NAPN Trip to the ANSWER March in Washington, DC

NAPN Trip to the ANSWER Peace March in Washington, DC

April 11-13, 2003

by Tom Moss

Friday, April 11, 2003: We got on the road without too much trouble – seven marchers in two vehicles -- and started the 13-hour drive to Washington.

Here’s Jill and Graham on the road.

...and Diane and I alternately behind the wheel.

John drove his minivan, and Heather and Louis rode with him. We picked up Graham in Kingsport, Tennessee, about halfway to DC. After a long drive, several food and gas and pit stops, we arrived in Washington about 8pm on Friday. John, Heather and Louis arrived ahead of us, and had no problems finding their way, since Heather was on her home territory. Our group, on the other hand, got lost trying to get around barricades that blocked streets for Saturday’s march. Finally we were all checked in at the Harrington Hotel in downtown Washington.

Here’s a night shot of the hotel.

The next morning, everyone got ready for a long day on our feet. Here we see Diane, Jill and John in our big communal room at the hotel. We had planned that some people would have to sleep on the floor, but having only seven in the group, everyone got to sleep in a bed.

Jill and Graham applied anti-war-paint for the march.

Everyone got their signs ready.

There was already a good crowd in Freedom (French?) Square at 11:30, a half-hour before the march. Vendors sold buttons, bumper stickers and T-shirts, and political groups had tables set up around the edge of the square. After the rally started, people were really packed in.

We were close to the front, and could see the speakers most of the time. We heard them too well, being in front of one of the big PA speakers.

Some of our marchers had creative signs. Here’s Jill’s sandwich board.

Here’s Diane’s sign.

Here’s Louis, Tom and John, with signs.

Here’s Heather and Louis, in front of the White House barricade.

Somehow, I never got a picture of Graham’s sign – mea culpa – but here’s a great shot of him during the rally.

During the rally, several activists wandered about engaging in guerrilla theatre.

At one point the anarchists’ march interrupted the proceedings.

There were many great speakers and some great performers. Since there was a traffic jam on I-95 and some buses had not arrived yet, the organizers tried to extend the rally, but eventually the police made us start the march.

The chants began, many of them in call-and-response mode:

What do you want? PEACE!

When do you want it? NOW!

Tell me what Democracy looks like?

THIS is what Democracy looks like!

Hey-hey! Ho-ho!

This corporate war has got to go!

Hey-hey! Ho-ho!

Bush’s empire has got to go!

No War! Yes Peace!

US out of the Middle East!

Here’s a great-grandmother for peace. I also ran into Carey during the march. Small world!

The march visited the offices of some corporations profiting from war: Carlyle, Halliburton and Bechtel. We went by some offices of a few of the media corporations who are helping to spread disinformation: Fox News and the New York Times. We also visited the Justice Department, the FBI and, of course, the White House.

An army of police lined the parade route. In places the police presence was clearly designed to be intimidating.

When we got to the White House, we were greeted by the sight of a fortified metal barricade, with lines of police at the curb in front. Behind the fence on the White House grounds, there were several lines of police in full riot gear, and police on horseback.

Jack-booted storm troopers! I was offended by this. Obviously, the Bush administration views peace protestors as terrorists.

Nearby, there were five or six pro-war demonstrators, several with signs encouraging an attack on Syria.

Here’s my favorite signs of the day, featuring Syria in a gunsight with the caption: “WMD are in Syria, right?”. Someone held a sign up in front of the White House barricade: “This fence is what FEAR looks like”.

After the march, most of us got together for dinner. I tried unsuccessfully to find a church where some presentations were being made. Everyone had to get back on Sunday evening, so we made plans to leave at 8am Sunday morning.

Sunday morning, we were late, but got on the road about nine, and everyone was back in Huntsville by 8PM. However, most marchers had another 3 to 7-hour drive home to Auburn, Tuscaloosa or Louisiana from Huntsville! Here’s some views on the way home. Crossing the Potomac on our way out of DC:

The beautiful Shenandoah Valley in western Virginia:

The hidden coves of Southwest Virginia:

...and we approach Huntsville with a beautiful sunset near Paint Rock, Alabama.