Numerous people on this web site have criticized A.N.S.W.E.R.. Their main complain is that those marches do not achieve much in term of reaching out to other people. We protest feeling good about ourselves and thinking to have accomplished something, but we always march on nearly empty streets. The traffic is always rerouted, and the main stream media bury the news of the marches in the middle of their newspapers. What did we accomplished?

Shouldn’t A.N.W.E.R.S. focus on tactics to overcome our invisibility? After two years of protesting in the streets, we are still almost invisible.

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I just received an email from answer LA and they are boasting 20,000 attended the march this weekend. Are they kidding?? This is probably the first time I am more inclined to agreeing with the police estimate (2,000-3,000). Look at the pics on this website for Christ's sake... turnout (and the same, tired rhetoric from the speakers) was pathetic.

I spoke with other attendees who, like myself, were once again disappointed at the low-turnout. So, when I read fabricated numbers like the ones answer is dishing out, it makes me feel ashamed as well. What benefit does this movement get with such exaggerations?

I am definately tired of answer's weak stance. I've seen them time and time again bow down and steer away from the very minimum of what could be considered a 'next step' in standing up for what we believe in. When we should have been united in taking chances and making lasting impressions, they were on the bullhorns telling us not to. I'm tired of it.

Now, I'm not normally this pessimistic but, if hundreds of thousands (in some cases millions) of people the world over, speaking out against this war in one day didn't make Bush flinch, a cordoned off, permitted march/rally of a few thousand isn't really going to make an impact either. We are not going anywhere. We weren't able to stop the war before it started. Two years into it, we still can't stop it. And, I'm afraid we won't as long as we leave everything up to answer.

Still, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who protested... I just think we need to step it up a few in the very near future.

Marcus, these are good pictures! -- you've caught something of the great range of people protesting, their feelings and intensity, the broad humanity of everyone there. It was a great occasion, for expressing ourselves, meeting like-minded people, and getting new ideas (from the book sellers!). Thanks for capturing it.

I think that there is more than one purpose for gathering in the streets. Yes, we would like to reach more people and it's a shame that we're blacked out of the major media and that we're walking on empty streets where nobody sees us, but that's not the only thing going on here.
We, the dissenters need these events to connect with each other. Many of us spend our lives in negative environments where the things we consider important are criticized and ridiculed. We struggle to find ways to communicate with people put to sleep by our culture in order to shake them out of their slumber. Many of us are frustrated and feel alone in our beliefs and in our struggle for global justice. We need these mass events to regroup and re-energize ourselves. On another level we need to remember that we are not alone in the streets; that last Saturday we were marching with Millions of people all over the world. It's important to remember our connection with them.
Beyond that I have heard pleas from people in 3rd world countries who are actively suffering and fighting against the exact policies that we are protesting, asking us to not stop. To please not stop, because the fact that we are in the streets of the belly of the beast in solidarity with them gives them heart and helps them continue with their fight.
Things to remember.

>>>I think that there is more than one purpose for gathering in the streets. Yes, we would like to reach more people and it's a shame that we're blacked out of the major media and that we're walking on empty streets where nobody sees us

Anna -- nobody is interested in the stuff these demonstrators are putting forth. It's widely and correctly perceived as being wrongheaded -- a bunch of misinformed whiners and complainers who don't know diddly squat about Iraq or GW Bush making fools of themselves in public.

>>>We, the dissenters need these events to connect with each other. Many of us spend our lives in negative environments where the things we consider important are criticized and ridiculed. We struggle to find ways to communicate with people put to sleep by our culture in order to shake them out of their slumber. Many of us are frustrated and feel alone in our beliefs and in our struggle for global justice.

You are alone. You will get no sympathy from those of us who are in the mainstream. You're like the people who wanted to burn the witches in Salem (completely wrong on most everything).

>>>We need these mass events to regroup and re-energize ourselves.

You're like the Hare Krishnas. People laugh at you most of the time so you want to have a Hare Krishna get together to convince one another that 2+2=8 and Black = White.

>>>Last Saturday we were marching with Millions of people all over the world. It's important to remember our connection with them.

Yes, Hezbollah was marching with you. How utterly pathetic that is.

Give it up. Listen to your parents. Tune into Sean Hannity and read Ann Coulter's articles. Try to get in touch with reality.