Okay! I saw the P-Resident! I was in the NC Protest this a.m. Motorcade!

[KoKo]

There were about 75 to 100 of us here in North Raleigh to protest the Chimp. We stood for over 2 hrs in 95 degree heat (100 degree heat index) It was HOT! Anyway the police kept moving us asking us to stay behind a telephone poll while a family of Bush supporters was allowed to stand in front of the poll with their signs. Those of us who had our signs on stakes were told to remove the stakes and walk them in some cases over a half a mile to our cars because signs can have wood because it's considered a weapon.

We were on the corner that our Dem Activists had told us to meet but then the police moved us way down behind barracades because the property owners (on a County Road) complained and wanted us to move. Another half mile walk. Some folks who lived in subdivisions were out all supporting Bush and asked us not to stand on their property. So more walking until we got to the "Designated Barracades for Protestors." Those supporting the P-Resident could stand where they wanted those protesting had to be behind barracades. The police had dogs sniffing down driveways and there were probably as many police as protestors.

I saw The Chimp. You could only see his face and his hand waving behind the dark grey smoked window of the Limo but I did see him. The limo moves fast enough that he can't see the signs and there are cars accompanying him which block his view of the signs. But there was a break between the black limo's and the SUV's and there he was looking really like a chimp...He looked very small with just his head and his hand held up waving but I have to say (not to sound spooky)he looked evil...maybe it was the smoked glass and the fact that his face was almost in "freeze frame" he was traveling so fast, but not a pleasant site when your President can't roll down a window and wave and greet people. Clinton used to do that frequently. He would jump out of the limosene and shake hands along the way.

There were maybe 50 Chimp supporters,there most who walked out from the the subdivisions along the way. The press were all over and they did interview alot of us. My hubby gave them an earful about Bush's image abroad and how he has hurt small business.

I'm tired and sweaty but I'm glad I made the effort. People of all ages were there.

[Tsiyu]

1. Kudos to you

thanks for the report from the Front Lines.

[LittleApple81]

2. Explain this to me, really, I don't understand: how can SUPPORTERS

be allowed outside the barricade but not the PROTESTERS? How does that make legal sense?

[2Design]

7. I want to know how there can be any SUPPORTERS of a criminal

[KoKo]

10. Protestors are considered a threat. So are signs with wood to hold them.

Hey I complained to the police/troopers there. They said
"that's the way it is."

[donsu]

11. because the bushgang changed the laws and we are not a democracy

anymore.

where have you been?

[LittleApple81]

13. No, really, demonstrators are demonstrators. You cannot treat them

differently.

[KoKo]

30. kick.

:kick:

[omshanti]

3. You GO!!

Good for you. Thank you!

[aden_nak]

4. Free Speech Zone

Did they try to relocate you to a Free Speech Zone? Generally, this would be a designated area where it's okay to have an opinion, no less than half a mile from the President himself and the local media, under the careful watch of either Secret Security agents or the local authorities.

[KoKo]

16. Barracades are where the "free speech zone is." That's where they

put you. When we arrived at where our Dem activists told us to go, the police let us stand there for an hour...but as it got closer to when the chimpmobile was going to come, they made us walk half a mile to where they had put up barracades. I guess they got the word from "headquarters" to move us. They kept moving us around until they installed barracades making us change locations.

[bif]

5. Good for you!

Excellent job.

[Foehammer]

6. Thank you great job! nt

[cthrumatrix]

8. tremendous effort..... he cannot be allowed to go anywhere without a

controlled crowd to buffer the people who disapprove of this evil cabal.

[janx]

9. What a marvelous description of the Evil Chimp

behind the glass!

[Wind Dancer]

12. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I wish I could have participated today!

:toast:

[Bozita]

14. Good report, KoKo01. Thanks for your efforts.

[KoKo]

15. I did it for all you guys here! Anytime I can....You're Welcome!

:yourock: Also protested Cheney and Asscroft when they came here!

[NC_Nurse]

17. Good job!

I wish I could have been there too. Had to work this morning.

It sucks that they move the protestors so they can have their photo-op look good. What a crock of shit!

I saw on on MSN that Kerry and Edwards wil be in NC this weekend. I hope they come to the Triangle.:toast:

[G_j]

18. Good Going!

thanks for being there :-)

[NRaleighLiberal]

19. Proud Husband!!!

I am so proud of my dear wife - she just called me to tell that she was on her way home from the market, saw the protest, stopped and took the long walk to join in - she was exhilerated to be able to participate in the spirited protest of our most extraordinarily inept misleader! This is huge, as we typically have not become politically active in the past (we've always been liberal, just not moved to action). Well, our emperor with no clothes has moved us to action! Apparently there is a protest march to be held in downtown Raleigh tonight, which we will attend....we need our bumper stickers and front lawn signs (believe me, our neighbors will notice, and not join in - so we will have a few projects of persuation....a roadtrip to watch F911, perhaps??)

[soup]

21. Well done, Ms. nctomatoman!

and Welcome to DU, nctomatoman! :hi:

[KoKo]

24. We will be there. Probably will get to Moore Square late, but then on to

Greenshields. Several of the people this a.m. said they were going to downtown for the other protest.

Good for your wife! Thanks for sharing.

[SoCalDem]

20. Maybe next time you could have signs that say ..YES BUSH

and then when 30 or 40 of you are mixed with the supporters, you could get out your big magic markers and write ///STINKS...or SUCKS ASS..

They might not notice right away, if you have been there a while waving the other sign :)..or they might not have time to "move you "...

[Bronco69]

22. I can see them taking the wooden stakes away.

They won't let you have them even on a sign showing support. But here's how you get around them moving you out of the chimp's* way: Lightly tape a pro-bush* message on top of your protest sign. Walk down the street with the idiots who support this fool and act like you support him too. As his motorcade passes, but you have to wait until he gets right by you, rip off the front of your sign so he will see the protest sign. By that time it will be too late to move you somewhere else. :-)

[KoKo]

23. ROFL...Like Velcro...do a quick "unzip!" Wish I'd thought of that!

:D

[porphyrian]

25. Obviously, We Need To Pose As Supporters...

...at least, until a camera's on us, or the evil bastard rolls by. If they're going to march us around anyway, what's the difference?

[soup]

28. Yes, porphyrian! Good idea. Trying to figure this out.

We need to be creative.

T-Shirts -
One bold word or 2 that could convert into a phrase or sentence when people line up beside each other.

Or a combination of a sign and a shirt when put together get a message across.

Or a sign that could have a double meaning.

Or, a sign that can be strategically folded. (like the back cover of Mad magazine- anyone else remember that? - Do they still have those? oh, I'm so old)

We need to work together and get creative.

[catmandu57]

26. I'll probably get in hot water, but

it needs said. Someday someone is going to have to tell the police to fuck off and have enough numbers there to crash the fucking barricades, so that this evil fucking monster can see what people really think of him.

[Lex]

27. Here's some pics from this morning too!

On I 40 overpass in NC for Bush's Raleigh fund-raising
visit this morning.



Some protestors out this morning in NC. There aren't any
pictures of the total crowd estimated to be around 100 by
another poster who was there.

Please post any other pics you might have!

[Poiuyt]

29. I was amazed at how fast the motorcade goes

When Bush came to my town, I was expecting a more parade-like pace. They went zipping by at about 40-45mph!

BTW, the police in my city were not discriminating between protesters and others. Everyone cooperated with everyone else. All they said was to stay up on the curb.