I wasn't there and don't know what the text of the message was but it will probably turn up on the White House site. Last year when I was tracking the pResident's fundraisers, speeches, and money accumulated at our expense I noticed that every speech he gave for a fundraiser was a carbon copy of the last except that he would insert the name of the town or state he happened to be in and the local republican bigwig (like Smith). Even the anecdotes about his dogs and the First Lady were the same. Count on it . . . whatever speech he delivered was as rubbery and recycled as the meal these donors probably choked down.
This was supposed to be a protest, not a party. Now there is nothing wrong with a protest/party, but we had work to do! What was up with people hanging out, eating ice cream, dancing, and bringing their kids along? People acted as if we had something to celebrate! Should have saved the partying for later, and done the serious work today.. what do I mean by that? Risking some bit of one's personal security to perhaps somewhat upset the chain of events. The riot cops wanted us all to be scared, and we were. Pepperspray isn't so bad, there was jail support set up, and lawyers willing to work for us.. but almost no one took advantage of this. So we didn't win. And Bush knows we're harmless.
Artur everyone may have been intimidated by the cops, but where were you, I didn't see you doing anything. I agree we didn't achieve much; only stopping the republican charter bus, but the cops were insane
Well I got the chance to flip off the chimp as he drove by in the chimp mobile.
Twice.
Got to yell fuck bush a bunch of times.
Got whacked in the ribs and stood toe to toe with the storm troopers and still yelled fuck you as the chimp drove by.
I will be laughing about the chimps visit for some time to come.
Props to everyone who made the protest,overall it turned out well.
This is so lame. Protest Protest Protest. Nobody cares about your petty protests and yes the majority of just common folks are laughing at you. Look at the company you keep. How could anyone take any one of you seriously. You couldn't raise a decent crowd of folks to protest, how are you going to get enough to change anything. The 2000 census shows that Portland has an population of 530,000 people. You got 2500 to come out to "protest" thats less than 1/2 of a percentage point. Now the other media outlets report anywhere from 250 people up to your estimate of 2500. Not much of a sucess was it. Why don't you all get a life and do something for your community, like move down south where the rednecks would love to come to your protest parties.
Bush is laughing all the way to the bank because he has more money backing his campaign than any other candidate, he knows that a few protests won't keep the "sleeping Americans" from voting for him for a second term(making the same mistake twice) . So if we could stop the bickering about who did what at the protest and join together and focus our attention on a great candidate like Howard Dean (who will be in Portland on Sunday) perhaps we then we might be able to make a difference.
Yes, only 2500 protesters, and of course, the pro-Bush folks couln't even get 10. Well, I guess if they can't raise a decent sized crowd they aren't going to be able to keep Bush in office. But I'm sure they'll keep thinking they are with the majority which, in the end, will be a monumental strategic mistake.
... always seems to be proportional to the number of posts. Where is all this enthusiastic posting when a body wants to get feedback for a lawsuit, or get something productive accomplished?
What we accomplished by being out there on a work day in the middle of the week a long way from down town by bus was to make a presence in the news that lets folks who are too intimidated to come out know that they are not alone in their repulsion/fear/distaste of bush and his greedy band of robber barons.
There is an election coming up and I want those stay at home/stay away from trouble people to know that there are people angry enough to stand in the street cage created by the ppd and let the city/nation know we know whats up...
we are waking others up. we already know that bush doesn't care what we think -- we are trying to reach others...
the real work for change is done elsewhere --- in the co-ops, schools, and community gathering places...
undoing the regime is going to take work on many fronts.
i figure for every person there, they knew at least ten who could not come due to work or family obligations --- so in my mind 2500 meant 25000 if it had been a week end. not bad.
PS I was glad that some people brought their children. It was not for party-time, it was a reminder of the reason we work for a different kind of america., so we can have future.
