UPDATE #6: Tim here. And that, as they say, is that.
First off, the camera is well-and-truly boken. Can't focus. I have a few more pix I'll upload later.
More on the flip...
UPDATE #5: Tim's new march slogan...
Hey hey, ho ho, this march is moving way too slow!
Sounds like a great time.
No word on the camera/picture updates yet.
...
UPDATE #4 and 20 seconds later...:--from Dania Audax--Timroff called back, having just spoke to an organizer. It is estimated the protesters number 600,000.
UPDATE #4: --from Dania Audax--Timroff says that the march is finally underway, and our Kossacks are in a human traffic jam of epic proportions. They are following a giant spine.
Everyone is very happy to hear that this diary is still on the recco list.
Something happened to Timroff's camera, I will let you know whether or not there will be more pictures of our brave contingent.
Join us for photos on the flipside...
After searching for the last 45 minutes, I've finally found a hotspot.
We are gathering at the Starbucks (at 7th St. and Indiana Ave) -- which has no internet, the bastards -- and off in the distance we can hear the sound aof a gathering throng. People brightly dressed and carrying all manner of signs and other props are streaming by, as we gather to begin the bloggers march!
According to RenaRF, we've got 73 people expected to join us. It's 10:45 right now, and we've got more than half of that already.
I need to get back to the group and get some pictures, but I'll be back regularly to update and post photos. It's really cold, buit the sky is beautiful, and it's beginning to warm up. I think once we get to the mall, conditions will be perfect for a protest march!
UPDATE: Pictures from the meetup:
The gang in front of our Starbucks where I cannot get my computer to get online. That's me and RenaRF in the front row... (thanks to carneasadaburrito who kindly snapped this picture for me...)
Emptywheel joined us...
Frameshop is here! Jeffrey Feldman (with Thom K in LA behind him)
meckiJr (and his proud papa mecki) had a great time at our meetup.
UPDATE 6 Continued: This march was a keen illustration of the nature of Bloggers. There were 60 or so of us. Soem were extremely well-known, like emptywheel and Jeffrey Feldman, some were consistent and regular posters like myself, renaRF, mecki and more, a few I had read a diary or two from, and some were complete lurkers. One of these women will be signing on tonight for the first time as LindaILurk. or some variation on that. Treat her kindly, she's solid, fun, and very much in-the-know.
We all got together around 10 AM, and the mood was vaguely like a Cheers and Jeers session. Then most set off towards the mall, I went another direction to start this diary, and I learn that less than a block from the Starbucks, the group splintered into five or six small factions who scattered to the winds, agreeing to reconvene at the corner of 7th and Madison at 12:45. Some went to be part of the Impeach photo, some went to listen to speakers, and I hung out at the rendezvous, saving my strentgth.
Most of the group reassembled, and then we headed towards to stage to get into the main mass of people. This got us divided again as a few of us pressed forward, eager in our anticipation of getting started, while others laid back in order to avoid getting crushed by what was a freakin' huge crowd. By the end we had about 12 hardy souls, tired, footsore, totally energized and drained at the same time.
Some other observations:
• Why on earth do we let celebrities open their mouths? Sure, it's important to know that famous p;eople support what we're doing, but don't give them the mike. They just sound stupid.
• If you're schedduled to start a March at 1 PM, then, by god, let's get it started at least by 1:15. Nooooo... we didn't get onto the route until almost 2:30. Why? Because everyone and their mother got to give a five minute speech, which almost all of them swent long. Jane Fonda went for nearly ten. So did Susan Sarandon.. The miracle was that Al Sharpton was up and out in less-than-three, and got a huge round of applause for his brevity.
• The signs, artwork, sculpture and costumes at this March were some of the most amazing I've ever seen. Most fantastic was a huge, nearly block-long Spine carried by a dozen folks. 'twas an amazing sight to behold.
• Have you evr seen 500,000+ people streched out over a six-block length of 6-lane boulevard? It was incredible.
At that point, as we turned the corner onto Constitution and started heading up the hill to pass by the Capitol, I looked ahead and behind and saw just a sea of humanity, all united in a heroic effort to end an unjust and immoral war. That's when someone -- I have no idea who -- said "Just imagine if every single one of these people were dead. Bloodied, burned, dismembered.That's what has happened to Iraq." Wow,
There was a terrific goups of musicians/band members/drum corps whom we followed for the last half of the March. They were really quite good, changing cadence every n ow and then to keep things fresh, and the energy they gave opff made walking with them much easier. The singing and chanting was much more enthusiastic with these folks. My favorite line? "Hey hey, Ho Ho. Cheney doesn't have a soul!"
I'll try to get more pix up later tonight.