Kooks, whiners, babies flock to DC

Protesters plan to turn their backs on Bush

Thousands of unhappy Americans are also expected to converge here, braving unprecedented security to protest and party. There's a tactic for every taste, from traditional rallies and marches to quieter plans to "turn your back on Bush" along the Inaugural Parade route.

The Florida recount energized protesters [The Ponderosa: We were there -- so enraged were they at failing to steal that election that many forgot to bathe! ] at Bush's 2001 inauguration. The primary motivator this time is the war in Iraq. [The Ponderosa: The that one that pits the US and Iraqi forces against the Jihadists. ] Sgt. Scott Fear of the U.S. Park Police said authorities expect an activity level "very similar to last time." He said two of six protest permits went to groups supportive of Bush, the rest to opponents.

Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) [The Ponderosa: Well-documented as a communist front group. ], is putting up bleachers in a park along the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route. They'll be filled with opponents of the Iraq war, including veterans, elected officials, religious leaders and families that have lost relatives in Iraq.

Brian Becker, national coordinator of the protest, says 10,000 people will fit in the park and it is the first time the anti-war movement has had its own bleachers [The Ponderosa: We sincerely hope they PAID someone -- as foreign a concept that is to many of them -- to build those bleachers. Most of these people are only adept at packing their bongs!]. But he calls that only "a partial victory," contending inaugural organizers have severely limited public access along the rest of the parade route. ANSWER filed a court challenge to the restrictions Friday.

Leaders of TurnyourbackonBush.org also are concerned about limited space for public viewing. National organizer Jet Heiko says the group expects thousands of people from 41 states to travel here for a silent protest along the parade route. They have been told to leave anti-Bush buttons, banners and signs at home. They will signal their opposition to Bush's policies by turning their backs as his motorcade passes[The Ponderosa: Puerile behaviour befitting of those with an 8 year old's worldview. We wouldn't shocked if W resigns on the spot.]

The idea is to break through what they see as Bush's isolation from divergent views. [The Ponderosa: We've never quite understood this talking point. You win the election but you're supposed to endorse the ideas of the losers? Odd. ] Participants have been advised to stay calm and silent even if provoked by Bush supporters. [The Ponderosa: We remember some of the chicks from 2001 ... no way we're gonna risk enraging one of them!]

Unlike most protests, Heiko says, "there's no buffer" between participants and those who disagree with them. "This is a courageous action. It's a hard action," he says. "It's hard to restrain yourself when you're feeling angry." [The Ponderosa: Or when we're puffing our Arturo Fuentes in their faces!]

Such restraint does not appeal to all. "We ourselves think that there should be loud, visible, boisterous protests that are equal to what the gravity of the situation is in Iraq," says Becker of ANSWER.

The day promises to be a series of contrasts between gentility and abandon. Anarchist Resistance Call to Action says it plans to "bring anarchy to the streets of DC" during Bush's "coronation." Bicyclists plan to gather at Union Station, near the Capitol, for a "counter-inaugural critical mass bike ride" to protest sites around town. The D.C. Anti-War Network (DAWN) is calling for "non-violent civil disobedience die-ins to draw attention to the dead at the hands of the Bush administration."

At the Jefferson Memorial, ReDefeatBush is sponsoring a question-and-answer session on democracy featuring Thomas Jefferson and Alexis de Tocqueville [The Ponderosa: Puh-LEEZE -- TJ and AdT were NOT socialists! ] impersonators. At the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, the satirical cabaret group Billionaires for Bush [The Ponderosa: More billionaire $$$ went to Kerry than Bush. ]will auction off Social Security, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge [The Ponderosa: The wasteland that is home to billions of barrels of oil and not much else ]and "other public properties that need to be corporatized."

As Republican revelers crowd Inaugural Balls, the loyal opposition won't be bereft. For the serious-minded, there's a screening of a new documentary on civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, who organized the 1963 March on Washington. There's also a candlelight vigil sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee. It's part of "Eyes Wide Open," a traveling exhibit that uses boots, shoes and a 24-foot wall of names to symbolize troops and civilians killed in Iraq.

For the less earnest, counterinaugural balls run the gamut from the "Not my president!" punk rock ball to the Billionaires for Bush "Re-Coronation" ball ("dress to oppress"). A political action committee using its ball as a fundraiser advertises itself as "an exciting safe haven" for Democrats. ReDefeatBush, soon to become left.org, promises a "huge dinner buffet" and free drinks [The Ponderosa: Must be holding it at a homeless shelter.].
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It's too bad more of these folk don't put so much time and energy into their professional development.