Quick Post before bed

Anti-war groups protesting the deployment of our Stryker brigades to Afghanistan gathered tonight (last night) to march down empty streets to protest something that had already happened. It’s very late now so I’ll just throw a few pictures up and link the “Raw Videos” on YouTube. The biggest excitement came  when they walked into the street and the police herded them back to the curb,

Update: A few hours of rest and I’m ready to go. (new comments in brown, new photos have a white border)

Last nights event had three groups of protesters. I learned of these event from the Tacoma SDS website. Students for a Democratic Society is the 1960s anti-war communist group that is the political wing of the Weathermen (latter know as the Weather Underground) The group Port Militarization Resistance is a group who block the movement of troops and their equipment in a effort to “end the war” and the third group there were the anarchist. An anarchist is what useful idiots call themselves to avoid admitting they are communist.

 

I left Everett about 3:30 for what is normally a 1 hour drive…

I got there at about 6:10

 

This was the first of two planed events. I found them on the Tacoma SDS website.

 

This one had about 25 people and they knew my name. I had been coming to these things from the start of the war in Iraq, I’m Famous!

The second was about 40 people at the start. I noted the size of the crowd because they ended up with just a hand full when the march reached the port, less than half the group made it all the way.

   

They went to march on the Port, around 8:40 This part seemed to me to be a last minute decision, but it could of been planned. I don’t know, it was not well organized in either case. We did get a police escort of sorts,

They brought a boom box in a shopping cart, This caused some fun latter (see Video)

At this point some of the protesters put on goggles, just in case.

 

Then they made it to the port. and made a brief stand in front of the gate.

Very brief

This marched ended at about 11:30 after some very weak chanting where there was no one to hear them, some lame marching where there was no one to see them, and after losing their music and half the group. I guess I can’t really blame them for not putting up a fight when traffic needed to use the gate they came all this way to block.

That’s it. Visit my flickr and YouTube page for more and look for a more complete report, and perhaps a better video, after I get some sleep.

The owner of the restaurant seen in the photos “Poodle Boy” came out to see what was happening, when he saw me he expressed his gratitude and shook my hand. If you are ever in Fife Washington why not stop for a bite at Poodle Boy on the corner of 54th and Highway 99 

Update: New video is now online.