I got back at about 7am this morning so I'm just catching up on this thread, news & sleep.

The estimates seem close I'd say between 25,000 to 35,000 protested & a few hundred Bush/War supporters.

Dickey, you don't deserve an answer to your questions & won't get one from me but I will they you that there were people from all different life styles & backgrounds. There, that's more than you deserve.

The supporters of Bush & the War were mostly jacketed excuses for birth control who wandered through the crowd trying to provoke folks into confrontations & were extremely hostile at the side lines which agrees with the supporting of war & violence.

The march itself, I though was poorly attended but many airports were shutdown or delayed flights & it was the same with trains. We left Portsmouth NH an hour late & arrived at around 11:00 the next morning just in time a 13 hr ride from what shoul've been 9. Buses from Boston didn't leave as well as buses from Vermont, I was told by some that in all 67 buses didn't make it. SO I guess Bush does talk to God & God saw fit to throw a storm in the mix for him.

As for the event I was disappointed. There is a definite lack of organization & cooperation between the various groups represented there & there's an extreme lack of leadership. It was all well & good to get people up there who have very moving & personal reasons for spearheading the protests but there needs to be more in the way of good, intelligent public speakers that can move a mass. We lacked real leaders. The various groups didn't seem to be able to put there egos & agendas aside for the sake of the whole so when the main speakers were delivering from the main stage they were drowned out by the loud speakers of the sub groups who were also vying for attention, so no messages/speeches were being heard, the sum of the parts were more important than the whole. There was also a jocking for positions at the head of the march. I was 1st told & was under the impression that the Gold Star Families (Iraq Vet Families & Vets were to lead the procession but it was the Hip Hop something's who Cindy Sheehan was leading got the front spot with the Gold Star group & was told that she & her group got pirority. Viet Nam Vets Against the War behind the Gol Stars & behind them every other group trying to mix it up with the non affiliated marchers working in between.

Now there was a better side to the whole event & that was the people. They came from all over & were from all ethnic groups, very well represented. Except for the supporters of the war which were made up of ALL, I really mean ALL white & mostly men of Viet Nam era age & again mostly leather jacketed & various group colors. There were many Viet Nam vets marching as well as much older vets & the more recent as well as Iraqi vets. There were many religious groups, Muslim as well. The youth was the best by far, they were there in droves, they were the core, the backbone & the will & the committed, they were there in very strong numbers, a huge percentage & they were extremely vocal & determined. It was actually a group of youthful Goths armed with black simulated riot shields that stormed the bridge in a military file style to the Pentagon that cause the few arrests that were made. The group was peaceful & respectful. The March route was changed, it originally was to pass the Viet Nam War Memorial with strict orders to turn off all loud speakers & to remain silent so as not to disturb any visitors. I imagine because of the rumors that got circulated about upsetting the "Wall" the march by the Memorial was dropped & it never happened. Where & who started that rumor can only be imagined. The protectors of the Memorial kept it off bounds to everyone even the visitors, what idiots, it was they that insulted the dead.
As far as I could tell there were no problems, aside for the bridge incident with police & marchers. Both did what they were supposed to do & without any animosity. There was a bit of over zealousness of the law enforcement's side in the closing of certain buildings but I guess that's just being careful & can't be a cause for blame.

There is a future march planned & hopefully the weather will be more cooperative & the organizers can realize their shortcomings & can work on them & capitalize of their strengths.

Barry