Clashes As Anti-Victory Protesters Use Iraq War Dead As Poltical Tools
September 15th, 2007 Posted By Pat Dollard.
WASHINGTON - Thousands of opponents and supporters of the U.S. presence in Iraq converged Saturday in Washington for a day of demonstrations.
Things often came close to blows as paricipants in the Gathering of Eagles demonstration taunted anti-war protesters wearing bloody military uniforms and mimicking dead soldiers.
The anti-war ANSWER Coalition held a rally at Lafayette Square holding signs and wearing t-shirts bearing slogans that made their message clear. One man was wearing a shirt with only one bold word on it, "Impeach."
"End the war now,'' declared the signs of placard-toting protesters. "Peace Now,'' chanted some. And still others stood silent by a flag-draped coffin, with combat boots atop it.
The American flag above the casket, flying upside down, flapped in the stiff breeze of the most spectacular fall-like day the capital has seen in this fifth September of the war in Iraq.
The large crowd was shouting, "The people united will end this war."
"The arrogant policies of the surge are trespassing and illegal as the war itself," a speaker atop the rally platform in Lafayette Square told a crowd toting various signs reading, "End the War Now… Troops Out Now and Impeach Bush… The World Can't Wait… Drive out the Bush Regime.''
The protesters spoke of the war as something other than the ideological struggle of the 21st Century.
"End the occupation, bring the troops home now,'' a rally spokesman said. "Keep the faith. Keep up the struggle.''
The mass of protesters filled most of Lafayette Park, and spilled into Pennsylvania Avenue in front of from the White House.
At the rally anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan said that protesting was no longer enough, saying that those against the war should shut down college campuses and federal buildings in order to get their opinions heard.
Former U.S. Attorney Ramsey Clark echoed the sentiments of some of the signs and t-shirts being displayed at the rally by calling for the impeachment of both the president and the vice president.
Former Presidential candidate Ralph Nader blasted congress for not cutting off the war funding, calling them "spineless" and "gutless."
As the protesters made their way to the Capitol the counter-protesters lined the streets taunting the protesters as they made their way for their planned "die-in." Several of the marching protesters were disguised as caricatures of the president and vice president.
At least seven protesters were arrested in the first wave of demonstrators who marched to the Capitol demanding an end to the Iraq war.
U.S. Capitol Police arrested the protesters after they jumped a waist-high barricade near the base of the Capitol. Nearly 100 officers are standing guard — some in riot gear. The protesters were arrested without a struggle.
The counter-protesters held their own rally several blocks away near the Washington Monument. The two rallies remained relatively peaceful, with the exception of some shoving between the two groups that was quickly taken care of by the police.
The counter-protesters called their rally The Gathering of the Eagles, and was comprised of many Vietnam War veterans.
"We just want to remind people that freedom of speech is not really free, and that people had to pay to protect that right," said one man at the counter-protest. "And were here to show that there is another point of view."
Congressman Duncan Hunter, a GOP presidential hopeful, made a surprise visit to the counter-protest. He said "it's for this generation that we will win this war on terror."
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