Berkeley, Calif. outside of Marine Recruiting Station
WASHINGTON
Anti-war protesters paraded in the streets of downtown D.C., causing traffic tie-ups for many commuters Wednesday afternoon.
Groups of demonstrators marking the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war blocked intersections along K Street between 13th and 17th Streets in Northwest.
WTOP’s Michelle Basch reports at least 100 people used their bodies and placards to block the streets around McPherson Square.
People started protesting at 7:30 a.m., and are planning an evening march from the National Mall to the Democratic National Committee Headquarters on South Capitol Street.
Many of the protesters are wearing white masks and black clothing to represent the deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
Earlier Wednesday, D.C. Police used brute force to remove some of the protesters off of the streets and onto the curb.
The D.C. Department of Transportation issued delays and detours throughout and even after the evening rush hour.
Authorities are stringing yellow police tape around the area to prevent some people from walking onto the streets. Police are also protecting a military recruiting center downtown.
Earlier Wednesday, police arrested more than 30 protesters outside the Internal Revenue Service building for crossing a barricade and blocking the building’s entrance.
D.C. Police report demonstrators throwing items at officers, but there are no serious injuries.
Officer was hit many times with Paint ball guns and was told to not do anything. I bet he wished he had the go ahead to arrest the protesters that were doing this. – Wild Thing
Paint Ball guns used on the windows of the Recruiting Station
At 12th Street and Constitution Avenue, one frustrated driver got out of his small, red, four-door car and physically moved a bicycle that a protester had put in the road, WTOP’s Kristi King reported. The driver then waved traffic on until police arrived.
Police also stopped protesters who tried to connect their bicycles together with a chain.
Other anti-war protests and vigils were held throughout the day.
In Syracuse, N.Y., police arrested 20 protesters who blocked traffic by creating a mock Baghdad street scene. One person dressed in camouflage lay on the ground. Another was covered in a white sheet with red markings and a woman leaned over as if grieving. They were from a group of more than 100 demonstrators who marched downtown in a steady rain over the lunch hour.
On the West Coast, police arrested a handful of protesters outside of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, police Sgt. Steve Manina said. Black balloons were tied to trees along San Francisco’s main downtown thoroughfare, and protesters at a table offered coffee, oranges and “unhappy birthday cake” to passers-by.
Other protests but there were ALL across America yesterday, in hundreds of cities. The only thing different might be the way they decked themselves out to protect, or how much violence there was at different places. How many arrests etc in the different cities too would be depending on what went on.
DES MOINES, Iowa
Two people were arrested Wednesday during a protest marking the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq.
Eleven protesters with Des Moines Catholic Workers carried signs and a mock coffin draped with an American flag into the hallway of the Armed Forces Career Center, a Des Moines recruiting office.
Officials at the center called police and asked the protesters to leave.
Protesters to the war in Iraq perform a demonstration of waterboarding torture techniques in Lafayette Park across from the White House in Washington
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Iraq War demonstrators dressed in prison suits, wearing the heads of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney protest outside the National Archives in Washington
Wild Thing’s comment………
They hate America, and they could care less about our troops. They hold up signs of how many of our soldiers have died and there is no way on earth they give a hoot about their lives, their sacrifice. No way!
What if the red paint had been something even more harmful, something truly deadly? This is very serious.
List of Organizations Supporting the Demonstrations ….CLICK to see below..
National and International Organizations
9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
AfterDowningStreet.org
Call To Action
Campus Anti-War Network
CCAN
CODEPINK
Declaration of Peace
Foreign Policy In Focus (IPS)
Generation Truth
Green Party Peace Network
Historians Against the War
Islamic Political Party of America
Jews Against the War
Loose Change
National Immigrant Solidarity Network
Network of Spiritual Progressives
Not in Our Name
No War, No Warming
Office of the Americas
Organic Consumers Association, Planting Peace
Our Spring Break
Peace Action
Peace Movement Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Peace No War Network
SOA Watch
Students for a Democratic Society
Student Peace Action Network
Tent State University
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
US Climate Emergency Council
US Labor Against the War
Veterans For Peace
Voices for Creative Nonviolence
War Times/Tiempo de Guerras
The Will to Act Movement
Witness Against Torture
World Can’t Wait
Local and Regional Organizations
Action Center For Justice (Charlotte, NC)
Action LA Coalition
Arlington South (Naples FL)
Asbury Park Coalition for Peace & Social Justice
AskSlim.org
Baltimore Algebra Project
Bloomington Peace Action Coalition
Brandywine Peace Community
Brevard NOW
Brevard Patriots For Peace
Brooklyn For Peace (formerly Brooklyn Parents for Peace)
Cedar Valley United for Peace & Justice
Central Colorado Coalition On The Iraq War
Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War
Central Ohio Peace Network
Chesapeake Climate Action Network
Chicagoans Against War and Injustice
Chico Peace and Justice Center
Coalition for Peace Action – Chester Delaware County
Coalition for Peace Action – Regional Office
CobaltCSG
CODEPINK Arizona
CODEPINK Denver/Boulder
DuPage Anti-War Network – Glen Ellyn
DC Students for a Democratic Society
Delaware Pacem in Terris
Delaware Valley Veterans For America
Flagstaff New Day Peace Center
The Flames of Discontent
Fort Wayne Peace Action
Georgia Peace & Justice Coalition
Georgia Peace & Justice Coalition/Atlanta
GlynnPeace: Citizens to End the War in Iraq
Greater Lansing Network Against War & Injustice (GLNAWI)
Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition
Green Party of Utah Desert Greens
Help E.A.R.T.H Thru Art
Impeach Bush & Cheney Townhall Meetup of Santa Barbara
IMPEACHOK1 – The Tulsa Impeachment Committee
Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War
Local 1000, American Federation of Musicians
Logan Square Neighbors for Justice and Peace
Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives
Lutheran Peace Fellowship of the Great Plains
Mad Anarchist Bakers League
Massachusetts Peace Action
Melting Pot NYC
Merriam Park Neighbors for Peace
Mid Hudson Progressive Alliance
Mid-South Peace and Justice Center
NYC-UFPJ
Operation Iraqi Freedom: Brown’s Antiwar Group
Peace Action New York State
Peace Takes Courage
People for Peace and Justice of Utah
The People’s Coalition of Santa Barbara
The Pride group at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Progressive Blend Radio
Progressive Democrats of America – California
Progressive Democrats of America – Ohio
PDA / DFA Progressive Democracy South Jersey
Queers Without Borders, Hartford Ct.
Radio Free Maine
Rainbow Affinity Group/Yippie (Brooklyn, NY)
Rude Mechanical Orchestra
San Pedro Neighbors for Peace and Justice
Socialist Party of Tampa Bay
Software Plexus
Students for Social Democracy (Columbus, GA)
Syracuse Peace Council
Thomas Merton Center Anti-War Committee (Pittsburgh, PA)
United for Peace and Justice Bay Area
Veterans For Peace, Chapter 132 (Corvallis, OR)
Watertown Citizens for Environmental Safety
Whatcom Peace & Justice Center
Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice
You know, protesting is okay as long as it’s done peaceably. These idiots wouldn’t know peace if it bit them on the butt! They’re the same idiots who protested the Vietnam war and their children and grandchildren. They also don’t know the full meaning of Freedom of Speech either. They forget how they are hurting others with their awful ways.
All I can say is the wrong people were in the Twin Towers and on board those aircraft on 9/11.
How about this for every illegal Mexican we keep we deport one of these Freaks to Mexico. Afterall, there are plenty of Mexicans who have sserved Honorably for this country and given their lives.
These Freaks are nothing but a bunch of cowards, no account lackies, who want communism, well hell lets deport them with a one way ticket to Mexico city and see how long they last protesting the Mexican Government.
Lynn, ditto to all you said.
They were taught well by their hippie parents and grandparents.
Bob, I told Nick if we get attacked again, my first question would be how many of the hippies and anti-war creeps were taken out.
Mark, that is such a GREAT idea, gosh I would love for that to happen.
Say after 1 or 2 Buds I could loan that old dude
some yellow water for his water bording…
Tincan Sailor, LOL too funny.
Yes, waterboarding is such horrible torture that hippies line up to have it done to themselves at demonstrations — I’m guessing there isn’t a queue of hippies waiting at the “fingernail removal” or “genital electrocution” booths?
dantl, LOL yes good one.