This is what democracy looks like

God must love the protesters, because today was the most beautiful day we have had in New York City all year. Highs in the mid-60s, sunny, just gorgeous. What a day for a march.

I went alone, knowing that I would run into people who I knew at the protest, and wanting to be able to drift wherever I wanted. I got there late, at almost 1, and Herald Square was just PACKED. I walked along the crowd for a while and then inserted myself in the march.

The march was made up of an amazing cross section of people. Young and old, different races, different classes. I marched alongside yuppies and hip hoppers and metalheads and hippies and punks. I marched next to a guy in a suit. This wasn’t like DC in 2000, or even the WTO protests here in NYC in 2002 – this was a fully mixed crowd. One of the big problems I have always had with the Movement has been the lily-white nature of it. We’re out there fighting for equality and economic justice, but the message is diluted when it just comes from a bunch of white kids. The message is so easily dismissed.

This message is not so easily dismissed. These are the people in the streets – not just the trust fund kids, not just the hippies, not just the anarchists. These are uptown moms with strollers and downtown folkies with guitars.

Some of the highlights:

- Shaking the hand of WWII vet who was with a group of Vets for Peace and thanking him for standing up for what was right – back then and today.

- Watching Turkish dancers right outside of Washington Square

- Chanting “This is what democracy looks like!” and realizing how good it looks

- A mother and daughter on their fire escape just below Union Square, ringing a bell and blowing into a conch. The whole march stopped to cheer them.

- Teachers for Peace

- Kids for Peace

- Meeting a woman who lost her dad on 9/11 but who was out there with us.

- Signs reading "CNN, FOX NEWS: WEAPONS OF MASS DECEPTION"

- "Regime change begins at home!"

- The only anti-protest protester getting shouted down with “Support our troops, bring them home!”

- “Liberation won’t come from war and invasion! That’s bullshit, get off it! This war is for profit!”

- Standing at the end of the route for an hour and just watching thousands of people pour down Broadway, filling the whole street, as far as the eye could see. Hundreds of thousands of people, gathered together for a common cause.

It’s nice to get out and get my batteries recharged. It’s too easy to get bitter and angry arguing with bloodthirsty hawks. And it’s nice to be reminded that the Movement isn’t just for leftier-than-thou types. It’s for the people. All of them.

I left my house disgusted with America, having watched days of CNN coverage of the illegal war. I came back to my house loving America – not the beasts who run it, but the amazing and beautiful people who live in it.

After I left some of the more radical protesters took over Washington Square Park in reaction to police aggression at 4PM, the time that the permit for the march ran out. Peaceful protesters were attacked and arrested for just being there. I had been so happy with the police activity during the march – how sad is it that they had to waste that good will. I want to send my support to the people in the park right now, doing the hard work of resistance, putting their bodies and safety on the line. Be safe.

And to the haters, please do your math. Look at how many people were at this protest today and look at how many people were involved in the civil disobedience.

Thanks Verbs. One other great thing I saw: a sign reading "We are a global coalition of millions."

There's nothing like being out and realizing that millions of people across the world are doing the same thing, feel the same way, and have the same good hearts. There is hope for this world yet.

The CNN coverage seemed really fair.

I totally forgot that there was one point I wanted to make - the whole train ride home I wanted to make this point, and then I forgot it.

The protest was JOYOUS. I had a grin on my face the whole time. Peace should be fun and sweet and nice and make you feel good about being American, about being free, about making a difference.

As stated in the first post in this thread, not today.

What respect? They weren't marching, they were on the sidewalk yelling at people as they passed, accusing them of being unAmerican and hating America, loving Saddam, etc etc etc.

Also, the anti-war protesters got a permit for their ANTI-WAR march. Pro-war protesters could have gotten a permit all their own.

I don't understand your question. If someone is going to stand at the side of the march and yell at the people marching, they should expect people to reply.

As for the permit thing, what I am telling Rath is that the organizers of this protest had to get a permit. For an anti-war march. i think it is wrong for other groups to piggyback on that permit, which is not easy or cheap to get. That goes not only for pro-war marchers, but pot protesters, etc etc etc.

You could protest with a million people and not need a permit, as long as you stayed on the sidewalk.

What's your point?

No, because the 1st Amendment only protects you from government interference with your speech. Private forums, like this one, can limit speech all they like. This is one of the facts that I want to put in an image I can just post whenever someone makes a comment like that - this fact and the "Iraq is a secular government" fact.

Verbal Kint is a member of the Star Chamber, the multi-person moderating entity that has authority in every forum.

You want to be proved wrong more or can we let this thread go back to its original topic?

I'll admit I am wrong when I am wrong.

Back to the thread please.