War Protesters Halt Traffic, Recall Dead

Scores Jailed In Protests Nationwide As U.S. Marks 5th Anniversary Of Iraq War

(CBS/AP)  Protesters blocked traffic and government buildings in Washington, acted out a Baghdad street scene in Syracuse, N.Y., and banged drums in a parade through San Francisco on Wednesday to mark the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

In other, more somber observances, organizers set up a 2-mile display of about 4,000 T-shirts in Cincinnati, meant to symbolize the members of the U.S. military killed in Iraq, while in Louisville, Ky., demonstrators lined rows of military boots, sandals and children's tennis shoes on the steps of a courthouse.

Laurie Wolberton of Louisville, Ky., whose son just finished an Army tour of duty in Iraq, said she fears the worsening U.S. economy has caused Americans to forget about the war.

"We're not paying attention anymore," she said. "My son has buried his friends. He's given eulogies, he's had to go through things no one should have to go through, and over here they've forgotten. They just go shopping instead."

On previous anniversaries, tens of thousands of people marched through major U.S. cities, and more than 100,000 gathered on several occasions leading up to the invasion.

Only a few hundred mustered for one of Wednesday's largest gatherings, in Washington, the crowds' size perhaps kept in check by a late-winter storm system that stretched the length of the country.

More than 80 people were arrested, most of them outside in Washington and at the Syracuse demonstration.

At the Internal Revenue Service building in the nation's capital, about 100 protesters led by a marching band gathered at the main entrance. Several jumped barricades and sat down in front of the doors and were immediately detained. The demonstrators said they were focusing on the IRS, among other institutions, because it gathers taxes used to fund the war.

Brian Bickett, 29, was among the first arrested. The high school theater teacher from New York City said he had never engaged in civil disobedience before.

"We need to find lots of different ways to resist the war, and I decided to try this," he said.

About 20 protesters were arrested about a block from the U.S. Capitol after blocking traffic. In some cases, police had to drag the protesters off the street.

In Syracuse, police arrested 20 protesters who blocked traffic by creating a mock Baghdad street scene. One person dressed in camouflage lay on the ground. Another was covered in a white sheet with red markings and a woman leaned over as if grieving. They were from a group of more than 100 demonstrators who marched downtown in a steady rain over the lunch hour.

In Chicopee, Mass., eight people were arrested when they blocked a gate at Westover Air Reserve Base, police said. Five people were arrested In Hartford, Conn., for blocking the front door of a federal courthouse.

On the West Coast, San Francisco police arrested about 100 protesters by early afternoon for blocking traffic and chaining themselves to buildings, police said.

The rallies, which drew hundreds to the city's busy financial district, were mostly peaceful, though some demonstrators threw glass Christmas ornaments filled with paint at police, said Sgt. Steve Mannina, a San Francisco police spokesman.

Black balloons were tied to trees along San Francisco's main downtown thoroughfare, and protesters at a table offered coffee, oranges and "unhappy birthday cake" to passers-by.

A few hundred protesters banging drums and waving banners that read "Was it worth it" took to the streets for a parade that blocked morning traffic.

In Anchorage, Alaska, vandals dumped a gallon of red paint on a war veterans memorial, police spokesman Lt. Paul Honeman said.

Demonstrators also converged in Ohio, where more than 20 vigils, rallies, marches and other events were planned.

In New York City, women sang songs and counted out the war dead outside the military recruiting station in Times Square, which was recently the target of a bomb.

Half a dozen war protesters in Miami dressed in black placed flowers outside the U.S. Southern Command during rush-hour Wednesday morning.

Outside a military recruitment office in Washington, protesters were met by a handful of counterdemonstrators, one of several shows of support for the war and the troops.

Colby Dillard, who held a sign reading, "We support our brave military and their just mission," pointed to some red paint that one of the war protesters had splattered on the sidewalk.

"The same blood was spilled to give you the right to do what you're doing," said Dillard, who said he served in Iraq in 2003.

Earlier, about 150 people, mostly with the group Veterans for Peace, marched down Independence Avenue. Many of them carried upside-down American flags, which they said symbolized a nation in distress.

Daniel Black, who was stationed in Fallujah with the Marines in 2004, said he came to believe the war was a mistake after he returned.

"The more I read the more it just didn't add up," said the 25-year-old, a student at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

A couple of miles away at the American Petroleum Institute, protesters chanted "No blood for oil!" and tried to block traffic by sitting in the street and linking arms. At least once, they were dragged away by police.

Vandals in Milwaukee damaged the front door of an Army recruiting center and spray-painted anti-war graffiti across its front windows. Milwaukee police said the vandalism occurred Monday night or Tuesday.

The Iraq war has been unpopular both abroad and in the United States. On Tuesday a new CBS News poll showed that Americans continue to think the results of the war have not been worth the loss of American lives and the other costs of attacking Iraq.

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Read more details about the poll.

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The findings, a rarity in the unpopular war, came amid diminishing U.S. and Iraqi casualties and the start of modest troop withdrawals. Still, majorities remain upset about the conflict and convinced the invasion was a mistake, and the issue still splits the country deeply along party lines.

Activists cite frustration that the war has dragged on for so long and hope the more dramatic actions will galvanize others to protest.

[quetzal0666]

Nice.... About time the peace loving folks had their day...

[gunownerdan]

"Naturally, the common people don''t want war, but after all, its the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag people along whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifist for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."
-- Hermann Goering, Hitler''s Reich-Marshall
at the Nuremberg Trials after WWII

[pondering1]

Mission Accomplished.................

[excoachken]

Lincoln protested the Mexican War and Mark Twain protested the Spanish American War. They have the right to do so. The only disappointment is the fact that most college students are so self-involved and uncaring toward their peers in the military, that they couldn''t be bothered to spend time trying to end this foolish war.

[easeup-2009]

Messing with the IRS in late March.

Brilliant.

[rowdytexan2]

Good going, America. Stuff Bush and his noble cause to get the Iraqi oil. Stuff Bush for creating havoc and hate in the Middle East for greed.

No more lives for oil, American or Iraqi!

[johnpatrick9]

I have marched three times against this mess and am proud to have done so. We fought a long and tough war against Fascism and now this pox is upon our nation and must be rooted out as well....its not just a German thing...it has landed upon our own shores and needs to be addressed before we all become the:"I-knew-nothing!", Americans.

[gunownerdan]

"Today we need a nation of minute men; citizens who are not only prepared to take up arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as a basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom. The cause of liberty, the cause of American, cannot succeed with any lesser effort."
-- President John F. Kennedy, January 29, 1961

[easeup-2009]

""Today we need a nation of minute men; citizens who are not only prepared to take up arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as a basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom. The cause of liberty, the cause of American, cannot succeed with any lesser effort."
-- President John F. Kennedy, January 29, 1961

Posted by gunownerdan at 02:42 PM : Mar 19, 2008"

Was that the speech he gave the hired thugs he sent over to invade Cuba?

[rplat]

These are nothing more than the same left over hippies and leftists that I had to wade through on the way to both of my tours in Vietnam. If they''re really looking for a fight I have a suggestion for them.

[sgtrds]

The only people who still want this war to continue are those warmongers like Bush and Cheney and their already too rich friends who are feasting on the blood of our troops and the very few brain-dead morons who still think Iraq has something to do with the war on terror or 9-11.

[mudrose-2009]

These are nothing more than the same left over hippies and leftists that I had to wade through on the way to both of my tours in Vietnam. If they''''re really looking for a fight I have a suggestion for them.
Posted by rplat

These are their drug-filled sperm. Wired for retreat.

[mudrose-2009]

The only people who still want this war to continue are those warmongers like Bush and Cheney and their already too rich friends who are feasting on the blood of our troops and the very few brain-dead morons who still think Iraq has something to do with the war on terror or 9-11.
Posted by SgtRDS

Go March in the Rev. Wright parade. Ya know, the philosophy of class, racial and religious warfare. That''s your war.

[marcosis78]

I agree with you SgtRDS

[sgtrds]

I agree with you SgtRDS

Posted by marcosis78 at 02:54 PM : Mar 19, 2008

Thank you, but sadly there are still enough blind fools following the warmonger in chief (Di*ck Cheney) that our troops still continue to die in vain.

[quetzal0666]

mudrose ...

you should enlist and go preach in a Mejdi Neighborhood.

[jntlw-2009]

The idiotic remarks by right wing necons do not serve them well. They make themselves willing tools for the devil by using mockery and ridicule rather than open honest debate on the real issues. They refuse logic and empiracle evidence and instead supplement that with vile propaganda. They are trained to incite and mock and create controversy. Right wing necons are a disgrace to America just like their leaders Bush and Cheney.

[robstrck]

A crowd of more than 100 gathered outside the IRS headquarters, chanting "This is a Crime Scene" and "You''re Arresting the Wrong People." A marching band led protesters down the street near the National Mall and around the IRS building before dozens of demonstrators gathered at the entrance.

````````

If the majority of the citizens want us out now, I would think they could cough up a few more than a measly 100

[sgtrds]

100 years from now the Bush and Cheney descendants will still be spending our money that''s dripping in our soldiers blood and our grandchildren will still be paying the bill. This was and is a war for profit and nothing more.

[andor3]

"These are nothing more than the same left over hippies and leftists ..."

also known as Americans, patriots, fighters for freedom, supporters of the soldier, and lovers of the USA. If you find yourself on the opposite side of these folks, you are on the wrong side.

Thats MISTER Hippy Leftist to you: war-monger profiteer on the backs of our soldiers

[robstrck]

Dozens of demonstrators gathered at the entrance to the IRS. Dozens?

[roger_inkart]

These are nothing more than the same left over hippies and leftists....

Posted by rplat at 02:51 PM : Mar 19, 2008

...with over 2/3rd of the nation basically agreeing with them - that we shouldn''t be in Iraq and that the war needs to end NOW.

[joyous88]

war profoteers started this war for money

bush/cheney/rumsfeld, draft dodgers useing the troops

to line their own pockets in an immoral illegal war

they belong in prison;

and the christian conservative that brought us bush/cheney and now McBushCain

you should all be ashamed,

repubLiCONs are Un American

[robstrck]

Posted by roger_inkart

Where were those 2/3 of Americans you''re talking about today? After all, this is the 5th Anniversary. All they could come up with is dozens.

[sgtrds]

Dozens of demonstrators gathered at the entrance to the IRS. Dozens?

Posted by robstrck at 03:04 PM : Mar 19, 2008

It''s a work day and in the Bush created recession it''s difficult to take time off from work and still be able to feed your family. Unless you''re Bush himself who has taken more vacation time off then any president in history.

[joyous88]

terrorislamf is aliar,

most of the troops want out of of Iraq,

only the chicken hawks want this immoral war

some christian, war monger, UN American war monger

[mcvet]

If the majority of the citizens want us out now, I would think they could cough up a few more than a measly 100


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Posted by robstrck at 03:02 PM : Mar 19, 2008
+ report abuse

Well it''s hard to know what''s going on when your have your head up someone''s butt to the neck. ANYONE who isn''t smart enough to know, especially after the last election, that American''s are fed up with the LYING and outright Incompetence of George W. Bush isn''t listening. Sieg Heil Bush

[roger_inkart]

Where were those 2/3 of Americans you''re talking about today? After all, this is the 5th Anniversary. All they could come up with is dozens.

Posted by robstrck at 03:07 PM : Mar 19, 2008

Please. The nation hates this war, and polls show over 2/3rd of the nation thinks it wasn''t worth it. Does that mean we all have to turn out to attend a protest? Who are you trying to kid?

Maybe in your warped, war-loving mind you translate lack of open protest into some kind of support but that is not the reality of the situation.

But I don''t really trust your kind to be up on the whole ''reality'' thing. You are likely just as deluded as Mr. GW Bush is.

[robstrck]

Well it''''s hard to know what''''s going on when your have your head up someone''''s butt to the neck. ANYONE who isn''''t smart enough to know, especially after the last election, that American''''s are fed up with the LYING and outright Incompetence of George W. Bush isn''''t listening. Sieg Heil Bush

Posted by MCVet

I think you and roger have your heads up each others buttttttts

[robstrck]

When the people spoke in 2006 and Democrats took control of both the house and senate, look how far we''ve come. Democrats are fighting over whether they are going to vote the first woman into office or the first black. Junior senators both of them. Where is all the peace and unity? So much for the progressive, enlightened party.

[sgtrds]

I think you and roger have your heads up each others buttttttts

Posted by robstrck at 03:16 PM : Mar 19, 2008

Witty come back. Right up there with "I know you are, but what am I?" and "I''m rubber and you''re glue." on 3rd grade playgrounds everywhere.

[roger_inkart]

I think you and roger have your heads up each others buttttttts

Posted by robstrck at 03:16 PM : Mar 19, 2008

Ohhh....good one! You _really_ have us wriggling in the crushing vice of your formidable intellect there.

Typical an.al fixated conservative.

[fmpastortodd]

joyous88 I take offense to your comment "some christian", be very carerful. I know that you said "some" but I am not in that some and what you said implies something very dangerous. I will go to war for the right reasons, this one may not have been the right one that is for sure. War however it needed in times when tyranny needs to be extingushed and Saddam was a tryant, that is of course not the reason we went to war. Also just so you know I have 2 cousins and one nephew serving over there, lets not forget about our troops. So to Mr. Bush, clean up the mess you have created and bring our troops home.

[pepperp1]

We will be hitting 4,000 US soldiers killed soon, 29,000 have been wounded tens of thousands of Iraqis killed, 2 Trillion projected cost of your hard earned tax dollars


what it is not, is a WEDGIE TO DIVIDE US

[prairiefox1]

AMERICA! THE STUPID!
HOW TO DESTROY THE CAPITALIST AMERICANS!
1. GET THEM IN A NEVER ENDING WAR AND CAUSE THEM TO LOSE THEIR PRECIOUS CAPITOL!
2. WHILE THEIR ATTENTION IS FULLY ON THE WAR SPENDING BILLIONS GET OUR ALLIES (OPEC) TO INCREASE PRICES!
3. THE CAPITALISTIC PIGS WILL BE SQUEALING TO GET THEIR SHARE AND RAISE OIL PRICES EVEN HIGHER!!
4.ENJOY THE DOWNFALL OF THE CAPITALIST AMERICANS AS THEIR COUNTRY GOES BANKRUPT!

VICTORY WILL BE OURS!

(This is how the terrorists are thinking and their plan is working better than expected)

[andor3]

Hey Look! It is another idiot trying to attack Senator Obama by name calling. It is nice because when he starts out that way, I know not to waste time reading anything that follows.

terrorislamf said:"LOOK WHO IS FOR THE WAR,,, HUSSEIN. In 2006, Sen. Obama..."

[demslie]

AMERICA! THE STUPID!
HOW TO DESTROY THE CAPITALIST AMERICANS!
1. GET THEM IN A NEVER ENDING WAR AND CAUSE THEM TO LOSE THEIR PRECIOUS CAPITOL!
2. WHILE THEIR ATTENTION IS FULLY ON THE WAR SPENDING BILLIONS GET OUR ALLIES (OPEC) TO INCREASE PRICES!
3. THE CAPITALISTIC PIGS WILL BE SQUEALING TO GET THEIR SHARE AND RAISE OIL PRICES EVEN HIGHER!!
4.ENJOY THE DOWNFALL OF THE CAPITALIST AMERICANS AS THEIR COUNTRY GOES BANKRUPT!

VICTORY WILL BE OURS!

(This is how the terrorists are thinking and their plan is working better than expected)


Posted by prairiefox1

No, this is how the Democrats are thinking when they say, "The War is Lost" which motivated their partners the Terrorist to kill more American Soldiers so the Democrats can blame it all on Bush. IRAN, Al Qaeda and the Democrats are in complete partnership and are the only groups who''s evil political agenda will be served by American Fialure.

[leftyintexas]

The quickest way to end the war is to send Doofus,cheney, and the remaining 28% dead-enders over there on the next plane to Iraq. I guarantee it will be over before you can say ''Mission Accomplished!''

[singingrick]

demslie

Bush and the Republicans lost the war when they allowed Iraq to spiral into a CIVIL WAR. It takes a moron to defend one. Guess that makes your a moron.

[forthepeopl1]

MR POTATO-HEAD LOOKS A LITTLE SCARD...


If that sounds unfair, welcome to the latest episode of a brutal new American business ethic, in which the government bails out bad bets by risk-taking banking executives in New York with money that it borrows from middle-class families and foreign investors. The effort is gilded with fancy financial language and cloaked in the guise of a rescue that helps all citizens, but the reality is that Washington is essentially robbing the poor to help the rich.
In just the past few weeks, it has broken all of its own rules by providing hundreds of billions of taxpayer funds to brokerages at special auctions, opening a bigger "discount" window to permit a wider range of financial institutions to beg at the government till and accepting weaker-than-normal collateral such as iffy mortgage-backed securities. The Fed has put the government in the position of being the payday lender of last resort.

its ok for bush to bailout the rich ..f-him
time for the govermnet to bail out us americans from these banks that have cheated so many so let the banks take the 90% lost on all mortgages like they just did for bear..telling bear we cant let you come out on monday saying you are bankrup..so you will sell your company for penny of the dollar to jp end of story..so they bailout on bank and made the other jp worth bioolins on that following day stock rose 20 plus dollars per share...sounds a little funny to be.........

[singingrick]

demslie


Bin Laden''s long-stated goal before 9/11 was to drag the U.S. into a prolonged un-winnable conflict that would drain us of blood and treasure. Bush delivered him gave Bin Laden this when he invaded Iraq. I''m sorry that you are a moron.


lol!

[walt1944-2009]

The Great Emperor Bush II is undisturbed at the mass demonstrations going on across the country against the Iraq war.

As stated before, the Great Emperor is convinced he did the right thing (Emperors NEVER make mistakes(!!!???)) and he feels he has the support of every neocon Fascist Nazi Republican out there, all 29% of them!

He is also glad that John "The Great Pretender" McCain has come around to HIS way of thinking and supports staying in Iraq and fighting on for the next 100 years, to the very last drop of YOUR blood!!!

In his frequent trips to Bagdad (shopping trips aside!) McCain has stated that he sees progress in Iraq and that the "urge to surge" is working, even though he cannot figure out exactly who is fighting who! All he knows is that the evil Iranians are behind the entire mess and the best cure for that is to "nuke" them into the twilight zone, even if it means World War III!!!!!

HAIL TO A BRIGHT AND ROSY "FUTURE" AS PROMISED US BY THE GREAT EMPEROR BUSH II, JOHN "THE GREAT PRETENDER" McCAIN, AND EVERY NEOCON FASCIST NAZI OUT THERE!!!!!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!
sig heil (more of the same), McCain????

[questionnews]

Not much in the way of protest so far here in very blue Portland, Oregon. Actually nothing so far and most of the reports from other major cities in the US report only a couple hundred protestors. Not to impressive.
Heck, I can get a couple hundred people in one location with just the offer of a free beer.

[poopusbuttus]

The quickest way to end the war is to send Doofus,cheney, and the remaining 28% dead-enders over there on the next plane to Iraq. I guarantee it will be over before you can say ''''Mission Accomplished!''''


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Posted by leftyintexas


The quickest way to win the war is to blow right through you dummy liberals protesting as if you were not even standing there, kick the left wing media out of Iraq, kick asss and take names......clean up the mess, hand it over to the Iraqis, and then bolt back home.

[prairiefox1]

No, this is how the Democrats are thinking when they say, "The War is Lost" which motivated their partners the Terrorist to kill more American Soldiers so the Democrats can blame it all on Bush. IRAN, Al Qaeda and the Democrats are in complete partnership and are the only groups who''''s evil political agenda will be served by American Fialure.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by demslie
#$$$$$$$$$$$$$THIS COMMENT VERIFIES MY STATEMENT!

[sgtrds]

Heck, I can get a couple hundred people in one location with just the offer of a free beer.

Posted by Questionnews at 03:49 PM : Mar 19, 2008

Someday when Bush and Cheney meet their maker (Haliburton?) I''m going to offer free beer to anyone else who wants to stand in line with me to pi*ss on their graves. Bet there''ll be millions who''ll want that honor

[sgtrds]

Heck, I can get a couple hundred people in one location with just the offer of a free beer.

Posted by Questionnews at 03:49 PM : Mar 19, 2008

Someday when Bush and Cheney meet their maker (Haliburton?) I''m going to offer free beer to anyone else who wants to stand in line with me to pi*ss on their graves. Bet there''ll be millions who''ll want that honor

[liberalme]

If the majority of the citizens want us out now, I would think they could cough up a few more than a measly 100

Posted by robstrck at 03:02 PM : Mar 19, 2008

Hey Rob--what branch of the military did you serve in? Are you a vet?

[dimmu19]

Why is there so many stupid people who post comments on here? AKA Bush supporters

[liberalme]

The quickest way to win the war is to blow right through you dummy liberals protesting as if you were not even standing there, kick the left wing media out of Iraq, kick asss and take names......clean up the mess, hand it over to the Iraqis, and then bolt back home.
Posted by poopusbuttus at 03:52 P

Which is what should have happened when Bush said "we got him"!