Reply #57: 700,000? Washington Post says about 7,000 [View All]

[oberliner]

My count: 6,850

Marc Fisher reports:

Call it a success, call it a failure, call it what you will, today's anti-Iraq war rally, drew a cheerful and pleasant crowd of 6,850. I counted the marchers who joined the rally from its start point at Lafayette Park and passed through the narrowest choke point on the parade route, the corner of 15th street and New York Ave., N.W.

Because the crowd had to pass through a line of security bollards, this is the easiest point on any protest route at which to gain an accurate count. The march took 28 minutes to pass this point.

The rally is now continuing along Pennsylvania Ave., heading for the Capitol. Police are serving only to block off streets for the march, but have not engaged with the crowd at any point. Unlike the young, activist crowd that assembled early in the day, the overall mix of people as the march moves through the city is a better blend of families and people of all ages.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/rawfisher/?hpid=topnews