J27: Protestors Spray-Paint US Capitol Building

[BreadBros]

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As I'm sure many of you know on January 27th United For Peace and Justice held a large protest at the US Capitol Building/The National Mall in Washington DC to protest the Iraq War and the planned surge of 20,000 more troops to be sent to Iraq. Although UFPJ and its allies are mostly traditional liberals, a contingent of several hundred anti-capitalists, most of them young people and students (many affiliated with Students for a Democratic Society), showed up to protest against the capitalist war-machine more directly.

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According to reports in The Hill, a congressional news source, the anti-capitalist youth contingent bypassed the traditional protest route and stormed up the front west steps of the US Capitol building in order to confront the police and protest the war directly at the entrance to the halls of American imperialist power. In order to prevent a conflict between the several hundred protestors (some of whom were equipped with homemade shields to defend the front of the protest group from police violence) and police, the US Capitol Police Chief ordered his officers to hold back and cede the front steps area, fortify the entrance to the building and ordered that no arrests were to be made. The protestors then began chanting against the war and invited individuals from outside of their contingent to join them. According to reports the protestors then spray-painted several "anarchist symbols" and slogans such as "Our capitol building" and "You can't stop us" in the steps area. According to reports, Capitol police rank-and-file were "livid" at their leadership not letting them make mass arrests.

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According to other reports the contingent also left the National Mall area and marched through the streets of DC proper in order to protest the war. The contingent smashed the window of a military recruiter's office on 14th and L Streets, smashed a hole in the window of a Fox News van while chanting "Fuck the corporate media" and marched through the streets of the Dupont Circle and Chinatown shopping areas reminding the rich yuppies of the war and inequality that is the source of their wealth.

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Article in The Hill congressional news: http://thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/...protesters.html (http://thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/012507/protesters.html)

UFPJ Site: http://www.unitedforpeace.org/

Indymedia DC news and video of events: http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/137572/index.php
http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/137573/index.php
http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/137584/index.php

Pictures from main march: http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/137574/index.php
http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/137590/index.php
http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/137598/index.php

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[bcbm]

Fuck shit up!

A note to people going to large anti-war mobilizations: keep an eye out for people with banners/signs saying things like "No War for Israel." Neo-nazis have been making a turn out at these events, and we should be keeping an eye out for them so as to get some photographs and/or beat the living shit out of them.

[Question everything]

ha ha ha, nice to hear that people in the U.S. are finally taking some action, wish I could have been there...

[Janus]

I heard there were almost 100,000 protestors at this march (news sources say tens of thousands). Anyone have an accurate count?


Neo-nazis have been making a turn out at these events
I don't know about neo-Nazis but the number of counter-protestors was very minimal at the protest; around 40 I believe?

[Tekun]

Originally posted by [email protected] 29, 2007 07:54 pm
I heard there were almost 100,000 protestors at this march (news sources say tens of thousands). Anyone have an accurate count?


Neo-nazis have been making a turn out at these events
I don't know about neo-Nazis but the number of counter-protestors was very minimal at the protest; around 40 I believe?
10,000 here in Los Angeles

Though I heard that in DC there were far more ppl

Good show

[PRC-UTE]

this is great to see, thanks for posting. especially the combative bits!! hope they keep it up.

[Jude]

I'm very disappointed that I live so far away from the action.

Any word on the lack of arrests?

[Fawkes]

What I would've given to have been there. Unfortunately, I live very far away from there.

[bcbm]

Originally posted by [email protected] 29, 2007 01:54 pm

I don't know about neo-Nazis but the number of counter-protestors was very minimal at the protest; around 40 I believe?
The neo-nazis are in the protest- they oppose the war as well.

[BreadBros]

I heard there were almost 100,000 protestors at this march (news sources say tens of thousands). Anyone have an accurate count?

UFPJ says 500,000, police said 100,000 I believe, most news sources are saying 150,000. I would estimate 150,000-200,000.


Any word on the lack of arrests?

Not much more. No arrests were made that I heard about. There was an unmarked government car in front of the Capitol building with someone inside taking pictures however. It likely is surveillance instead of planning for arrests though. I guess the cops didn't want to "start shit" at such a public, large protest that had some support from mainstream areas (Representative Maxine Waters and I believe a few other lefty-oriented representatives spoke).

Oh and as has been mentioned, there were concurrent protests in LA, Boston, Austin TX, Chicago etc. and I suppose every major and many medium sized cities in the US.

[Janus]

The neo-nazis are in the protest- they oppose the war as well.
Hmm...misread that. But that certainly is a cause for concern especially if they take photos of leftists.


Any word on the lack of arrests?
I don't think it was all that militant. There were a few groups that tried to set up roadblocks,etc. but they were generally dispersed rather than arrested.

[Jude]

It really says something when the police and National Guard are afraid to touch a crowd!

[Phalanx]

Originally posted by [email protected] 29, 2007 11:52 pm
It really says something when the police and National Guard are afraid to touch a crowd!
Maybe some are starting to agree with us.

[Jude]

I don't know if I would go that far, but at least it shows we can scare the big guys in Washington!

[lithium]

Just goes to show that with enough people the powers-that-be will back off. How many police officers were there?

[WUOrevolt]

Originally posted by [email protected] 30, 2007 01:32 am


Not much more. No arrests were made that I heard about.
I did see one person get arrested and another one almost get arrested, but other than that I saw nothing. I did get there a little late and wasnt able to find SDS, so there might be more I missed.

As for police officers, I saw a couple hundred.

[Jude]

Awww... No Weekend Soldiers? I'm disappointed.