The Numbers Game

From my hometown paper. There are a couple of odd-ball things about this story. First, it's in the Metro section of the WaPo, but it's an AP story. What's up with that? Don't they have a beat reporter on this? Second, look at the last line. I don't know how it is where you live, but we are under constant surveillance in the "Federal core" of Washington. That's creepy.

District Prepares for Anti-War Protests
The Associated Press
Saturday, October 25, 2003; 7:34 AM

More than 50-thousand protesters from across the country are expected to converge on downtown Washington for an antiwar protest on Saturday.

It begins with an 11 a.m. rally at the Washington Monument. A march at 1:30 p.m. will pass the White House and the Justice Department. Separate feeder marches also are planned. Authorities say street closures will follow the marches. Police also say they will activate 14 closed-circuit cameras downtown and plan to set up five more cameras along and near the march route.

The organizers of this march said (I can't remember where I saw this) that they are planning to bus in someplace between 100-200K, so we'll be having a bit of a numbers game today.

UPDATE: NPR just told me that there is also going to be a West Coast protest in San Francisco. Can any of you Bay Area Kossians report in?