Dueling Protests
Michelle Malkin has a post up that reports on the counter-protest of veterans and supporters of the war in Iraq against the much-ballyhooed antiwar protest today in Washington. The media is not reporting this at all. But witnesses who were there say the numbers were very close to equal.
It was a breath-taking, historic, and emotional day in Washington, D.C. You won't know it if you tune in to the usual MSM channels. But new media–bloggers, conservative documentarians, Internet activists, FReepers (giant thread here), citizen journalists, photojournalists, and talk radio hosts–turned out in full force to participate and cover the Gathering of Eagles counter-protest. Thousands upon thousands turned out despite freezing temperatures and hairy travel conditions. We met bikers who drove up all night from Huntsville, Alabama; a retired NYC firefighter who arrived here at 2am; college students who traveled from Massachusetts; a Vietnam veteran's wife who bought plane tickets at the last minute from San Francisco; and countless participants who arrived as part of Move America Forward's cross-country caravan.
A pure, grass-roots effort, the Gathering of Eagles' volunteers matched the massive Soros-funded anti-war machine sign for sign, chant for chant, and marcher for marcher. The contrast was most stark right before the entrance to the Memorial Bridge, where Eagles gathered with a field of American flags–while anti-Bush, 9/11 conspiracy nuts wrapped themselves in a figurative blanket of yellow "Out of Iraq" placards. Several of the vets shouted, "Yellow! How appropriate!" in between spirited chants of "U.S.A! U.S.A!" While the classless Cindy Sheehan ranted profanely, the Eagles raised their voices in polite, but roaring disapproval and raised their American flags in answer to the ANSWER socialists' Che banners and peace pennants.
Why did the Eagles come? One common refrain: Vietnam veterans, some fighting back tears, told us they came to show the kind of support for the troops that they did not receive when the surrender lobby marched on the Pentagon 40 years ago today.
The Sheehan rant - in its full and complete dementia - can be seen over at Gateway Pundit. He also has more pictures from the "Gathering of Eagles" counter-protest. There really were a lot of people there. The media is only covering the anti-war crowd. But there are a lot of people out there who are not among that group. The anti-war movement from the Vietnam era has buckets - hell, supertankers - of blood on its hands as a result of forcing the US out of that country. I'd rather not see that happen again. Especially since they will follow us home this time.
By crosspatch, Saturday, 17 March , 2007 @ 10:56 pm
The media’s reaction is going to be to not report the size of the counter-protest at all. It isn’t much different from keeping a fire from growing, you prevent it from getting any air. They are attempting to suffocate the story by not giving it any notice until it is “old news” and nobody cares anymore.
You will not likely see it on page one or in the lead story of any paper pr broadcast. You might hear a single comment buried in a larger story or even a story buried on page A25 or something.
This is counter to the agenda of most media outlets so you will probably see it only on Fox and read it possibly only in Murdoch’s papers.
Our press sucks. I disagree with people who say that the paper press is simply dying because of the medium. The Times of London is opening up a printing operation in New York because of increasing demand for their paper at the same time the circulation for the NYT is declining. People will subscribe to a good paper.
By crosspatch, Saturday, 17 March , 2007 @ 11:25 pm
AP is reporting the Eagles as big meanies wo made anti-war protesters cry and tore up their signs.
More here
By Lars Walker, Sunday, 18 March , 2007 @ 6:42 am
God bless them all. Wish I’d been there.