Will These Protesters Turn Violent?

Looking at the list of protest groups for the Bush Inaugural makes me a bit uneasy, even with the huge amount of security which will be present. Having been in Seattle during the WTO riots of 1999, it's not a good feeling to know that some of the same Marxist and anarchist groups will be in DC for Bush II.

Don't believe for a second their non-violent claims, judge them by their history. Allowing ANSWER to erect their own bleachers would be a huge mistake.



(Washington Times)

Protesters will march through Washington, stage a "die in" across from the White House and turn their backs on President Bush's limousine during his inaugural celebration next week, organizers said yesterday.

One group of anti-war activists said it would carry 1,000 coffins to the White House and stage a "die in" to protest the lives lost in Iraq.

Another group said it had obtained a permit to protest along a 200-foot section of the parade route but planned to sue for more access to the large sections of Pennsylvania Avenue set aside for Bush supporters.

"The Bush administration, in conjunction with the National Park Service, is trying to stage-manage democracy," said Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, an attorney for the anti-war group International ANSWER -- Act Now to Stop War & End Racism -- Coalition.

ANSWER is planning to erect its own bleachers in the space, an open plaza on Pennsylvania Avenue, just a few blocks from the Capitol, said Brian Becker, national coordinator for the group. The bleachers could seat up to 1,000 people, and the Park Service estimates up to 10,000 could fill the space standing shoulder to shoulder.

"We're facing a right-wing future that has no sympathy for the concerns of black people and the poor in this country," said Shazza Nzingha, founder of the National Alliance of Black Panthers.

In a separate act, black-clad anarchists will wave puppets and beat drums to protest capitalism and organized government, said Lila Kaye of Anarchist Resistance.