Year Two: Anti-War Rally in Providence, RI

Today anti-war protesters were out in force across the country. My good friend and blogger colleague, Rocco DiPippo of Antiprotester, and I attended the rally in Providence, RI. I have absolutely never been to one of these things, and Rocco is an old pro. My own estimates of the crowd numbers would be about 300. I never felt threatened at anytime, however, I did feel like I needed a long, hot, scalding shower after being there after a few minutes. After a short while I felt comfortable enough to move out on my own and snap many photos. Some protesters covered their faces, but most did not care.

To stand among the vile, misguided signs, I felt incredibly ‘out of place’ to be so close to people who whole heartedly believed what was printed on their signs. Soon after we arrived a car stopped next to the rally and a young man rolled his window and yelled at the crowd: “The only reason you can say and do these things are because people have fought for you. Hoorah!” The crowd booed him. I wanted to desperately catch his eye to shoot a wink and smile over at him so he would know that I was not ‘with’ the protesters. He looked like he was a soldier.

We arrived a few minutes into the more ‘organized’ portion of the rally and this is what greeted us:

Looking at her sign you can almost hear Michael Moore’s pronouncement that “there is no terrorist threat in this country”. Tell that to the 10,000 orphans that came to be on 9/11.

The usual signage was all around:
This banner’s message is so typical of the left refusing to recognize the fact that humankind must be defended from people who aggressively want to destroy it.

Another sample:



Soon afterward the costumes came out:

Rocco pointed out how balance was lacking to the visual. No one thought to show up in an orange jumpsuit having someone simulate a beheading.

And here is the lead banner of the march:

Pretty predictable, huh?

I have 2 links for you to follow to get the full ‘flavor’ of the day. Watch the signs closely to see the wide range of messages. Also notice the background. It was a gorgeous day and Providence is a beautiful, historic city. I will miss it after we leave.

This first link is a series of pictures that I took when we first arrived at the rally. Click ‘slideshow’ for the best quality. Some of them you’ve seen here on the site, but there are many more. Here is the slideshow of the march.

Rocco kept saying: “These are true believers.” True and sad.

The money quote from the day occurred when a reporter for a local talk radio station walked up to a group of teenage girls holding signs and asked them, "Can anyone here tell me why they are here?" Silence. He repeated, "Can anyone here tell me why you are protesting?" One of them finally started talking. Too funny.

My thoughts on this second anniversary: We have all been watching the seeds of democracy grow throughout the middle east and it would never have happened without the invasion of Iraq. Brave Iraqis voting in the face of most severe threats have inspired the world. These are incredible times in which we all live and I am proud to say that I supported the liberation of Iraq from the very beginning. Yes, there have been horrible bumps in the road along the way, but we have overcome them and have remained true to the Iraqi people. Hearts and Minds are changing, which is the only way we're going to win against terrorism.

And to our wonderful troops: Hooh Rah!! We love you and pray every night for you guys. You are changing the world.

And I will leave you with some Anarchist Love!
Ain't it sweet?

UPDATE: Check out Powerline's review of Bush's case for the Iraqi War.

UPDATE II: Go on over to Wizbang to read about the 'numbers of the war'.

UPDATE III: Rocco now has his post up at AntiProtester Journal. He has a short video clip of the protest as well as many other great photos. Go check it out!!

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