Protestors say “no”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — They came, young and old, black-haired and pink-haired, human and dog…. WASHINGTON, D.C. — They came, young and old, black-haired and pink-haired, human and dog. Protesters braved the crowds before President George W. Bush’s inauguration ceremony yesterday. From all across the country, they converged on their nation’s capital.

Various reports estimated that between 10,000 and 16,000 protesters showed up in Washington, D.C., area Thursday afternoon. While each had his or her own agenda, their collective voice sounded one clear message: They were unhappy with Bush’s re-election.

“I’m not particularly pleased with the way Bush has led this country,” said Preston Duncan, of Richmond, Va. “That’s why I’m involved with this demonstration. It seemed like [Kerry] was going to win, but then we find out all the exit polls [were] wrong. It seems fishy. We’re not just saying ‘no’ to the system. This rally is a manifestation of a lot of problems.”

Those attending one of the major demonstrations, held at Dupont Circle, near downtown, recognized many common grievances in an unconventional manner. A funeral procession morphed into a march down Connecticut Avenue, a major thoroughfare. For each issue of grievance, protesters carried a casket draped in an American flag down the 1.3-mile walk from Dupont Circle to McPherson Square, near the White House. Issues included gay rights, peace and justice, Social Security, economic equality and women’s and civil rights.

Earlier in the rally, various groups staged their own demonstrations, slipping and sliding on the icy ground. Donning furs and tuxedos, members of the sardonically named Billionaires for Bush strutted somewhat uneasily on the slick pavement. One group of pompom-wielding protesters led chants about the president, calling him a “Roto-Rooter” and a “stinking war recruiter,” while proclaiming to the large crowd, “He’ll never be my leader.”

At the same rally, activist group Code Pink regaled fellow protesters with various spoofs on patriotic hymns, including the “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” To this tune they sung, “We’re here to say to Barbara Bush we wish you had abstained.”

Most observers seemed to approve of the protesters’ activities.

“People are expressing their opinions in a peaceful way,” said Bill Miller, a Washington, D.C., native. “It’s great.”

Miller, however, did not support some of their reasons for protesting.

“I don’t support those who are protesting the inauguration itself,” he continued. “The last election was not accurate. This one was. It didn’t have the same problems.”

“I do think it’s fair that they be allowed to protest against his policies,” he added.

Two American University students agreed with Miller.

“This is great. I don’t see why you can’t express your opinions,” Laurie Bernstein said.

“It’s the freedom of America,” Lesilie Baldino added.

The protest blocked virtually all traffic on Connecticut Avenue for about an hour, and some onlookers expressed their irritation. Sue Weas, of Phoenix, said she was disappointed in the display.

“This is the most asinine thing I have ever seen,” she said. “To allow a major street to be completely incapacitated for people to walk down it and look asinine is ridiculous. Stand on the side and say what you have to.”

Weas added that she believed the march showed the protesters’ lack of knowledge.

“It makes me angry,” she continued. “They’re showing their ignorance to truth and reality. That’s where they stand.”

Carrie Biggs-Adams completely disagreed with Weas. As marshal of the march, she was very supportive of her fellow protesters and their causes.

“We wanted to make sure the man knows what we think,” she said. “Fifty-one million voted against him. We will take the streets against this.”

She also disagreed with the idea that the protesters’ behavior was ignorant.

“We believe in the Constitution, that’s all,” she said.

While many of the protesters spoke out for a cause, some admitted to attending the protests because they had nothing better to do. University of Maryland student Robert Khaksari said he didn’t have anything to do yesterday, so he and his friend Joe Riggs, of Washington, D.C., spent the day at the protest, throwing snowballs at a tree to see who was the most accurate. Khaksari won, and Riggs considered lying in the street in his own form of protest.

Marie Krohe and her friend from Johns Hopkins University decided three days after Election Day that they would protest at the inauguration. Krohe, a Reston, Va., resident, said they had planned to come to Sen. John Kerry’s (D-Mass.) presidential inauguration, but the popular vote changed their plans.

“I got robbed and have to deal with this administration again,” Krohe said. “Three days after the election, when I finally stopped crying, I realized there was absolutely no way I wasn’t going to come here to oppose this. See, even the sky is protesting!”

Others came into town on organized trips. A retired Pitt professor in the School of Public Health came to Washington, D.C, accompanied by 45 other Pittsburgh-based protesters. Karen Peterson, of Squirrel Hill, said she was a proud member of the Raging Grannies, an anti-Bush organization geared toward older women.

“I’m a shameless agitator,” she said, pointing to a pin on her feathered hat that said the same thing.

While most of the day was peaceful, several small conflicts erupted between police officers and demonstrators. The Associated Press reported that the U.S. Capitol police arrested five protesters during the afternoon. An incident involving a security checkpoint resulted in the Washington Metropolitan police releasing pepper spray on a large crowd, causing many people to flee the area.

But for most protesters and event-goers, the day went smoothly, despite the icy conditions and influx of people to downtown Washington.

This reflected the expectations of the Metropolitan Police Department. Officer Junis Fletcher, speaking from the public information office, said he had anticipated a “safe and joyous event” with no problems from protesters.

Still, the Metropolitan Police Department activated its entire force of approximately 3,800 officers, and the U.S. Secret Service coordinated security efforts, which involved police forces from the entire nation.

Opinions Editor Sydney Bergman and Senior Staff Writer Michael Mastroianni contributed to this article.