Posted on 05/26/2007 2:51:43 PM PDT by RaceBannon
Protesters on both sides rally at West Point
By LAURA INCALCATERRA
THE JOURNAL NEWS
http://www.nyjournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070527/NEWS03/705270369
(Original publication: May 27, 2007)
WEST POINT - They came from different sides of the street, but often stood toe-to-toe yesterday, clashing over the war in Iraq and the policies of the Bush administration.
Several hundred people gathered at the Highland Falls Veterans’ Park, not far from the gates of the U.S. Military Academy, where Vice President Dick Cheney delivered the commencement address to the class of 2007.
A network of about 50 organizations sponsored the anti-war rally. Organizers had hoped to protest inside West Point’s gates, but the Army denied permission. A federal judge in White Plains agreed and the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused Friday to issue a preliminary injunction that would have given the groups access.
Protesters had argued that they should be allowed to express an opposing view during the ceremony since Cheney was likely to speak in support of the war.
Instead, they stood in the park with signs - “No Blood for Oil,” “U.S. Out of Iraq,” “Imagine Peace,” “Make Cupcakes Not War” - and listened as speakers demanded the impeachment and resignation of Bush and Cheney, and an end to the war.
Nearby, a small but vocal counterdemonstration was led by members of the Gathering of Eagles, a national organization dedicated to supporting the troops.
Jim Ferguson, the Rockland coordinator for the Gathering of Eagles and an Army veteran who served from 1965 to 1972, said it was important to participate in such counterdemonstrations.
“I think a lot of people are just getting tired of this anti-war crowd,” Ferguson said. “They are a bunch of 1960s rejects. They’re not just anti-war, they’re anti-American. It’s time that decent people stood up to them.”
Lee Sneden, an Army veteran and Airmont resident who has protested the war from the start, said he was disgusted with the U.S. invasion of Iraq and deeply saddened by the thousands of troops and civilians who have been killed.
“Like a lot of my friends, my disappointment has turned to anger at this point,” Sneden said.
He wants the U.S. forces to exit the war and rebuild the infrastructure Iraq needs to move forward.
The anti-war protests veered from unsettling, with the display of American flag-draped cardboard caskets, to revival-like, with folk singing and clapping.
The Gathering of Eagles members occasionally sang “Kumbaya” in an attempt to annoy the anti-war protesters.
At times, the two sides went face to face. Police from several area departments helped keep the peace.
Debra Sweet of the Manhattan-based The World Can’t Wait organization was among the protesters to speak. She focused on the torture of suspected terrorists by U.S. troops, which she said Bush and Cheney condoned.
Sweet stood on a stage flanked by two people wearing orange jumpsuits. One wore a black hood over his head and the other held a cutout of Dick Cheney’s face over her own.
“We want them driven from office early for the crimes they are responsible for committing in our name,” Sweet said of Bush and Cheney.
Rally participants eventually marched from the park to the academy’s Thayer Gate, where they were denied entry, then back to the park.
Fernando L. Martinez said those now serving in the military were not drafted but had volunteered. He said those service members deserved good leadership, adding that West Point provided the necessary training.
The protesters were wrong to hold their rally on graduation day, the Manhattan resident said.
“You have people here who are cowards, who don’t want to support the troops,” Martinez said. “I came here to support the parents and the sons and daughters who are graduating today.”
Patricia Labanowski said the anti-war protesters were demoralizing the troops. The Goshen woman belongs to an organization called Soldiers’ Angel, which sends letters and care packages to service members.
“They’re so, so depressed by what’s in the press, what’s on the TV,” Labanowski said. “That there seems to be no one behind them. I want the troops to know they have our support.”
She also criticized the protesters for displaying the coffins. Protesters said the Bush administration sneaks real coffins back into the country so the American public won’t see how many troops are being killed.
“These graduates will be in harm’s way shortly,” Labanowski said. “I feel showing coffins is cruel to the graduates and their families.”
Chuck Bell, a member of one of the anti-war rally’s sponsor organizations, No War Westchester, said he was worried about how many more troops would be dead by next Memorial Day if Americans remained in Iraq.
“I just don’t think our presence there is contributing to a positive outcome,” the Ossining man said. “We owe it to Iraq to help them with reconstruction, but we don’t owe it to them to have a violent and counterproductive military occupation.”
_________________
Winston Churchill:”You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, and you will have war.” Spoken in reference to arch-appeaser Neville Chamberlain.
Race, your videos are a primer in FReeping 101. You get an A in my book!
Way To Be!!!!!
Great job.
Thank you.
I’m so glad you found this, Race. It’s great to finally see a report on our “Code Pinko” action. I think Urban Infidel got a picture of us just before we jumped to the head of the march. The press (we could tell) was doing close-ups only on the “sad-mournful” Leftists as they marched around town. They didn’t want to show our banner and our ‘disrepectful’ Code Pinko attire. BTW-The Lefties did try to have a cop remove me from marching in front of them. Since our banner lead was slightly ahead of me I stayed closer to the Leftists. Whenever they stopped, I would do a “Tiananmen” . It was fun: nobody moved. Finally, when our banner lead headed to the gate I stayed with the lefties on purpose. They were trying to lose us but I was NOT going to leave them. As we waited to be escorted across the street I heard “ Officer, Officer. Make her walk with her own people. (whine, whine)She’s not with us” The cop just looked at them and I said to him “ It’s a public street. I’m just waiting to cross the street” and that was the end of it. We marched in code pinko garb with patriotic signs in front of the Leftists the whole route while our banner-guys (in pinko attire) defended the entrance to West Point. What a day!
BTTT!
Oustanding!
Semper Fi’
Jarhead
I don’t usually visit DU, but I happened to find myself in there today when doing a search on Yahoo search engines. Thought you would find this encouraging..to hear them crying over at DU.
“The “Gathering of Eagles,” a pro-BushCo group of only a handful of counter-protesters, had a huge truck parked on and halfway blocking the small side street that bordered the park where we were. The truck and “Eagles” were only a few yards from us. They were extremely disruptive, yelling through a bullhorn into their sound system that was turned up full volume. When the Iraq vet spoke to our group, they constantly screamed that he is a war criminal. When the mother of the dead marine spoke, they reduced her to tears. I went up to the police along with a few of the organizers and asked that these “Eagles” be moved so we could hear the speakers. The police were polite but said that we both had the right to be there and we both had sound systems-—they could not ask for one sound system to be turned down or off.
There will be more protests against BushCheney appearances this summer. I suggest that all organizers get permits that specify counter protesters be a good distance from the antiwar group. The prowar crowd has a right to air their views but not the right to disrupt and prevent our antiwar free speech, which is what they tried to do yesterday.
Who are these people, the “Gathering of Eagles,” which I prefer to call the “Gathering of Evils”? This was the most rude, obnoxious group I’ve ever encountered. I am wondering if they’re a paid BushCo group of thugs.”
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x980518
Great pics, Race!
You are a patriot in every sense of the word and represented the conservative side in a manner that is honorable and effective. Thank you.
I am physically disciplined man with an undisciplined control of my temper. I am best left to encourage and thank men such as yourself for your service.
Nice job!
And if there's anything the Left is all about, it's "we do under-handed stuff 'cause we KNOW you do it."
Perhaps an A+ would be more appropriate.
Thanks for that!
What an absolute crock!!
They had their own moonbat screaming that ALL who went to Iraq were war criminals, and all we did was declare that according to their own definitions HE was a war criminal, too!
All we did was point out their hypocrisy in judging Veterans of this war, and thaey claim WE called him a war criminal??
What lying scumwaffles! Check out the videos, in one of the last two is that exact moonbat screaming that all who went to Iraq are war criminals, and that is the moonbats words themselves!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR-tiMZVYqY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsJfiANrrqw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLmdcaBXXAY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70-1mHQ1y3c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTMluGbBIZk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijy8Zg1lwiQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8zL3VZmXXE
These dumbass radical liberals demanded in court to be on the grounds of West Point and disrupt the graduation of Cadets, yet when their ox is gored they cry like the communist shmucks that they are.
They cry, bith and moan about free speech zones, yet this DUmmie says he's for exactly that, free speech zones far away where they can't be seen or heard.
Hey Dummies, Show me what democracy looks like...THIS is what Democracy loks like.
Everyone of those filthy, leftist, hippie vermin involved in acts of destruction should be arrested.
Bonus points are probably in order.
great pix!
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