I participated in the march on the Capitol yesterday and would like to share some of my experiences along with some photos.
First, the speakers in Lafayette Park were inspiring and represented a diverse network of people from all walks of life that are against this illegal war.
A Message to the President:
There were many upside-down flags seen everywhere, such as on the uniform of one of the soldiers pictured below, or waving over former Attorney General Ramsey Clark as he spoke to the crowd:
There were young people expressing their views. This 8-year old had her message which was clear to everyone - "They Lie":
Reverend Lennox Yearwood was in attendance and had another message - "They tried to stop me, but I'm here today":
Cindy Sheehan who is clearly not retired from the peace movement was also out to show her support for our troops and demanding to bring them home:
And then there was "Iraq Veterans Against the War". For me this was one of the many highlights of the day. To see these brave men and women, who have seen first hand the true toll of the lies and deception of this administration, stand tall and speak out against this war was extremely powerful.
They spoke about the fabricated Jessica Lynch myth, the murder of Pat Tillman and the continuing lies from those such as General Petraeus who are not acting as military leaders, but as political partners with the Bush Adminstration.
Believe me, this is the side of the War Protesters they don't want you to see because those who have participated in this war know it's a sham.
IVAW:
True heroes with real courage:
Appropriately, they lead the march on the Capitol. We started from the White House where there was a reminder of the price of this war left on the doorstep of George W. Bush:
Marching down Pennsylvania Avenue was a beautiful sight:
And on towards the Capitol:
There were a few hundred counter protesters who showed their true nature openly:
But they were far outnumbered by those who came to D.C. with a positive message of peace to end an illegal war which has killed hundreds of thousands and left millions fleeing their homes.
On the steps of the capitol there were arrests happening almost continuously as protesters willingly jumped the barricade to be arrested:
Please look at the faces in this next photo because this is inspiring. So many young people were involved in the event yesterday and this needs to be represented. This demographic is consistently targeted and bombarded through advertising in our media, yet the media rarely allows us to hear from these young people when they have an opinion to express:
Families came out in droves to support our troops by demanding that they come home. And here you see these everyday American families standing right up against the police line. It was a peaceful demonstration with just about the nicest and friendliest protesters you'd ever want to meet. And the only profanity I could hear came from those counter protesters.
BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW!
Updated : If you have not yet seen these other photo essays of the events yesterday, please check these out: Possum, imtimmaaay, Sycamore, and FenwaySteve.