A Tale of Two Rallies
We had a counter protest to the candlelight vigil by the Grannies for Peace last night at Union Square Park. Immediately they did what they could to block us by stepping in front of our banner and shouting us down. They were absolutely intolerant of our right to speak and had to be asked several times by the police to please stand back and to not interfere or to prevent us from protesting. It wasn't easy. A very large group of people began to gather. As you would expect on 14th Street is very crowded, most were passersby stopping to watch and take pictures. But things started to get unruly when a few rabble rousers started whipping the giddy herd into a heightened state by jumping around and chanting 'no justice, no peace.' It doesn't take much, and it is amazing when you watch mob mentality sweeping through like a fire. They stayed for quite a while hurling invectives and low insults of every kind at one of our people who is a very brave woman who lost her brother in the World Trade Center. The things they said to her were disgraceful but she was undaunted.
After a while the situation began to degenerate and the police actually had to create a perimeter around us because the hecklers were getting too close and it was clear it would have gotten out of hand. How incredible is it that in the middle of New York City people are so intolerant of a different point of view, it brings them to violence.
What made all of this worth it were the two US soldiers who happened to be passing by at different times and walked through the angry throng to publicly thank us and shake hands.
One of the members of our group was interviewed by the Associated Press in an article which appeared in the International Herald Tribune.
The photos that I took can be seen here.
posted by Urban Infidel at 10:05 AM
22 Comments:
Looking forward to it. I do believe that the objective of many of these protesters is to demoralize our troops.
I am sure if we look on the sides we can see John Brown dressed as Superfly.
We will be waiting eagerly :)
I agree. To demoralize the troops is their number one mission. They need to get a life.
Those aging hippies look like they must have been aging hippies back in the 60's. Good grief, get over yourselves.
Next time put a line on the top of your banner--
Block this banner
if you're a Terrorist Sympathizer!.
Out of curiosity, it appears that the majority of the anti-war protesters were geriatric as implied by the sponsoring group. You mention that the police created a perimeter around the counter protesters when tensions escalated and phyisical violence was imminent. Was it the geriatric group that was threatening violence? Or was it the younger individuals visible in your photos? Were there any pro-Palestinian protesters obviously visible?
Anonymous,
The Peace Grannies weren't a threat at all. They were just tried to block us in any way they could. The police did ask them a couple of times to please let us continue.
The real problem was some of the people in the crowd that had gathered. They clearly would have done violence if allowed.
There weren't any pro-Palestian protestors, but there were a few Arabs that did stop to watch.
God Bless you guys. Veterans for Peace never misses a chance to demoralize our troops who are serving.
Code Pink is taking a trip to cuba later this month to protest and demand terrorist rights.
http://www.codepinkalert.org/article.php?id=1399
Notice they are not protesting one of the biggest tyrants in History but they are protesting their own country.
Looks like you had an interesting evening. I'm glad no one got hurt or arrested. I can understand some of the antiwar protesters but not when they go after recruiting stations and the military in general.
When they do that, they are crossing the line.
AC,
It was interesting. Anti-war protestors are free to speak. I have no problem with it.
What is anti-American to me, is for them to prevent others from speaking.
Ubran Infideel:
Hey, next time you go to such an event, email me, I would love to join you! (link to email on my blog)
All the best,
Red Tulips
I did not see the usual Union Square suspects. I wonder if the idiot that talks about the evil Talmud and denies the Holocaust is still there.
"How incredible is it that in the middle of New York City people are so intolerant of a different point of view, it brings them to violence."
I could agree with you more, UI. As a "liberal" city, one would think that it would adhere to one of the great tenets of liberalism is tolerance and acceptance of those who are "different." In this case, wouldn't your group's ideas qualify as different. Oh right! Liberals only are tolerant and accepting if you AGREE with them! Duh!
Also, doesn't threatening violence go against liberal ideology as well? It used to, but I guess I'm getting old.
Lastly, I REALLY don't understand this demoralization of the troops thing. I mean, it seems to me that demoralizing the troops would only lead to MORE deaths. Isn't that what the liberals DON'T want?
Oh, and I highly doubt anyone is "pro-war" much in the same way no one is really "pro-abortion." Supporting the troops (in my mind) doesn't mean I am "pro-war." It means I respect our great men in uniform and will do all I can to help them make it out alive, at the very least. At most, to defeat the enemy.
Thanks again, UI, for your great on-the-ground reporting. May this story be picked up by as many outlets as the Gloat Party did!
These photos made me feel as if i was actually there,good job UI.It's great how two different group of people express opposing ideas in the same place,i wish all the good for American and hope for no more deaths.
You know, reading that article in the International Herald Tribune got me to thinking...
Yes, it's horrible that 3000-plus Americans have died (especially in defense of an increasingly ungrateful nation). But, what would it be like if the fight was here? How many would die if the US was being visited by the evil that Islam has wrought against itself in Iraq?
And, most importantly, what would these anti-war people do then? How would these grannies feel if they were witness to the atrocities that the ROP commits every day in Iraq?
Imagine their reaction if a car bomb went off in Union Square. With another the next day in Madison Square. And another the next day in Times Square. And another the next day in Prospect Park.
I bet they'd all change their tune then! Suddenly they'd be calling for the draft!
Hi Pharaoh,
You're right. It is great to have opposing ideas in discussion. I'm all for it. People should be talking to each other.
But if the police weren't there, we would have been attacked. That is a certainty. Look at how easily things got out of hand in Cairo not long ago. And, remember we were only 4 women and 1 man out there.
I only wish I were there with a ball-peen hammer. The leftard holding up that picture wouldn't have any kneecaps.
Love the banner! I really appreciate what you do.
Isn't it telling how free speech only applies if you're on the left side of the road?
Of course, if you'd have tried blocking their protest, you'd have been labeled a hatemongering, intolerant bigot.
Great one, it's in, thanks!
Thank God for fools...
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
silence conservatives
.
UI, hi, I don't want to bother you but did you change my name on the previous post to 'Anonymous'? If so, I'm curious about why? But I will be more concerned if you didn't do it, then, only Blogger could have done it. And if so, why? I've started to see that happening a few times. Please let me know somewhere, thanks.
USpace
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
don't google absurd thoughts
.
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