Ebbie: What I was pointing out is that Goon and Neanderthal are pejoratives.

Who were the "Goons" at this protest?

Protesters, Supporters of Iraq War Voice March Downtown

Last Updated:
03-18-07 at 11:28AM

Opponents of the war in Iraq hit the streets of downtown San Diego Saturday, one of dozens of protests around the world calling an end to four years of war.

The protest in San Diego drew approximately 1,000 people and was relatively peaceful. The demonstrations came as the fourth anniversary of the war draws near.

San Diego police said their goal was to stand back and observe freely, admitting that a crowd this big and passionate could be unpredictable.

Marching through downtown, the protesters said that enough is enough.

"We are outnumbered in Iraq, our troops are dying, and we need to bring them home now," one protester said.

However, despite being outnumbered by war protesters, a small group of people showed up to voice their support for the war.

"I support the troops," war supporter Daniel Cord said. "We don't pull out on their watch, we'll pull out when the time is right."

When Cord was interviewed by News 8, the protesters chanted "fair and balanced," taking offense to the interview with Cord, who is a Marine.

The supporters of the war who gathered said they didn't want confrontation with the protesters, but wanted to say that Iraq is still a war worth winning.

"These people think that if we withdraw from Iraq, that somehow, just magically, peace is going to happen," said supporter John Linares, referring to the protesters.

Throughout the march, police were hoping to simply provide crowd and traffic control. However, approximately 20 minutes into the march, an anti-war protester grabbed the sign of one of the supporters of the war.

Police were able to get the supporters to safety.