[Seattle-editorial] Update #2: Seattle Protest Story and Photos (Gentry Lange)

[Gentry Lange]

I grabbed the most up-to-date frontpage and added some more html, and a few
more photo links.
I also edited all of my good photos from today and placed them online at
http://www.art13.com/gentry/rants/politics/Feb15.htm

--Gentry 9:18pm

Title: Record Crowds Turn Out Around the World to Protest War
Subtitle: Seattle March Tops 50,000


<p>Feb. 15, 2003, <a href="http://www.indymedia.org/">millions around the
world
  </a>joined in international public outcry against the war. In an
unprecedented
  day of global action, the people of the world expressed a <a
href="http://www.art13.com/gentry/rants/politics/Feb15_002.jpg"
target="_blank">clear
  disdain for the Bush Regime</a> and the potential escalation of the war in
Iraq.
</p>
<p>In Seattle, roughly 55,000+ people marched through downtown, following a
noon
  rally at the Seattle Center. After speeches by Sherman Alexie, Rep. Jim
McDermott,
  and Pramila Jayapal, among other speakers and performers, the record crowd
moved
  slowly down 5th Ave, through Westlake Plaza and down 2nd Avenue, passing
the
  Federal Building before culminating at the INS headquarters. The march
brought
  traffic to a standstill throughout downtown for about two hours, with some
frustrated
  drivers yelling the occasional insults. However, most drivers waited
patiently
  for the crowd to pass, and many had their own pre-made or hand-written
signs
  displayed in support of the protest. </p>
<p>The Seattle Police were out in force, and well stocked with pepper spray
and
  other <a
href="http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/police/Publications/forg/community.htm"
target="_blank">"less
  lethal" weapons of mass repression</a>. The day passed without many
reported
  incidents of protestors being arrested, harrassed, or attacked by police.
However,
  <a
href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=22414&amp;group=web
cast">one
  possible arrest</a> was witnessed at 5th and Stewart. While the corporate
news
  media seems to be concentrating on the "No Blood for Oil" message, there
was
  a large contigency of "Impeach Bush" sloganeering clearly visible
throughout
  the day. </p>
<p>Many Washington State officials also participated, including Jim
McDermott
  (<a
href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/local/webcast/uploads/metafiles/saint_jim
.jpg"  target="_blank">photo</a>),
  and a contingent calling themselves the <a
href="http://www.art13.com/gentry/rants/politics/Feb15_005.jpg"
target="_blank">Washington
  State Elected Official for Peace</a>. </p>