More than 190 arrested at D.C. protest

[82Marine89]

WASHINGTON - Several thousand anti-war demonstrators marched through downtown Washington on Saturday, clashing with police at the foot of the Capitol steps where more than 190 protesters were arrested.

The group marched from the White House to the Capitol to demand an end to the Iraq war. Their numbers stretched for blocks along Pennsylvania Avenue, and they held banners and signs and chanted, "What do we want? Troops out. When do we want it? Now."

Army veteran Justin Cliburn, 25, of Lawton, Okla., was among a contingent of Iraq veterans in attendance.

"We're occupying a people who do not want us there," Cliburn said of Iraq. "We're here to show that it isn't just a bunch of old hippies from the 60s who are against this war."

Counterprotesters lined the sidewalks behind metal barricades. There were some heated shouting matches between the two sides.

The arrests came after protesters lay down on the Capitol lawn in what they called a "die in" — with signs on top of their bodies to represent soldiers killed in Iraq. When police took no action, some of the protesters started climbing over a barricade at the foot of the Capitol steps.

Many were arrested without a struggle after they jumped over the waist-high barrier. But some grew angry as police with shields and riot gear attempted to push them back. At least two people were showered with chemical spray. Protesters responded by throwing signs and chanting: "Shame on you."

The number of arrests by Capitol Police on Saturday was much higher than previous anti-war rallies in Washington this year. Five people were arrested at a protest outside the Pentagon in March when they walked onto a bridge that had been closed off to accommodate the demonstration, then refused to leave. And at a rally in January, about 50 demonstrators blocked a street near the Capitol, but they were dispersed without arrests.

The protesters gathered earlier Saturday near the White House in Lafayette Park with signs saying "End the war now" and calling for President Bush's impeachment. The rally was organized by the ANSWER Coalition and other groups.

Organizers estimated that nearly 100,000 people attended the rally and march. That number could not be confirmed; police did not give their own estimate. A permit for the march obtained in advance by the ANSWER Coalition had projected 10,000.

Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan told the crowd is was time to be assertive.

"It's time to lay our bodies on the line and say we've had enough," she said. "It's time to shut this city down."

About 13 blocks away, nearly 1,000 counterprotesters gathered near the Washington Monument, frequently erupting in chants of "U-S-A" and waving American flags.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Robert "Buzz" Patterson, speaking from a stage to crowds clad in camouflage, American flag bandanas and Harley Davidson jackets, said he wanted to send three messages.

"Congress, quit playing games with our troops. Terrorists, we will find you and kill you," he said. "And to our troops, we're here for you, and we support you."

[stephanie]

Guess who was arrested...??

The anarchist, the Answer people, the Cindy Sheehan people...

There wasn't 100 thousand people for the anti war...

I heard if there was 10 thousand, that was stretching it...

Go Answer, go anarchist, go move'on go....

You all are putting a Republican President in office in 08 with every move that you make....

We love ya all....

We don't have to do a damn thing, but sit here and watch...And....it is fun..........yea haw...

:cheers2:

[avatar4321]

you know, the anti war movement sure is violent.

[stephanie]

you know, the anti war movement sure is violent.

The more violent.............THE BETTER........

Here we come...........Republican President..........08

God, did I love the Betrayus ad........

What a smooth move on the part of the anti-American.....Children.....
Man is this ad backfiring on them.....
Keep it up.........

we are just sitting here, and laughing our asses off......:dance:

You people don't even realize how patriotic out country are....
You seem to think because they gave you Democrats this tinny margain to do something,............and look what you all do..


We Republicans and conservative don't have to do anything..........Except............watch you all go friggen............NUTS....:clap:

[Guernicaa]

The more violent.............THE BETTER........

Here we come...........Republican President..........08

God, did I love the Betrayus ad........

What a smooth move on the part of the anti-American.....Children.....
Man is this ad backfiring on them.....
Keep it up.........

we are just sitting here, and laughing our asses off......:dance:

You people don't even realize how patriotic out country are....
You seem to think because they gave you Democrats this tinny margain to do something,............and look what you all do..


We Republicans and conservative don't have to do anything..........Except............watch you all go friggen............NUTS....:clap:
lol...The fact that the president has chosen to continue the war until next years election is a much bigger threat to Republicans than anti-war protests are to Democrats. Much bigger.
Perhaps you have forgotten the number 1 reason that Democrats took back congress?? The American people want an end to the war.

[avatar4321]

lol...The fact that the president has chosen to continue the war until next years election is a much bigger threat to Republicans than anti-war protests are to Democrats. Much bigger.
Perhaps you have forgotten the number 1 reason that Democrats took back congress?? The American people want an end to the war.

you mean the fact that conservatives were tired of Republicans not governing as conservatives and decided not to vote for an election?

What does that have to do with the cost of tea in China?

[BoogyMan]

lol...The fact that the president has chosen to continue the war until next years election is a much bigger threat to Republicans than anti-war protests are to Democrats. Much bigger.
Perhaps you have forgotten the number 1 reason that Democrats took back congress?? The American people want an end to the war.

Liberals tend not to think much farther into the future than their noses protrude before them. America, this past week, has seen the commander of our forces in Iraq treated with disdain by the left wing leadership in congress who pre-emptively attacked the man and his words. The left began the character assassination of General Petraeus weeks before his testimony before the congress in order to try and have the man show up as damaged goods. Well, such foolishness hasn't set well and has provided definitive proof of the bias of the NY Times as well as the ownership of the left leaning leadership by MoveOn.org.

Please liberals, please, keep on protesting and making public spectacles. This kind of activity reminds the general populace of your true politics and anti-american stance.

[MtnBiker]

Perhaps you have forgotten the number 1 reason that Democrats took back congress?? The American people want an end to the war.

That's bullshit, the democrat held congress could end the war easily, all they would need to do is stop funding it. Yet they have not done that, why, because they know it would cost them politically.

[TheStripey1]

lol...The fact that the president has chosen to continue the war until next years election is a much bigger threat to Republicans than anti-war protests are to Democrats. Much bigger.
Perhaps you have forgotten the number 1 reason that Democrats took back congress?? The American people want an end to the war.

Unfortunately, the slim margin the democrats have over the republicans in congress isn't enough to actually DO anything to end the war. They just don't have enough votes to override bush's inevitable vetoes...

IF the american people truly want an end to the war in Iraq, they will have to elect either a democrat president in '08 or more democrats to fill the seats of rubber stamping republican congress critters who have voted to stay bush's course for the last 5 years... or quite possibly... both...

[TheStripey1]

Liberals tend not to think much farther into the future than their noses protrude before them. America, this past week, has seen the commander of our forces in Iraq treated with disdain by the left wing leadership in congress who pre-emptively attacked the man and his words. The left began the character assassination of General Petraeus weeks before his testimony before the congress in order to try and have the man show up as damaged goods. Well, such foolishness hasn't set well and has provided definitive proof of the bias of the NY Times as well as the ownership of the left leaning leadership by MoveOn.org.

Please liberals, please, keep on protesting and making public spectacles. This kind of activity reminds the general populace of your true politics and anti-american stance.


Let's see... the democrats want the troops home safely with their families, resting up for their deployment to Afghanistan, the nation where the 9/11 attackers were trained and the republicans want our troops bogged down in the middle of an Iraqi civil war thereby making our country less safe.

I'm in favor of returning to the draft. Let's get more americans involved in the process. When more families are worried that their children will become tomorrow's cannon fodder, the peace movement will grow.

There are far too many supporters of the war who just sit on their fat asses day in and day out, just typing their support of it...


cmon, if you're so god damned gung ho for the war, ENLIST!

I despise chickenhawks... I truly do.

[Dilloduck]

Let's see... the democrats want the troops home safely with their families, resting up for their deployment to Afghanistan, the nation where the 9/11 attackers were trained and the republicans want our troops bogged down in the middle of an Iraqi civil war thereby making our country less safe.

I'm in favor of returning to the draft. Let's get more americans involved in the process. When more families are worried that their children will become tomorrow's cannon fodder, the peace movement will grow.

There are far too many supporters of the war who just sit on their fat asses day in and day out, just typing their support of it...


cmon, if you're so god damned gung ho for the war, ENLIST!

I despise chickenhawks... I truly do.

I despise people who label others as chickenhawks yet do nothing to stop those whose aim is to destroy America.

[manu1959]

Let's see... the democrats want the troops home safely with their families, resting up for their deployment to Afghanistan, the nation where the 9/11 attackers were trained and the republicans want our troops bogged down in the middle of an Iraqi civil war thereby making our country less safe.

I'm in favor of returning to the draft. Let's get more americans involved in the process. When more families are worried that their children will become tomorrow's cannon fodder, the peace movement will grow.

There are far too many supporters of the war who just sit on their fat asses day in and day out, just typing their support of it...

cmon, if you're so god damned gung ho for the war, ENLIST!

I despise chickenhawks... I truly do.

There are far too many who just sit on their fat asses day in and day out, just bitching.......

I despise critics....i truly do.....

[Gaffer]

Let's see... the democrats want the troops home safely with their families, resting up for their deployment to Afghanistan, the nation where the 9/11 attackers were trained and the republicans want our troops bogged down in the middle of an Iraqi civil war thereby making our country less safe.

I'm in favor of returning to the draft. Let's get more americans involved in the process. When more families are worried that their children will become tomorrow's cannon fodder, the peace movement will grow.

There are far too many supporters of the war who just sit on their fat asses day in and day out, just typing their support of it...


cmon, if you're so god damned gung ho for the war, ENLIST!

I despise chickenhawks... I truly do.

Lets see, you want a draft so that everyone can cry about those poor people being sent to war against their will. A draft for you is purely for political purposes, not the betterment or defense of the country. Your a real cold hearted piece of shit.

you want people to enlist, as I said in another thread. Everyone can line up at the recruiters right behind you. Until you sign up you have no right telling others they should.

[Gunny]

Lets see, you want a draft so that everyone can cry about those poor people being sent to war against their will. A draft for you is purely for political purposes, not the betterment or defense of the country. Your a real cold hearted piece of shit.

you want people to enlist, as I said in another thread. Everyone can line up at the recruiters right behind you. Until you sign up you have no right telling others they should.


Using the draft as a political tool is reprehensible. Abandoning some Cold War bases that do nothing but keep local foreign economies afloat in ungrateful nations would more than make up for any perceived troop deficits.