San Francisco.... More protest pictures....

[Joanne98]

Starting early this morning hundreds of people gathered around the top of Market street and began a protest march on this fifth anniversary of the Iraq War. I caught up with the march as they were held back at 3rd and Market. Riot police lined up across all four intersections and held a line, not allowing any traffic to pass. Things seems pretty peaceful, with people laying in the street. There were chants of “Occupation is a crime, from Iraq to Palestine”.

On a personal note, I celebrated my daughters fifth birthday this weekend. You see, she was born two days before the bombs started dropping on Baghdad. She now knows what war is, at least in a five year olds sensibility.

And on the subject of children, Bush is holding fast to his position that we are on course in this war.

http://sf.metblogs.com/2008/03/19/five-long-years-iraq-war-protest/

Please click on the link to see the pictures..

[MzNov]

1. Thank you!!

I'm going to a vigil tonite on Peninsula!

great pics.

:bounce:

[ThatsMyBarack]

2. I love Market Street in SF!

:loveya:

[mulsh]

3. I was there about an 1 1/2 hour ago.

not a very large group of protesters but at least a couple hundred cops.

I think the cops are jittery I saw one cop raise his nightstick at an older, well dressed gentleman who tried to ask for directions. got " how the fuck would I know" from the cop. This older guy was so obviously not one of the protester it would have been funny if the other cops hadn't started looking just as menacing.

I've been to most of the SF anti-war protests this is the first one where I got a very bad feeling from the police.

[devilgrrl]

4. Oooooh! Riot Police!!!!! I feel safer already!!!!!

BTW, who do they work for?

[mulsh]

7. ,Looked like standard SFPD but hard to tell for sure

At all the other protests, including the first gulf war marches and the viet nam moratorium marches there was a large police presence but they were mostly pretty mellow and easy going, mostly there to keep the marchers on the assigned streets and stop the right wing anarchist from breaking windows.

Today's vibe was very different than other times. weird since the protesters were mostly code pink and assorted out of shape middle aged rabble rouser's like myself. Not exactly a group that's prone to violence. The protesters were mostly milling around, giving speeches reading out a list of the dead, not exactly in your face confrontational stuff.

[malaise]

5. Thanks n/t

[Breeze54]

6. Thanks, Joanne98 .... for being out there! - Here's your pics-->

:yourock:

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San Francisco Mar 19th, 2008 @ 12:49 PM

http://img.metblogs.com.nyud.net:8090/sf/files/2008/03/dsc_1963.jpg

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http://img.metblogs.com.nyud.net:8090/sf/files/2008/03/dsc_2028.jpg

More.....