Westwood protest - The day after the bombing started

This was amazing, And scary. And inspiring. The Westwood Federal Building in L.A. was the designated gathering point. And several thousand did.

ANSWER had a wheelchair rigged with speakers on poles powered by a car battery so people could speak, lead chants, and make announcements.

You have to understand, there was no plan. Things just happened. After about an hour, some people sat down in the street. LAPD swarmed around, and things were peaceful, if tense. Then some sheriffs came running down the street in riot gear, and started pushing people down on the ground, clubbing them, forcing them off an area of the street LAPD had just said was ok to stand in. This was police brutality by thugs, and completely unprovoked. I know, I was ten feet away when it happened.

Things simmered down a bit. Ron Kovic, among others spoke, and I had the pleasure of pushing him back in his wheelchair to his car. You’re thinking maybe he has a big van? Nope, he scooted himself into a VW bug convertible and drove off.

I went back, and after a bit, several hundred of people walked into the street, and partied - dancing, chanting, singing - while surrounded by police. After about an hour, the event was, wisely I think, ended peacefully by the organizers, allowing people to leave all at once - and in groups so police couldn’t pick off people.  

A happy, somewhat tense time was had by all. Most important, I think, was the emphasis made by many speakers about how the peace movement DOES support the troops. We want them back home, and not getting killed. Especially not for a pointless lunatic war.

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Antiwar protests erupt across the globe

From the NY Times comes this article of the demonstrations rolling across the planet in protest against the start of bombing.

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No kidding

The NY Times reports on how California increasingly feels distant and apart from the lunacies issuing from DC.

“Californians love that sense of distinctiveness,” said Peter Bart, editor of Variety. “We’re not going to see the 60’s again, but I think we are going to see a lot of rebellion against the mandates of Washington. This is an unpredictable and bizarre place, and I think we are definitely heading into an intensely politicized time in Hollywood.”

I disagree on one point, I think we may be heading to times that make the 60’s look like a warmup..

Robert J. Waste, a professor of public policy at California State University, Sacramento, said the state’s ethnic and racial diversity and large immigrant population also played a part, making it distinctive — and less receptive to the president’s message.

“The deepest penetration of the president’s case for war is among white males and Republicans,”  Professor Waste said. “That is not the whole of California.”

Indeed. I volunteer at ANSWER LA. In this city noted for ethnically diversity, ANSWER LA volunteers are the most diverse group I’ve seen - it’s multi racial, multi-religion, multi-ethnicity, and multi-country of origin.

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Civil disobedience

There’s been anguished hand-wringing in the antiwar movement of late from people who ought to know better about how we shouldn’t do civil disobedience and direct action because it’s so confrontative and might turn people against us plus it’s tacky and blah blah blah.

Well pardon me, but I heard the same crap in the 60’s. “We agree with your goals but disagree with your tactics”. Which often can be a swell rationalization for doing as little as possible, especially when there might be actual consequences to your actions.

The civil rights movement was based on civil disobedience. They deliberately broke laws. And did so with such frequency and numbers that they finally could no longer be ignored. Yes they broke laws. Ugly racist laws about Blacks not being able to eat at the same lunch counters as Whites, but laws nonetheless.

Same thing with the Vietnam war protests. People burned their draft cards (a felony), they sat in streets, they held “illegal” demonstrations. And after a while, mainstream America finally decided the war was wrong, and it soon ended.

In both movements (civil rights and Vietnam), there was civil disobedience and direct action. In both cases these actions helped change things, and change them for the better.

There’s a long and noble history of civil disobedience, and those who decry such tactics show their ignorance of it. And their lack of commitment.

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Some of the actions yesterday

SF. Thousands blocked traffic. Major actions planned today.

Plus DC, NYC, Boston also had protests.

And in Olympia, a protester chained himself to the wrong building. Oops.

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Download an MP3, go to prison

A dimbulb Congressman from Texas wants to make downloading  copyrighted MP3’s a felony. A FELONY!

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Here’s a shocker

Negative views of U.S. are increasing in Europe, poll finds.

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Link via  Vegan Blog

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