The heavy rain made it depressing and wet, and the NYPD were pretty incompetent. They spent most of their time trying to figure out how to keep traffic moving despite big crowds, rather than dealing with crowd control in any intelligent way. We left as they started arresting people and pushing against them. We refused to move into any pens, and after seeing the Newsday photos, I'm glad.
James's sign, suitable for a queer anti-war protest, quoted The Wizard of Oz. The other side said, "Toto Knew."
Newsday has a good article. Don't miss the slideshow with photos, including nice moments like the police using a barricade to shove protesters.
After reading this Reuters story, I feel like NYC is rather amateur. There were over 1000 arrests in San Franciso.
The whole country seems to be in an uproar. I think at this stage its too late and we need to support it. I hope they attack hard and fast and get out just as quick. I feel sorry for the people there that Bush has sent to do his bidding though. They need our support, not thier leader.
I don't think it's patriotic, or helpful to the troops, to support a war we all believe is wrong and more likely to endanger us.
I like the quote I saw in this Newsday article, from the father of a marine:
http://www.nynewsday.com/news/printedition/newyork/nyc-nyhen193180090mar19.story
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Support the troops, oppose the war: For Charley Richardson, that's where real patriotism lies, as he and his son wait for their president's call.
"Why do people have such a hard time with this concept?" this one Marine father asked. "If I saw my son getting into a car with a drunk driver, I would lay down in the middle of the street to keep that car from moving. I would do anything I could.
"For me to stand on the side of the road and salute would be ridiculous."
We would have lost a few hundred thousand more Americans in Viet Nam with that attitude. I'm tempted to say something about "good Germans" here too.
i agree with barry. once again, there's an us/them that doesn't exist. "support the troops" is another slide into apathy. bring them home. we shouldn't be there at all. for any reason.