Hundreds of Thousands Take Their 'Stop the War’ Message to Congress

[Robbien]

On Saturday 27, 2007, hundreds of thousands of peace protestors responded to President Bush’s call for a surge in troops with a peace surge that flooded the streets of Washington DC. The massive anti-war demonstration took place on the same day the U.S. military reported the deaths of seven Americans and less than a week after President George Bush urged support for a plan to send an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq.

Bathed in blue-skies and 55-degree weather, veterans, labor and religious groups, and people from around the U.S. marched along a route that encircled the Capital building. The march’s route was significantly altered to accommodate a volume of participants the police had not expected.

According to Susan Scenelle, United for Peace and Justice’s internet coordinator, her organization had requested to be allowed to march around the Capital, but the police said no, cutting the route in half. "After a very long drawn out negotiation process, the afternoon before the rally, we finally came to a compromise where the route would double back along First street and along Constitution."

"The police had set up barriers along First Street to help with that you turn and our security people were prepared to make that u-turn. But when everybody turned onto First Street, people went around the barriers. When they got to the end of First Street, where the buses were blocking the turn onto Independence, there was no way to make the turn."

According to Scenelle, United for Peace and Justice ended up getting the route they had initially requested when the police realized they could not funnel the protestors into the u-turn. "Rep. (Maxine) Waters and others went over and talked to the police," said Scenelle. "The police realized there was no way to make 500,000 people turn around and go back. They ended up moving them and we marched down Independence."

A testament to the power of a determined and mobilized electorate, the peace surge had taken over the grounds around the capital. All the police could do was to back down and watch as protestors ignored barricades and tore down police tape. Crowds passionately chanted, straining their voices at times: "No more war!" "This is what democracy looks like." "Not one more dollar."

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http://towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/972/1/

Yes it is an Indy site, but just wanted to post a headline which closer reflects reality rather than that 'tens of thousands' nonsence.