Ten photos from the March 20 protest in Westwood. All copylefted--take them if you want them.

More photos of the protest at
http://www.slumdance.com

Also some interesting war commentary (right and left) from bloggers at
http://www.blogcritics.org

You people for "peace" for the Iraqi people are morons. Here's is your proof. And it will ONLY GET BIGGER. Are you starting to feel stupid yet?

"No Saddam Hussein!" one young man in headscarf told Gurfein. "Bush!"


U.S. Marines Rip Down Saddam Portraits
1 hour, 5 minutes ago

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER, Associated Press Writer

Milling crowds of men and boys watched as the Marines attached ropes on the front of their Jeeps to one portrait and then backed up, peeling the Iraqi leader's black-and-white metal image off a frame. Some locals briefly joined Maj. David "Bull" Gurfein in a new cheer.


"Iraqis! Iraqis! Iraqis!" Gurfein yelled, pumping his fist in the air.


"We wanted to send a message that Saddam is done," said Gurfein, a New York native in the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. "People are scared to show a lot of emotion. That's why we wanted to show them this time we're here, and Saddam is done."


The Marines arrived in Safwan, just across the Kuwait border, after Cobra attack helicopters, attack jets, tanks, 155 mm howitzers and sharpshooters cleared the way along Route 80, the main road into Iraq (news - web sites).


Safwan, 375 miles south of Baghdad, is a poor, dirty, wrecked town pocked by shrapnel from the last Gulf war (news - web sites). Iraqi forces in the area sporadically fired mortars and guns for hours Thursday and Friday. Most townspeople hid, although residents brought forth a wounded little girl, her palm bleeding after the new fighting. Another man said his wife was shot in the leg by the Americans.


A few men and boys ventured out, putting makeshift white flags on their pickup trucks or waving white T-shirts out truck windows.


"Americans very good," Ali Khemy said. "Iraq wants to be free."


Some chanted, "Ameriki! Ameriki!"


Many others in the starving town just patted their stomachs and raised their hands, begging for food.


A man identifying himself only as Abdullah welcomed the arrival of the U.S. troops: "Saddam Hussein is no good. Saddam Hussein a butcher."


An old woman shrouded in black — one of the very few women outside — knelt toward the feet of Americans, embracing an American woman. A younger man with her pulled her away, giving her a warning sign by sliding his finger across his throat.


In 1991, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died after prematurely celebrating what they believed was their liberation from Saddam after the Gulf War. Some even pulled down a few pictures of Saddam then — only to be killed by Iraqi forces.


Gurfein playfully traded pats with a disabled man and turned down a dinner invitation from townspeople.


"Friend, friend," he told them in Arabic learned in the first Gulf War.


"We stopped in Kuwait that time," he said. "We were all ready to come up there then, and we never did."


The townspeople seemed grateful this time.


"No Saddam Hussein!" one young man in headscarf told Gurfein. "Bush!"

This is in regards to the photo above of the burning flag. I also saw this one on the news.

I've got no time or patience for this kind of bullshit. It does nothing but set the movement back. No matter how peaceful the protest is, that is the image that will be shown on the evening news.

It also gives the LAPD and pro-war appologists an excuse to call us 'anti-american', 'terrorists', etc.

I love my country, that's why I march. I regard it as the highest form of patriotism and my civic duty to be out there raising my objections to this illegal and immoral war.

I can only assume that someone who would do something so appallingly and blatantly stupid must be an FBI or LAPD mole inserted to discredit the protests and if I see them, I will call them out and throw them in with their friends in riot gear.

I didn't get whacked and spend the night in county just to have this be portrayed as the face of the peace movement.

How was the whacking by the way?

Eye hope you got butt raped by a large inmate.

HARRRRR!!!!!!!!!! ABASTIE MATIE!!!!!!!! HARRRR!!!!!

Are you wearing the cool patch?

Oh, I get it, you typed "EYE" instead of "I" because they sound the same, and I got hit in the eye! Very original.

Sorry to disappoint you, but there was no ass raping. I'm sure I can arrange one for someone to come over and provide you with one.

Eye Eye Captain.

A Few Good Men looking for Craig and his kind!

WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK

You know we put your 'eye' in a jar and keep it at the station house. Come and get it EyeAN CRAIG.

WHACK WHACK WHACK

Get your whackin sticks boy's...the hippies and unemployed dot com rejects are back.