For all those attending peace rallies over the coming days

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Melbourne had what I believe was the first of the worldwide organised peace rallies against the war in Iraq yesterday. For anyone wondering at the worth of it all, this rally had an expected turnout of 20,000 or so.

We got somewhere between 100,000 and 200,000 :) They're saying it is bigger than the Vietnam protests.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/02/14/1044927801876.html

I am encouraged at how united everyone is on this issue. Thought I'd just start this thread as a show of solidarity and encouragement for everyone.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 14 February 2003 23:03 (twenty-two years ago)

they're not letting protesters march in NYC! everyone is to be herded into Dag Hammerskjold Plaza! at least if we were marching we could WARM UP a little, the fuX0rs!!@@@@@ (that said i think there will be a lot of people and we should just march anyway)

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 14 February 2003 23:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Just march you dozy fucker!

― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 14 February 2003 23:25 (twenty-two years ago)

public protests disapproving of the govt need prior govt approval to go ahead, it's making me insane.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 14 February 2003 23:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Tracer: curious. Whats the reasoning behind "gather, but dont march"? Here, there was a point where things got a bit out of hand and there was a concern if someone rushed the crowd there'd be trouble, but it never happened. The only "bad" part was where the main body of the crowd was gathered near the exit of one of our underground train stations, and so no one could get out!

I didn't actually go to the rally myself. I'm not proud of this, but I get severe panic attacks in large crowds, so I thought it best to steer clear. *sigh*.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 14 February 2003 23:41 (twenty-two years ago)

there was one in dunedin today....looked big, from where i was. i was walking home up the hill, i wasn't on it 'cause i had a non-postponable date on the other side of town c/- dept of corrections

― duane, Friday, 14 February 2003 23:57 (twenty-two years ago)

who else has got an excuse as good as mine or trayce's

― d, Friday, 14 February 2003 23:58 (twenty-two years ago)

duane - heh I think your excuse sounds a wee bit better than mine!

― Trayce (trayce), Saturday, 15 February 2003 00:04 (twenty-two years ago)

better excuse : "i support the war & can't fucking wait until ppl are getting sent home in plastic bags"

― duane, Saturday, 15 February 2003 00:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Or possibly 'my profession does not allow me to participate in such events because at the very least it would represent a massive conflict of interest'

but yeah, I can see where yr coming from, fucksteak

― Millar (Millar), Saturday, 15 February 2003 00:30 (twenty-two years ago)

After all it's not like I or anybody I know is at risk, why would I have any respect for human life at all

― Millar (Millar), Saturday, 15 February 2003 00:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Now now, don't feed the troll Millar ;)

― Trayce (trayce), Saturday, 15 February 2003 00:34 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.fusiondesignuk.com/curiography/store/Ragbash/media/poses/slain.jpg

― Millar (Millar), Saturday, 15 February 2003 00:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Marching against the war is not allowed bc it is dangerous bc we are about to go to war. Guiliani pen corral in effect. If it's lame, Japan Society is nearby.

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 15 February 2003 02:43 (twenty-two years ago)

hey duane ain't no troll

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Saturday, 15 February 2003 03:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Fair nuff... was thinking that way based more on Millar's reaction than anything ... eh ne'er mind.

― Trayce (trayce), Saturday, 15 February 2003 04:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah but look at the toenails on that motherfucker, jesus

― Millar (Millar), Saturday, 15 February 2003 04:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, they look a bit like mine... err... did I say that aloud? Damn.

― Trayce (trayce), Saturday, 15 February 2003 04:27 (twenty-two years ago)

^my 1st ever meeting w. a pro war dude!^

yeah i lead a sheltered life

― duane, Saturday, 15 February 2003 05:34 (twenty-two years ago)

duane isnt a troll, he's an oldie. and its my first evr meeting with a pro war dude too, even though i live a very unsheltered life. i need more shelter, come to think of it

― Vic (Vic), Saturday, 15 February 2003 07:33 (twenty-two years ago)

its weird, everyone in the uk seems to be against this war. even the really gung ho conservatives types at work are against it. i actually havent me a single person in favour of it in britain. i can understand why this would be different in the US, but here there is also resentment in more naturally right leaning people as well as left, in that why are we putting ourselves in the firing line over americas latest little tantrum.

ps. millar. im not having a go, im just trying to get across the UK mood. while it may be a 'minority' actually physcially marching, the large majority in britain is against becoming involved in the us war. what you disparage france and germany for (and partially correctly, in frances case at least) is how the uk public feels. teh fact that out govt is behind you DOES NOT mean our people are. there is great resentment about blairs at the moment. he is very lucky that the opposition party is so crap and unfocused and weird

― gareth (gareth), Saturday, 15 February 2003 08:04 (twenty-two years ago)

i recall reading some stat somewhere, possibly on ilx-land itself, that 81% of the spanish public also oppose the war, meaning that only the gov't of spain supports the US, not necessarily the people. is this true ?

― Vic (Vic), Saturday, 15 February 2003 08:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes. Italy too.

― Ed (dali), Saturday, 15 February 2003 11:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm probably going. I'm not going to use "it's too cold" as an excuse not to.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 15 February 2003 11:12 (twenty-two years ago)

A localised variation on the Hyde Park whinge:

In Melbourne some jumped up bottom-feeding glorified delivery boy, with a massively inflated view of his own importance, came onto the ABC radio, squealing in shocked outrage about how the gathering of people in Fed Square made it impossible for him to deliver some vital message (probably a lunch order or something else equally vital to the future of Life As We Know It) from one crowd of yuppies to another, and segued straight from that heart-rending tale into a sermon about how naive the protestors were and how Saddam would be cacking himself laughing. Obviously this wanker saw stopping couriers getting through as a vital part of Saddam's Grand Plan to reduce the world to chaos.

I could almost hear Melbourne sigh, in unison, aw diddums, 1 2 3 aaaahhhh...

― Fred Nerk, Saturday, 15 February 2003 11:24 (twenty-two years ago)

It's a beautiful sunny day here in Paris, though cold, and I'm going to combine the march with a trip to Bimbo Tower, my favourite record store, which happens to be right next to the Bastille. I will slap USUK's leaders in the face and then buy the new albums from Dorine Muraille and Jan Jelinek. What a perfect Saturday!

― Momus (Momus), Saturday, 15 February 2003 11:27 (twenty-two years ago)

New Jan Jelinak album is great, we must do some trading when you come over, I have a couple of things oyu might like

― Ed (dali), Saturday, 15 February 2003 11:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Fred: oh my god. Thats hilarious. The sort of whinge you'd expect to hear from Steve Price or John Laws :)

― Trayce (trayce), Saturday, 15 February 2003 11:33 (twenty-two years ago)

He came onto the Virginia Trioli show, and she was more polite than I would have been. That's the difference between ABC listeners and devotees of John Lawsea, Alan 'Worn Brake Pads' Jones or Stan Zamaniac: we didn't need the announcer to tell us this bloke was being a complete tit. If a protestor had rang Price or Jones, their audience wouldn't have formed an opinion he was a raving Saddam-loving ABC-listening ratbag until Jones had told them.

― Fred Nerk, Saturday, 15 February 2003 11:50 (twenty-two years ago)

''who else has got an excuse as good as mine or trayce's''

I've just arrived at uni to do some work and of course i bump into hundreds of protestors at euston road: I'm thinking it would be nice to join them but then I think abt my supervisor would say if i didn't do the work for monday's meeting. I go straight in and forget the protest and while the reaction I'm doing is on I join ILXOR to tell you abt this.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 15 February 2003 12:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm about to go home after an all night shift here at the news desk, so no demonstration attendance for me. That said, even if sleep deprivation wasn't the issue, I think I'm simply way too cynical to go to protests of this nature. I'm completely against the War with Iraq, but I just don't think big silly characature puppets, face paint, drum-banging, catchy chanted slogans and insufferably pious Joan Baez-esque folk singing do a lick of good....in fact, I think such shenanigans (usually perpetrated by the hackey sack patchouli mob) only serve to undermine any legitimate cause by making the dissension movement look ridiculous and clichéd. People showing up dressed like the Grim Reaper or Dr.Seuss characters with capes made of peace signs and flags only prompt derision, not dialogue.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 15 February 2003 12:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I did see some of the slogans and they were pretty bad.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 15 February 2003 12:42 (twenty-two years ago)

but you know they are 'out there' and i'm 'in here' so I'll shut up.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 15 February 2003 12:43 (twenty-two years ago)

one person I know can't make it due to prior obligations and is donating money to the organizers instead. I'm gonna try to make it but if I can't that sounds like a reasonable alternative to me. (I may do it even if I do make it.)

― M Matos (M Matos), Saturday, 15 February 2003 12:46 (twenty-two years ago)

im at work. i shall attempt to make some of it later on

― gareth (gareth), Saturday, 15 February 2003 13:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Not to turn a solemn protest into something as trivial as a FAP, but would any of the New Yorkers who are going like to meet up at some designated place and time?

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 15 February 2003 13:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Jody, I'm meeting some Prospect Hts folxors at the northernmost lion in front of the NYPL central library (42nd and 5th, obv.) at 11:30. Which means I should leave work (Chelsea) in a couple of minutes. You remember me, I think, but I'll be wearing a blue parka, jeans, and a blue shirt, and my hair is really greasy and curly and in need of a haircut.

Tracer (and anyone else): funny moment from yesterday: I was driving back from a Valentines Day trip to the Bronx Zoo, and heading down the Bronx River Parkway, we saw a traffic warning sign telling people heading into the city the following (in huge, blinking letters):

AVOID EAST SIDE
DEMONSTRATION SATURDAY

Well, thanks for the tip! R. took a picture, but it's crap (moving car, Polaroid SX70). Still, I'll try to scan it.

― Benjamin, Saturday, 15 February 2003 16:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I went. It was big and crowded and rather beautiful.

Only a complete fucking nutcase could possibly be PRO-war. I urge any fucking nutcases to shoot themselves now - at least suicides aren't reported in the media and so we won't have to hear about it, unlike if they were killed in their longed-for war.

― toraneko (toraneko), Saturday, 15 February 2003 16:14 (twenty-two years ago)

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