Anti-War Rally in D.C. Sparks Memories of Vietnam

I had barely been in the nation's capitol for three weeks when I gotthe chance to see the ultimate tourist attraction.  A large scale,American style, Antiwar Protest!  In front of the White House,too, even!  A picture perfect opportunity for me to show myfriends back what kind of life I was living in Washington, DC.


Therally was scheduled to start at 12pm, with the march to begin at 1:30,a slinging, triangular path around the White House, down PennsylvaniaAvenue, and back around to the Washington Monument.  At the rally,there would be an array of speakers.  The two sponsoring groups,United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ), a mainstream-ish left coalition ofvarious antiwar groups, and ANSWER Coalition, a far left, avowedMarxist, anti-semitic group, would share the tab, each supplying 45minutes of rocking speaker entertainment.  Or, at least, that wasthe agreement.


Bill Dobbs, Communications Director for UFPJ,told me that "well, we decided to cosponsor the rally with ANSWERrather than have two competing rallies in DC, and hope that this timethey would keep to their agreement."  Keep to thereagreement?  Even antiwar groups have secret, backdoor dealings?


UFPJwas first.  They brought out the big hitters - Cindy Sheehan,Jesse Jackson, British Member of Parliament George Galloway, amongothers.  Each speaker kept it short, riveted the crowd.  Boy,we were ready to march!  Lets get going up to that White House andtell Bush how much he sucks in creative, pictorial signs andacronyms!  Nothing like acronyms to change the path of history!


Butthen came ANSWER's speakers.  First it was a rabid,pro-Palestinian activist.  Then an angry black guy.  Then tworabid, borderline anti-semitic, pro-Palestinian activists.  Thenan angry Communist.  Then, a family of angry, seemingly torturedPalestinians.  A self hating Jew.  More angry Arabs. AngryFilipinos?  Ohhh, they're Filipino Muslims!