Palatka Protest: Picture Front Page, above the Fold.

[Jeanette in FL]

http://www.palatkadailynews.com/articles/2007/01/12/news/news01.txt

Weary of War: Small group meets at bridge to protest escalating troops to Iraq
By Ron Bartlett


A handful of protesters angry with President Bush’s recent escalation of the war in Iraq showed their displeasure Thursday afternoon, waving signs at passing cars heading south on Memorial Bridge.

The rally was a local effort organized by Robert Svetlik in conjunction with Moveon.org, a national political action group.

Moveon members were encouraged to form emergency protest sessions throughout the nation, a reaction to President Bush’s Wednesday night announcement that troop strength in Iraq would be increased by 21,500. According to Svetlik, the Memorial Bridge rally was just one of 300-400 held across the nation Thursday.

“This is an immediate response to Bush’s speech last night, Svetlik said. “We will be holding a major rally against the war on Jan. 27 in Washington D.C.”

Jeanette Boris said after coming home from a hard day’s work she was infuriated to tune in and hear President Bush announcing troop increases in Iraq. She came from Florahome to attend the protest.

“I had to find some way to express myself,” she said. “It’s time for regular people to put boots on the ground and tell this president ‘No more! I’ve had enough.’”

Boris said she joined Moveon.org after finding frustration with the current administration on many different topics and compared Bush to Nixon in terms of secrecy. She added that Bush has crossed boundaries that were considered sacred by the founders of this country.

“The government works for us, not the other way around,” she said. “This administration has taken it to a whole different extreme. Now he wants to send 20,000 more kids. It will be over my dead body before my two grandkids go fight a war over oil.”

Svetlik agreed that the war was about oil first and foremost. He said he also believes that American interference in an Iraqi civil war can have no clean, clear resolution.

“The Arab nations as a rule don’t like foreign occupiers,” Svetlik said. “We have no business interfering in their political struggle. I think the 3,000 people who have died over there are more or less relieved. It’s the 20,000 that come back home maimed and disfigured that have to suffer. It’s pathetic.”


www.moveon.org, a political action organization, professes to bring Americans back into the political process. Some of its previous causes were Social Security protection, saving funding for Public Broadcasting and National Public Radio and a long-standing challenge of the war in Iraq.

It professes three million members throughout America and nearly 150,000 in Florida.

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[hippiechick]

1. Good for you!

:applause: