Fayetteville Observer: Thousands Protest War (Local Fort Bragg Coverage)

[Hissyspit]

Here is the article concerning the Fayetteville/Fort Bragg protest on Saturday for Sunday's Fayetteville Observer.

Note that it says that the director of Quaker House "put the total at 4,800. That would make Saturday's protest the biggest peace demonstration in Fayetteville's history. An anti-war rally at the same park during the Vietnam War drew a crowd estimated at 2,000 to 4,000 people."

The Observer tends to have a view slanted toward providing 'support' for the military community. What form that support takes can be debatable. They have a valuable contract for printing "The Paraglide," the Fort Bragg newspaper for the post community.

The website has additional side articles including: Invasion Changes Attitude
http://www.fayettevillenc.com/story.php?Template=local&Story=6907995

and Counterdemonstrators Send Message to Troops
http://www.fayettevillenc.com/story.php?Template=local&Story=6900249"
(It includes a quote from the head of the NC chapter of Free Republic. She says "We learned from Vietnam. No one answered the protestors then." Huh??)

Thousands protest war
http://www.fayettevillenc.com/story.php?Template=local&Story=6907691

By Allison Williams
Staff writer

Protesters march from the Cumberland County Health Department to Rowan Park to kick off an anti-war rally Saturday.
People bearing the coffins followed thousands of protesters who rallied in Fayetteville, calling for an end to the war in Iraq. As they marched toward the park, another, smaller, group of protesters was standing on the sidelines, shouting at the anti-war activists.

But the counterdemonstrators - about 200 of them - were drowned out and outnumbered by war protesters who chanted, waved banners and beat drums. The group was led by a bagpiper and included everyone from belly dancers to a young girl carrying a sign that said, ''Support my dad, not the war.''

Peace activists expected a much larger crowd for the second anniversary of the war in Iraq, and Fayetteville police say they got it. Officers estimated 2,500 protesters attended the rally that went on for much of the afternoon. Chuck Fager, the director of Quaker House who helped organize the rally, put the total at 4,800. That would make Saturday's protest the biggest peace demonstration in Fayetteville's history. An anti-war rally at the same park during the Vietnam War drew a crowd estimated at 2,000 to 4,000 people.

MUCH MORE AT LINK



Above: a graphic included with the article.

[Hissyspit]

1. Oh. I like this about 2 soldiers watching demonstrations in lawn chairs...

From one of the sidebar articles:

"People on both sides of the issue said they rallied Saturday to support the troops. But what did those troops think? Two of them sat on the sidelines bemused by the fuss.

Josh Denton and Terence O'Rourke said they had planned to go to the beach Saturday, but the string of police cars at the end of their street changed their minds. So they pulled chairs into Denton's front yard, munched on Combos and watched the people march past.

Denton said he did a little protesting of his own in college before he joined the Army. 'I like it.' "

[jmowreader]

3. I saw a lot of guys with obvious military haircuts at the event

And none of them were over with the freepers.

[jmowreader]

2. The best line is from one of the freepers

'Peace cannot be achieved by sitting and letting airplanes fly into your towers," said a FReeper.

You mean, like this guy did?



(both images taken at 9:03am, September 11, 2001. From cooperativeresearch.org.)

[bowens43]

4. Wow , what an incredibly stupid thing to say.

Freepers are such idiots.

[Hissyspit]

5. Thanks for getting so many shots at the demonstration, bowens43 n/t

[Hissyspit]

6. kicking myself n/t

[dbt]

7. I LOVE that Freep quote:

"We learned from Viet Nam." Learned exactly WHAT? To launch a war of occupation based on a false premise? (see "Gulf of Tonkin")

"No one answered the protestors then." Bull. Shit. The National Guard answered with BULLETS at Kent State. Then there were the ubiquitous Hard Hats and so on, all the way down the food chain to Spiro T. Agnew his nattering self.

[leftchick]

10. those idiots live in their own warped world with w**..

it is always opposite day with them.

[diamond14]

8. this weekends Pro-Peace rallys are a BIG turning point....

with flag-drapped and black coffins meandering through streets all across America, the military families, mothers of our dead soldiers and Veterans are leading OUR country OUT OF IRAQ....


American is FED UP ! BRING OUR TROOPS HOME NOW !

[clem_c_rock]

9. I was there. This was very powerfull. This anti-war movement

Needs to back these anti-war groups started by families of soldiers and soldiers themselves. They are the ones that can't be belittled and their numbers are growing very quickly.

Nick Berg's father was their as w/ many other parents who lost their children from this f***ed up war. Their stories were heart wrenching and powerfull.

By far the best demonstration I've ever been a part of.

[bettyellen]

11. .

[cliss]

12. Guess who was the principal planner of this event?

The one and only, my favorite writer on the web, Stan Goff. Anti-war activist and intellectual. He has his own web site now, in case anyone wants to read about his planned protest at Fayetteville.

*warning: Goff is further to the left than the Democrats for my taste, but he's still one awesome guy.

http://www.stangoff.com/

[Hissyspit]

14. Good to hear that. I did not know that. n/t

[DeepModem Mom]

13. kick

[The Kicker]

15. Kick

:kick: :hi: