There appeared to be a few hundred people protesting outside tonight's Democratic Puppet Show at Hollywood's Kodak Theater (although, that number is just a rough guess on my part). Various groups were represented: besides ANSWER (the main organizer), there was Code Pink and Global Women's Strike. Although the focus was U.S. agression, there were also numerous other issues addressed as well: from impeachment, to the silencing of Kucinich, to pro-choice, to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to calls for 9/11 truth, to justice for refugees south of the border. (Unfortunately, the only mention of global warming that I saw was on the back of a "HIllary for President" sign(1).)

Sometimes costumed characters (probably advertising the Wax Museum down the street) wandered through the demonstration. Among them was Spongebob and Snoopy.

Supporters of Clinton and Obama also intermingled with us as well as at least one Huckabee supporter and various Ron Paul people.

Generally, pedestrians seemed to take an interest in us. Also, on one occasion, I could see an employee of the adjacent Virgin Megastore looking down on us curiously as she squeezed around a manniquin for a better view.

After the debates, several well-dressed people exited the theater and were met with our signs and chants which included: "Democrats lie, GIs die! Democrats lie, Iraqis die!" With one exception, they did not seem very responsive (based on my observations).



-----

(1)I almost brought a global warming sign of my own but decided to focus on the occupations. Hopefully, there will be vigils of this size focusing on global warming sooner rather than later.

Sign by Linda Krausen of the South Pasadena weekly peace vigil.

"The guy in the wheel chair"

They're encouraging people to engage in tax revolt--"Don't buy Bush's war."

Actually, the majority of Americans think you and the pro war sects are loons.

Thanx for the pics, Ross.

As usual the imperialist corporate media had a total "WhiteOut" of your protest.

Peace and Freedom Party was againt the Iraq invasion in 2002 and 2003 and we remain opposed to this illegal war. Enough with the lies from the Democrats. We say out of Iraq and Afghanistan now and end the threats against Iran.

You've been protesting for years and yet the war is still on. 70% of the population is against the war and yet the war is still on. Anti-War candidates ran in the primaries of both major political parties, yet none of them even came close. What does this tell you?

" yet none of them even came close. What does this tell you"

The media has to control the 'accepted' meat puppet while shutting out ( Dennis Kuchich ) or just plain ( and desperate ) lying about who's winning.
Ron Paul is the insurgency against war ( NOW for God's sake ) and NAFTA and the Patriot acts and Imperial Intervention.

I see ONLY Ron Paul signs everywhere.

It tells us that the media and the corporations that control them are in another incestuous cluster f**K involving many tubs of soft money sources.
These tubs and tubs of political lubricant are needed to pass through the digestion of the american people.
Even with the vote fraud and the media fraud, people in this country are mad as hell and want a return to rule of law not selectively enforced to punish the people.

". . . people in this country are mad as hell and want a return to rule of law not selectively enforced to punish the people."

People in this country are indeed "mad as hell," but they aren't willing to do anything about it like general strikes, which are a way of life in other countries, even in former communist countries.

Venezuela has a pretty right-wing media, too (if not further right than ours), but the people still don't tolerate the $%@# that we do.

It seems like the people in this country, generally speaking, aren't willing to inconvenience themselves in any significant way.

I agree that the climate would be much better if the media was different, but the people shouldn't tolerate it either.

First, to suggest that the cops would have employed an infiltrator amongst the group for survellience purposes would be absurd, more than a dozen were standing in uniform amongst a crowd of maybe 50 or 60, with bomb detecting dogs!
ANSWER maintained typical dictatorial control of the demo while supporters of the minutemen, yes folks, Ted Hayes and his little crew of haters, canvassed the crowd totally unmolested, except for a few of us who asked
them politely to leave.
Reps from Fred Thompson (far right republican) and Ron Paul (constitutionalist = fascist) were among the crowd in large number too, and were completely left alone!
One thing it might be important to mention here, one little fucking tidbit of info i may have forgotten in my tyraid, is that on the last two nights several hundred peacful protesters were uncamped on the US/Mexican border to protest the border wall and the 4,000+ deaths since 1999 that have been the direct result of the border wall and the environmental devastation that has been the direct reult of the border wall... the Minutemen formed a skirmish line several hundred yards out and began shooting into our camp, WITH REAL GUNS.
Their obvious intentions were to scare us in the least, the best of all possible outsomes could have been to injure or kill one of us. the Border pigs finally had enough of their shit and drove out to confront them though i seriosuly doubt they had our best interests at heart, they just didn't want to get hit by any stray bullets.
That said, i like the republicans because they will keep people in the streets. The democrats are whining little cowards who if pushed will issue their battle cry "What would Ghandi do!?!?!" Well... probably beat his wife and disown his sons imagine.

Fuck you demoncrats, fuck you ansfor doing nothing!

Latte anyone?

I saw this sign at a sf peace rally. Loved it.
It was decorated with peace cranes made out of ANSWER material

good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Talking about lying, check out how this Australian journalist exposes the New York Times' smear campaign against John McCain...

http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/times-back-making-up-the-news/2008/02/24/1203788142795.html

... and breaks down their lies line-by-line:

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/02/24/1203788136184.html

"What follows is a dissection of the text, highlighted at each point where the narrative is manipulated to support the insinuation in the headline and the opening paragraphs.

The story provides a case study of how the Times has for years been loading its reportage with partisanship while affecting a posture of rigorous impartiality."

So, an Australian paper is criticizing the NY Times. I wonder what they have to say now about Bush, who directed similar accusations toward McCain back in 2000? http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/25/george-bush-attacks-john-mccain-on-lobbyist-ties-in-2000/