration Day photos and some comments about the amazing day

[zulchzulu]

I've been in crowds... big crowds... Mardi Gras parades... huge concerts... but nothing can even compare to the number of people I saw this past Inauguration Day.

It started off at the Metro Orange Line where the station was closed and several hundred people were waiting to get in line to go down a couple escalator lanes. There wasn't really anything being announced by security other than that no one was going anywhere.

The lines kept forming and suddenly someone said another option was to take a bus that would go into town. The bus quickly filled with people as I figured it was at least some progress. I wouldn't be surprised if the train station I was waiting at never got anyone downtown (the Burston stop near Falls Church, VA). Once we got into DC, there were some extremely crowded yet operating Metro stations.



Once anyone got down to the Metro line, it was nothing but a controlled chaos with hundreds of people trying to pack into the trains or trying to get out of the station to begin the walk to where the action was.



Once we got out of the train at the Federal stop near the Capital, there were hints that it was going to be incredibly long lines of people. It was block after block after block of people of all races, creeds and ages with many in wheelchairs or with canes and crutches.

There seemed to literally be no end to the lines after walking block after block. We had Silver tickets, which were in the region near the wading pool and where the first Jumbotron on the left was located.



There were crowds coming from all directions and were, for the most part, very orderly.



After much trepidation, confusion and frustration, we eventually were making it into the security zone.



After people eventually got through security after being in the 20 degree cold for several hours, many cheered as they then tried to find a spot to see the Inaugural ceremonies.



Once finding a reasonable spot kind of near the Jumbotron, albeit having a couple trees blocking the view, it was just amazing to see how so many people were there. The closest audio speakers were at least several hundred yards away, so the festivities sounded like a massive echo chamber with voices and music bouncing off the buildings.

I did turn my back when Warren spoke, but it seemed like others just went ahead and listened to him. Although it sounded odd for some reason, Obama's swearing in and Roberts' failure to do his job swearing Obama in were not evident until we all made it to a bar on Pennsylvania Avenue to watch the parade.



I tried capturing the crowd size, but you really had to be there to see the massive turnout.



Every direction around me had what turned out to be a couple million people.



I was able to get some photos of the Jumbotron and some of the classic moments.



Fortunately the Jumbotron had subtitles because it was pretty difficult hearing what was happening clearly.



Reverend Lowery's closing statement in the Benediction was captured in subtitles.



Once the ceremony was done, people slowly started filing out and tried to make it home. It would take many hours before it wasn't just endless lines of people.



As the crowd was thinning out, I noticed a woman who was in bad health who was in a wheelchair. I talked to her and hugged her as best I could when she said she wouldn't miss seeing the Inauguration for the World.



As the Inauguration swearing-in ceremony ended, it was amazing not only watching a smooth and peaceful transition of power, but also seeing how so many people peacefully assembled to see history in the making.

Would I do it all again? Absolutely... just with better tickets and I'd stay in downtown DC and not commute in from Virginia!

[OhioBlue]

1. wow - that was just awesome to read

and to see the pics. thank you so much for your post!

[zulchzulu]

3. I could write a book about the experience...

... maybe I'll share more later... thanks for checking it out!

:hi:

[patrice]

2. I have been fascinated by the voice of the Crowd in the recording that Air America Radio got,

which I downloaded to my iPod and have been listening to the whole thing over and over. At first I thought there were echoes of the crowd's roar, but then I decided, from paying closer attention to the timing, that what I was hearing was the back of the crowd reacting to information that had been received a few seconds previously by the front of the crowd.

On a day of truly awesome events, the voice of that Crowd at focal moments in the proceedings, is indeed another amazing experience.

Thanks very much for the pics!

[zulchzulu]

4. The crowd cheering during the event was amazing, yet you'd never know it...

... from the coverage I watched later.

When Lieberman was shown on the Jumbotron, there were perhaps a million people booing. I have it on video and will upload soon. When Bush and Cheney were announced, people were singing "sha-na-na-na na-na-na-na hey.... goodbye..." It was a hoot.

[patrice]

8. I didn't get to hear that stuff. I was at work, so I only got to watch the actual swearing-in.

I think Thom Hartmann made the recording that I downloaded from AAR. He was within 30' of the President, so he captured the sound of the Crowd from up front. He could also clearly see Bush & Cheney.

My mind climbs all over the President's speech every time I listen to it again and I've listened to it several times now. Pure poetry!

[zulchzulu]

25. I heard about Hartmann's audio and will try to post it... n/t

[EraOfResponsibility]

9. Where can I get that? I want to hear it too

[patrice]

12. Thom Hartmann's Jan 20th show for Air America Radio(AAR)

I haven't looked, but I'd bet it is one of the free downloads at http://airamerica.com/

I subscribe to AAR, so I get auto-downloads to iTunes for my iPod, but you can also live stream AAR real time, for free, through the Radio function in iTunes.

AAR and Thom Hartmann in particular is/are THE BEST!

[EraOfResponsibility]

14. I did a search; it isn't there :(

[patrice]

15. They're there . . .

http://airamerica.com/ondemand/show/6624

Look for the ones dated 1/20/09. They are pieces of the whole show. The whole show for that day is available to subscribers but there are 6 separate out-takes dated 1/20/09 that are available for free.

[zulchzulu]

18. I recorded some video and will upload soon...

The audio is pretty wild... echoey... but you can hear the crowd cheering during certain parts...

[patrice]

20. I'll watch for it.

. . . thinking about how all of these sources of information, different media, some of them highly polished, others more natural, all of it builds up a sense of these events that is more visceral. I watched only just the concert and then the oathes and the President's speech on TV. Everything else I have picked up from the internet, so I am thinking about the difference between the effects of TV compared to wild organic media . . .

Not sure what this means yet, other than they ARE different and I DO feel a difference in what I'm taking away from the experience.

[zulchzulu]

24. It's on YouTube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pehW81Y0lg

[WolverineDG]

23. I was at the Washington Monument

the audio & video weren't in sync. :) It was weird seeing the President's mouth move & hearing Robert's voice at the same time. Like I was in some weird Japanese Godzilla movie. ;)

dg

[NYC_SKP]

5. Sweet! Thanks! Recommended! And, did you take a head count?

Some say lots of people, some say lots and lots and lots.

Thanks for the pictures, too!

[zulchzulu]

7. It was impossible to get a head count... it was just thousands and thousands of people...

I was near the front in the Silver seating area. That was just jammed and I think a LOT of people who were in line never actually made it into the area to see the event.

The National Mall was just crammed with people, all standing and all next to each other. The head count I heard so far is 2 million people, although I really think it was even more.

[Aloha Spirit]

19. If nobody counted, then it might have been closer to a trillion people.

I was there in an invisible hologram format.

[Joe the Liberal]

6. Great pics......

thanks for sharing :thumbsup:

[zulchzulu]

21. Photos don't do the massiveness of it justice...

I wish my camera had the ability to seam photos together... my video stuff will be online later and that gives it a little more of what it was like...

[firedupdem]

10. Wow! I love these pictures. It really makes those of us who had

to stay at home feel like we were there! Thank You!

[mopinko]

11. i will try to get mine up tomorrow.

tired, and happy to be home right now, but what a fucking day. we the people took our country back. no doubt about it.

[patrice]

13. Thanks for showing up for the rest of us! Each and every one of you was Needed.

I imagine it was difficult and tiring. I know it was when Obama came to Kansas City, but it was well worth the effort.

Much MORE so for the Inauguration!

:hi:

[zulchzulu]

17. Going to this was like participating in a running marathon race...

...with all the walking, standing, the cold, the mental stress of being in the middle of massive crowds... but was SO worth it to go to... and yes, we did indeed take our country back!

[sohndrsmith]

16. Awesome. Rec'ed and many thanks... n/t

[zulchzulu]

22. Some video of what I saw in now online

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x264176

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pehW81Y0lg

[fortyfeetunder]

26. Let's aim for 2013

you have some great lessons learned from this.
Thanks for sharing the pictures!