Anti-War Protestors' Visit, Rally Spark Counter-March (Charlottesville, VA)

The Daily Progress (Charlottesville, VA) ^ | July 21, 2007 | Seth Rosen

[tgslTakoma]

As prominent anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan stepped to the microphone Friday night outside the Charlottesville Ice Park, John Pulliam raised his sign above his head and began to shout.

"Win the war. Win the war," Pulliam, a retired soldier who fought in the first Gulf War, methodically chanted. In front of him, a middle-aged couple looked back, shook their heads and began cheering for Sheehan, hoping to drown out Pulliam's baritone. Pulliam retorted by hoisting his sign higher and raising his voice. Those around him responded by yelling louder.

So it went Friday evening, as the polarizing and emotionally charged national debate over the Iraq war played out on the Downtown Mall.

Sheehan was in town for an impeachment and anti-war rally as part of her "Journey for Humanity" tour from Crawford, Texas, to New York City. The tour will reach its pinnacle Monday, when Sheehan and her supporters march to Capitol Hill to urge Democrats to begin impeachment proceedings against President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

During the rally, Sheehan told an audience of more than several hundred residents - the vast majority against the war - that impeachment is the only way to "restore the rule of law to America." Sheehan, who rose to national prominence after her son was killed in Iraq in April 2004, has stated that she will run as an independent candidate against Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House of Representatives, if Pelosi does not seek the impeachment of the president and vice president.

A slew of speakers told the audience just what they came to hear: that it is time for America to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq. David Swanson, a board member of the Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice, said that the Democratic leadership in Congress needs to immediately cut off funding for the war.

"This is not a war, but an occupation," Swanson said. "You can't win it and you can't lose it. All we can do is end it sooner or later."

Many in the mostly middle-aged crowd echoed those sentiments. The presence of 160,000 American troops is exacerbating the violence in Iraq rather than helping to contain it, Marian Morgan said.

"The situation is deteriorating and it is because we are there," she said after the rally.

Members of the Albemarle County chapter of the Republican Party organized a counter "pro-victory" demonstration, which started outside the Paramount Theater and ended with the two demonstrations mixing. Though much smaller in number, the counter-demonstrators were just as vocal. The combined rally was peaceful, and police reported no incidents.

A precipitous withdrawal of American forces would have disastrous consequences for Iraqis and cause the entire region to descend into chaos, the pro-war demonstrators said. Troops must stay in the country until Al Qaida-linked terrorists are "decisively" eradicated, said Josh Levy, who organized the counter rally.

"If we retreat, we [turn over] Iraq to Al-Qaida, Iran and Syria and abandon our moderate Muslim allies," Levy said. "If, on the other hand, we allow the new strategy to work, we will have a chance at success."

Sheehan will take her tour to Richmond today, and to Arlington on Sunday.

She previously brought her anti-war message to the area in May 2006.

[tgslTakoma]

Next stop on the I'm Cindy Sheehan, and it's all about me! Media Whore Tour:

July 21

Richmond VA

Rally

3pm - Byrd Park (Fountain Lake) 0 South blvd. Richmond Va

Thanks to all the patriots who have counter protested the Sheehan Party Van along the way.

When she gets to DC, we'll have a welcoming party waiting for her, and she won't be very happy about it.

:-)

[tgslTakoma]

The bad penny is turning up in Richmond this afternoon. Pass it on...

[don-o]

God bless the vet for getting in the AW’s face.

[onevoter]

Gotta remember - the libs don’t WANT to win the war. Didn’t you know that Republicans are worse for our country than the terrorists???

[YOUGOTIT]

So the little sluts, whores and pimps were out helping the Islamic Terrorist again. The Nazi are back just like they were during Vietnam.

Good for the American with the Win The War sign. Hate for the sluts, whores, pimps and Nazi anti-American supporters of al-Qaeda.

[CPOSharky]

Before she started, didn’t cindy say she was going to walk the route from Crawford to DC?

Walk from TX to DC in August. Yeah right. Probably made it two blocks before she gave up.

[mdmathis6]

She’s in Richmond on a Saturday.....yawwwwwn
you can’t even get the local drunks to go to a free beer give away here on a Saturaday..

[Postman]

“...she will run as an independent candidate against Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House of Representatives...”

The enemy of our enemy is our frind.

Niccolo M.

[Postman]

addendum....but only a temporary frind....not a real frind.

[Flora McDonald]

I was there. As regards this biased reporting, there were several hundred people attending. And while the anti-America types outnumbered the Patriots, they did not vastly outnumber them.

In fact, due to a spectacular display of signage, the casual passerby could easily have thought the Troop Supporters outnumbered the Troop Denigrators.

For some good local blog coverage try these links:
SWAC Girl
Journal of Civilized Man
and my take on a humorous incident at the event: United Conservatives of Virginia From what I hear Concretebob and USMCpop stopped by the Cindy-It's-All-About-Me-Tour in Richmond this afternoon.

[USMCPOP]

Yeah, Bob and I did stop by. It was boring, aside from the few minutes I had to hear a small, whiny voice. For my part, I hope I looked suitably grim (I usually do).

[tgslTakoma]

Thanks for being out there to let folks know that the discussion is not over, and that not everybody believes as Cindy Sheehan does.

So Sheehan has again said that America is not worth dying for, eh?

Well, we will have a few people in our welcoming party at Arlington Cemetery on Monday, to discuss that with Ms. Sheehan.

Thanks for being out there, guys.

[freema]

a CORPS group of support toes the line!

OOOOOOOOOOOHRAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! to flora, cb, and POP!

[concretebob]

Here is how the peace activists display their love of America and what she stands for.

The man in the white shirt with the caution tape obstensibly was a marshal.
He knew we were pissed about the flag, and made a point of telling me and USMCPop that the flag was no longer being displayed upside down.
I said you're right it's not; now it's on the ground and they're STANDING ON IT!!! AND YOU NEED TO FIX THAT RIGHT NOW!!!!!I tried to keep my cool..I tried to be civil
He is walking over to tell the young lad that he needs to pick the flag up.

There will be some video as soon as F22Strike gets it uploaded.

[USMCPOP]

Bob, I believe the marshal guy said he was a member of the Veterans for Peace, and is a Vietnam veteran. I will say he was respectful, and somewhat perturbed about how the flag was being treated. Thanks, Bob, for being there and pointing it out.