Congressman Jim Moran (D) is praising Protestors saying they are doing

[KoKo]

what makes America Great by being out there standing up for their rights. Because you were willing to STAND UP and SPEAK OUT YOU create an American deserving of its heritage...etc.

Large crowd on the mall chanting USA...USA...USA

I have mixed feelings about this. Remembering all the thousands who protested in DC and all over America to stop the Iraq Invasion and to protested it after it started.

Who stood up for us? Who stood up with us to stop Iraq Invasion? Dennis Kucinich and a few members of the Black Caucus...

I'm glad these people are protesting....but what about the rest of us who protested for years. :shrug:

[mdmc]

1. more anti-war protesters are needed

:kick:

[in_cog_ni_to]

2. They don't care about us. What they care about is themselves

and whether or not they will be reelected. Period....End of subject.:(

[0007]

4. Which ever way the wind blows...greed and power and fuck the people.

[adriennui]

3. pathetic, no?

illegal immigration, yes. iraq war....who gives a damn. our priorities are seriously f---ed up.

[cyclezealot]

5. I love Cindy Sheehan and what she is doing.

But, think she would even admit the anti war protest did not start with her. She helped to galvanize it. Half a million marched in New York City three years ago before Bush started his war to show he could one up his daddy.
It says something about American's that it would take such a sorrowful tale galvainized about Cindy Sheehan to rally a nation.
The folly and deceit of this war was apparent long before poor Casey had to die for nothing.

[KoKo]

6. Where did all the thousands of little flags come from....?

We had homemade signs....? They have printed plaqards? It seems very well organized.

[graywarrior]

7. The media whores are covering these.

Anti war protests never happened, according to CNN and the rest.

[KoKo]

8. Maybe it's good that the "HYPOCRACY!" is being exposed now....

it might lead to reform...it might lead to something we don't even know yet. :shrug: WE HAVE TO HOPE!

[graywarrior]

10. Indeed

[Cleita]

9. It's too bad our corporate Democrats let us down back then. n/t

[meganmonkey]

11. The biggest difference, and IMO the most important

is that they are disrupting the normal course of things in a way the anti-war movement seldom does. The are continuing their protests for days, they are leaving school and work, and they are doing it on business days so everything gets disrupted.

The anti-war movement has these big demonstrations - but always on weekends - that last one day. I am not trashing these events, I went to DC for the first time to protest in Oct 2002, 6 months before the war started, and I have gone several times since, as well as attending many, many, local events. I am also planning to go to NYC in a few weeks (see sig line).

But what we really need to do, if we want to shake things up, is to get things going during the week, have events that last for days, that disrupt people's daily lives, and shake up the status quo. We need to take more risks and get out of our comfort zones. I am doing it locally, on an almost daily basis at rush hour, and it amazes me how many people say they will join me but they never come back.

:patriot:

edit for spelling

[KoKo]

13. Good Points...sort of raises the question about our committment...yet

we all went out when the Patriot Act/Anthrax/Terra/9/11/ and all of the Bells and Whistles were Ringing the Whizzers Sounding....and we looked to everyone else like "TRAITORS" to GEORGE BUSH'S AMERICA.... We suffered "Get a JOB" and "the Finger in our Face." We wrote out great handmade posters and we gave up time we could have done other things with (granted it was weekends) but many of us have continued locally during the week with "vigils" when we could have been watching TeeVEE. :shrug:

Maybe we seemed so "fragmented" and the Corporate/PNAC/NEOCON's took us as a "guilt trip" for why THEY DIDN'T SERVE...but we were portrayed as A.N.S.W.E.R Communists...Hippies...Anti-War Hold Overs from the 60's who Just couldn't see the NEW AMERICAN VISION under George II.

We were NOT COVERED...tarred with some kind of what the RW calls "Moonbat Visions from the Past" and we were ignored, trashed or marginalized.

I guess it makes a difference when your Construction, Service, Retail and Medical Industry is in PERIL from a lack of qualified workers.

Then...PROTESTS WILL BE COVERED TO THE MAX!!!

[meganmonkey]

14. Well, for the record

some of the biggest immigration protests were organized in part by ANSWER, including LA:

"The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition provided logistical support and mobilized for today's demonstration in Los Angeles. Thousands of A.N.S.W.E.R.'s yellow and black placards reading "Amnistía, Full Rights for All Immigrants" were held throughout the march. A.N.S.W.E.R. also organized a major contingent in the march.

The rally was co-chaired by Juan José Gutiérrez, Director of Latino Movement USA, a member of the A.N.S.W.E.R. LA Steering Committee; Javier Rodríguez, a noted immigrant rights activist; and Jesse Díaz, a UC-Riverside professor who helped initiate the march. Speakers included Raúl Murillo and Gloria Saucedo of Hermandad Mexicana Nacional; Arturo Rodríguez, President of the United Farm Workers; Korean and Haitian community leaders; and Gloria La Riva and Preston Wood of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition. "

---snip---

Gloria La Riva of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition said, "The racist politicians thought they could step on us with their racist legislation but they have awakened the immigrant giant and they will feel our strength when we stop work."

Preston Wood of A.N.S.W.E.R. LA said, "U.S. corporations are robbing Mexico of its resources and forcing people to come as immigrants for their survival. U.S. Out of Iraq! Justice for all workers!"

Critical to the turnout was the mobilization night and day for over a week of famous Latino radio announcers from every Spanish-language station, including Piolín el Cucuy. The organizers announced a national meeting on April 8 in Dallas, Texas of all the Latino immigrant rights leaders in the country to strategize for a national work stoppage in late May under the banner "A Day Without An Immigrant."

The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition believes that the struggle for immigrant rights, workers' rights and the fight against racism at home must be part and parcel of the struggle against war and imperialism. In the coming days and weeks, A.N.S.W.E.R. organizers, volunteers and activists will continue to participate in all levels of the mass movement in defense of immigrant rights and the defeat of the Sensenbrenner Bill.

more...
http://answer.pephost.org/site/News2?abbr=ANS_&page=NewsArticle&id=7637

[Terran1212]

12. Antiwar protesters don't make cheap labor or hispanic votes

I support the immigrants 100% but that's also the reality.