Bush in Westfield, NJ Protest - Pics.

Just returned from the Westfield, New Jersey protest against Bush. The crowd was great! As you all probably know, we could not get anywhere near the armory where Bush was spreading his social security lies.

Bus from NJ CitizenAction


Congressman Frank Pallone - 6th Congressional District- NJ


Protesters (at this point, we are still blocks away from the armory)





:hippie:

Good job!

Morning Sedition announced the change in meeting location.
LOVE the bus!!

Glad to see some thinking, conscientious people there...thanks for these pics!

Check out my related thread on GDP for more from her.

:hi:

I haven't been there since my Dad died, about 5 years ago.

I've been contacted by three other ex-westfieldians. Most remember it as a bastion of right wingers. Maybe you all need to move back and save my sis.

Be sure to check out the newly posted pics of your old hometown at the bottom of the thread!

class. He was pretty unremarkable. Not a bad guy but not a nice one, from what little I knew.

Is it me, or do the cops at these protests always seem to single out small and/or young women for roughing up?

I sent it out with my sis on the back of one of her other signs.

His full name is Gregory S. McDermott. That sure would be funny! He is a real Bush loving SOB! Fortunately for them retiring!

Let me know!

I particularly dig the grinning, sycophant, weasel behind him!

it was a huuuuge class.

You're right that grinning dork is hilarious.

Hey Distressed, btw, you've got some misspellings. I know, I know, I'm being annoying, sorry; I'm just a spelling nudge, but definitely a poster should be spelled right. It's "Good Ridance".

In my own defense, I am dyslexic so, it is good I can even function.

More importantly, I had about 15 minutes to find out who the guy was, find a photo and turn out a graphic for Distressed Sis before she bolted. She found out at the very last minute.

Normally I'd do better.

Good news: It was a one time thing for this event only. One copy. Not for general distribution.

fussy fizzy fuzz, that's me. (D'oh!)

Careful!

Damn you, Photoshop's lack of spell check! You are my crutch! Where are you when I need you?

I believe the word is spelled "riddance", no?

Just doesn't look right to me with only one d, but I could be wrong.

At any rate, I love the poster and I can't wait until I can say that to * and the neocons. Good riddance to bad rubbish!

According to my copy of Webster's it is "Good Riddance"

"Used to express relief at the deliverance of something"

Gold Star!

Looks like we were both off Fizzfuzz...

:thumbsup:

heeeee heee...

oh nooooooooo!!!!! Oh god, no!!
I'm melting...oooo..all my wonderful spellingness ... ooohhhhhhhhhhh

;)

:hi: :hi: :hi: :hi:

"Riddance" is correct.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913):

Riddance \Rid"dance\, n.
1. The act of ridding or freeing; deliverance; a cleaning up
or out.

Thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of
thy field. --Lev. xxiii.
22.

2. The state of being rid or free; freedom; escape.
``Riddance from all adversity.'' --Hooker.

the young girl. Then grabbed the "freaky guy" the aforementioned "Kid with Mohawk". Following those they dispersed the crowd with threats of more arrests.

Sounds tactical. People should be prepared for it in future!

As I suspect "kid with Mohawk" under 18, I would not print his name if I knew it. But, I'd like to find him to pass along some of the materials we have pulled together. He is the unsung hero of the incident. Kid With Mohawk, Good Work! :yourock:

Thanks for the pics!

It's funny, but I'm the one wearing the blue hat you see in the second picture!
I wonder what had to be going through the heads of the 5 or so Bush supporters as we descended upon them. Wish we could have gotten close enough to Bubble Boy, but I think our voices were heard.

:hi:

Nice to have you. :hi:

Thanks :hi: Long-time reader, first time poster -- and I'll avoid the cliches from now on.



Barb

Nice Hat!

Howdy neighbor!

We shouted down the 5 or so Chimpy supporters pretty well. Noticed how they had to move down the block. Scared little shits that they are.

Welcome to DU! :hi:

I hope you enjoy your time here. :toast:

The usual handpicked folks who already agree with him?

Invitation only - sent to Repukes from Mike Ferguson's (R-Slimey) office.


:hippie:

the only people who he speaks in front of are hand-picked "yes" people! That doesn't sound like reaching out to me. Maybe we should point that out! Hmmmm...

Bush could care less about the crowd. They're just a supportive backdrop.

This 60-state tour is about hitting as many media markets as possible--with the same soundbytes injected into American ears over and over and over and over again--until it sticks.

That's why we must protest all of these 60 locations. I can't wait until he comes here. I'll be there with bells on.

He's been to NJ...now off to Indiana...next, he'll hit a different media market--prolly a Southern target.

that the riot police was called out in full riot gear! OMG - those dangerous Westfield people :eyes:.

I do not recognize my country anymore. We are truly becoming a police state.

:hippie:

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/newjersey/030405RALLY_M4.cfm

great article in the AC Press.

March 4, 2005

N.J. tide rises vs. Bush speech on S. Security
By JOHN BRAND Staff Writer, (609) 272-7275

TRENTON - A public watchdog group opposing President Bush's Social Security speech today learned Thursday that police have moved its demonstration from across the street to two miles away.

New Jersey Citizen Action, the state's largest public advocacy coalition, refused.

Instead, it will hold today's rally at a public park about a half-mile from the Westfield Armory in Union County, where Bush is expected to speak at about 10:40 a.m.

The U.S. Secret Service said several blocks around the armory will be closed for security purposes, but Citizen Action had a different take on the change of venue.

"They don't want a dissenting voice there," Executive Director Phyllis Salowe-Kaye said. "This is stifling free speech via the White House."


http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/newjersey/030405RALLY_M4.cfm

arrested. Should be coming from my sister who was also there but she has gone missing...

Check my related thread for full details:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1637958

I have some pics but unfortunately can't figure out how to upload them, I was up on the snow band so they are fairly good. At least I found who the girl is so I sent some to her.

Thanks for trying again.

My e-mail is:
distressedamerican@hotmail.com

I will get them down loaded and posted right away!

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3219331#3219346

When you learn of other events, start a sub thread with the city name and date in the subject line.

thanks

p.s Westfield :yourock:

from your fellow Jerey-ites in the South:bounce: :grouphug:

BRING 'EM ON!:kick:

Mr. Suziq held at the protest. It was a big hit! Lot's of people stopped him asking to take a picture of it.




:hippie:

:thumbsup: :hi:

Great signage is always popular!

Check it out at:
http://www.seedsofdoubt.com/distressedamerican/main.htm

It would be an honor! :hi:

Thanks again.

I'll probably lift some of your other shots tomorrow when I make coverage of the event its own page. I'll let you know when it is up.

the sign about the WTC victims (last pic). Westfield lost 13 people on 9/11.


:hippie:

it was double-sided, wasn't it? jeff gannon on the other side? what a twosome...

my husband was watching peter jennings (ugh) and they did a snippit about the protests. i have no idea why he wastes his time on the news -- between the propaganda and the commercials, TV drives me insane!

anyway, there was a picture of the protesters that was on for such a short time it looked "subliminal" and a picture of kids on a lawn throwing snowballs. they said that there were nine(!) arrests. i didn't see that, and i was there the whole time!

i sure didn't see any kids with snowballs. all of the teenagers i saw were very well behaved. what i DID see was millions of varieties of police. westfield. union county (i didn't even know they existed.) mountainside. fanwood. secret service (necks as thick as their heads -- the dead giveaway). i'm surprised they didn't ship in police from los angeles, they would've fit right in...

i guess it could've been at the "other" protest in the park, or maybe they're just lying (imagine!)

karen

Mr. Suziq has a knack for great slogans.

I am only aware of one arrest. A high school girl who fell over the barrier. OMG - what a threat! :eyes:

We were standing right behind the high schoolers and they were very well behaved.

None of the local networks showed more than 3 seconds of the protest. Pretty disappointed, but not surprised.


:hippie:

Emily Calvin's side of the story as related by her father. Says she NEVER crossed barrier, was dragged over by cops. Held in cuffs for several hours. The police told her father there were 9 adults and 7 or 8 minors arrested in total.

Free the Westfield 16 (or 17)!

Check it out.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1637958

other great slogans.

http://www.cafepress.com/recycledrhet

Please let me know what you think.


:hippie:

http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=90641109994877053/l=43315080/cobrandOid=1000131/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB I don't know if this will work, but you can PM me by e-mail I am not good at posting photos. I have some interesting ones including the young girl that was arrested and treated very righly. She did nothing to deserve such treatment. I don't think we can post the photo without permission.
I was standing on a snow mound both on First and Rahway and then behind the Armory, so I got some good shots.

the buttons and bumper stickers are GREAT! i'm in the market for some -- i love to let people know where i stand. it's amazing how much you can learn about a person from a sticker or button. those "Bush" and "W" stickers tell me all i need to know about the driver...

karen

Could you see the Westfield photos? That is what I would really like to know. Did you see the ones of the girl arressted? She looked so sad. She isn't used to being brutalized!!!
I haven't seen the video, want to-will look now.Write me here and I can e-mail photos of ralley for uploading etc. I'm not to good at that yet. jarnocan@comcast.net I had a good perspective from up on the snowbanks.

even though i have done much reading about current events and past protests in the last four years, i was not prepared to be herded around unnecessarily, penned, and treated in a threatening manner. we were a group of older folks and kids (mostly) and followed the directions of the police in order to make our voices heard. i didn't witness any police brutality, but their attitude and the circumstances they put us in were scary indeed.

as i said in another post, most of the people who witnessed the event left immediately thereafter, and folks brave enough to stay were dispirited. i salute the kids who stayed, especially. they were very brave, and i told them so! i tried to explain to them exactly how the police control methods were calculated to take away their rights to have their voices heard...

if they do this on their "60 state tour" to enough average citizens, we might make some progress. if they have hubris enough to stomp on grandma, grandpa and junior like they've been stomping on concerned activists in the last four years, maybe there's hope...let's hope the comatose giant can still be awakened...

karen

i didn't see the incident, but i was right in back of them. we were walking along after they made us move from our original position. we were kind of confused and disorganized because we couldn't figure out why they were making us move. it was only later that i realized that they wanted to confuse and isolate us. crowd control in bushworld. i had forgotten that they herded people into pens in new york, or maybe i didn't think they'd bother with such advanced tactics with "mild, civilized" westfield residents. i guess they figured they'd practice for the future.

after 2 blocks we came to a barricade of police cars, and people stopped in their tracks before they realized we were supposed to make a left. i bet emily stepped off of the curb. i was up the street a little way, and the next thing i heard was a new chant "let her go." we continued to chant for a couple of minutes (i assume they were putting her in the squad car, but i didn't see it.) the chant changed to "shame on you." we headed down the street to the next roadblock, somewhat dispirited. maybe some folks felt like i did. for the first time, i realized that i was in the camp that was considered the enemy...

a good portion of the group turned back, i guess they felt too threatened. by the time we got to the end of the street, there were far fewer people, and any new protesters were kept further down the street. we were so few, and there was so much space between us, that it was hard to make sounds that would carry. there was never any hope that the cretin would hear us, between the running police vehicles and firetruck, and being 1/2 a block away.

even though i learned a lot about how much things have deteriorated, i'm glad i went. i met a lot of nice people. i grew up in westfield. the scum was within spitting distance of my family home -- i went to westfield high school and graduated in that armory. it was definitely personal for me!

karen

Thanks again for the excellent posts!

please feel free to use anything at any time.

i wish that i had seen the incident myself. i would have been willing to testify in court if i had. all i could testify to was the mood of the crowd. a good portion of the crowd was older people (with signs about social security) and young people (high school or early twenties). i would estimate about 200 people were herded to the new location.

after we witnessed the incident with the girl and we walked to our "hog pen," there were 75 folks left. when the police in their riot gear costumes arrived and police blocked us in back with patrol cars, a lot more people left. it was kind of scary.

it was also frustrating, to be so close to the scum and know that you were being kept from being heard. between that and fear of physical violence, i can't blame them for leaving. i tried to tell everyone that these methods were used in new york, specifically to remove our right to peaceful assembly and protest. i think a lot of people were unfamiliar with the enemy mentality the police have at these protests, finally coming to the realization that their grievances were purposely being ignored and marginalized.

i hope a lot of people were enlightened about exactly what our country has turned into now. if you went to this protest with the idea that you had a choice, and you could make yourself heard, you left with the knowledge that our right to protest and be heard is now gone. if the citizens all over the country who witness these outrages, and want to make their voices heard, work to inform others of how bad things have gotten, we may have a chance to take back our country. i believe there are more good people than bad, and the lack of knowledge and naivete of the good guys is the thug's ace in the hole.

thank you so much for posting these informative threads. it is useful to get other folks opinions about what happened, and contribute mine! knowledge of these tactics is the only power we have!

karen

When I woke up yesterday I didn't even know he was in Jersey. My sister heard in the morning and rallied to get out there. She called fairly wound up immediately after(or possible during) the arrest. It was a piece of luck that she got the video. I hope it helps the legal case. She will definitely cooperate in whatever way she can.

I do think it is crucial to keep an eye on these folks and when you get a chance you should run with it as far as you can. I'll try calling in to Randi Rhodes today and see if she is interested in discussing the incident.

This is just the start of this SS tour and I think I have just found a hobby tracking how protesters are being treated throughout. The MSM sure won't be!

I hope more people take the chance to get out there, make a loud statement and WATCH THE WATCHERS!

I'll add this additional post as soon as I can. Thanks again.

On Edit: All Added!

this incident. You were there. You have planty to tell them. See my related post below for e-mail address and a copy of what I sent.

witnesses might put the fear of God in them!

you are an angel -- it must be a comfort to the girl's family to know what really happened!

thanks again, and talk to ya later!

karen

What graduating year were you? I was '75.

Wish I could have been there. I'm stuck in heavily Repuke Ocean County. :(

Thank you!

C:\Documents and Settings\Jacalyn Engler\My Documents\My Pictures\Kodak Pictures\2005-03-04\protest1.jpg C:\Documents and Settings\Jacalyn Engler\My Documents\My Pictures\Kodak Pictures\2005-03-04\100_0253.JPG jarnocan@comcast.net sorry if anyone knows how to open pics let me know.

website. I have to get them on my server to do it.

distressedamerican@hotmail.com

Hope that helps!

Thanks so much! I think the pics from my handy snow banks, show it was a big crowd, especially considering we were in various areas. The nasty looking police/ secret service and Swat team guys capturing the red haired potential "terrorist" were pretty impressive. Geeeze I feel safer, don't you? They should send them after Osama!
I think the heavy set policeman in the foreground of some of the pics was kind of disturbed by it- he seemd fairly nice and polite, but that skinny cop was kind of nasty all day- I think. I met him earlier in the morning.
I think the photo that shows the crowd and the line of policemen before the incident-demonstrates how there was NO real problem! I was watching them and ,did I see anything? NO- because there was nothing really to see, until she went flying WHAM! She had turned and maybe took a step BACK casually- NO lunge -NO attempt to violate any rules!!! No going over the line as far as I could tell.

My sister and her friend are easy to spot as they have big slick signs in the beginning shots. The shots of the arrest are good. As my sister suggested, Emily looks more confused than confrontational. I am glad to see the family fighting this! These shots will most likely help.

Way to watch out for your fellow free thinkers!

Oddly, My sister is featured in most of the shots her and her Friend have three signs (my designs by the way) that were in lots of the shots, Ashcroft pissing on the constitution, Cut The Strings (bush as Saudi puppet), and The one with the cops stopping the protester in the pink gas mask called Terror Code Pink

Here they are for your edification:






========================================================











My Sister (in red hat) and her friend in yellow coat with signs
























Oddly, Here is my sister filming just before the arrest shots that follow! What are the chances of you catching that?








Emily in handcuffs being led away, sad and confused!
===================================
Great work. I appreciate it. Let this be a lesson. We can defend OURSELVES!

Your signs were awesome! Thanks so much!
The pictire of Emily with the swat team dude, local cop and secret service guy , really tells the story of how it felt to me, just so rediculous. these guys were creeps! Not all the police, and swat guys, but some of them!

Just sent this message to the mayor, all city council memebers, and several media outlets.

Here are all address I sent it too. Just in case you would like to follow up as well (please do):

Mayor and city council - mayor@westfieldnj.net, mayorandcouncil@westfieldnj.net, pechausse@westfieldnj.net, scaruana@westfieldnj.net, jneylan@westfieldnj.net, rbetancourt@westfieldnj.net, askibitsky@westfieldnj.net, mciarrocca@westfieldnj.net, lgoldman@westfieldnj.net, jfoerst@westfieldnj.net

Media Outlets (maybe that will add pressure, generate interest in the story)- eyewitness.news@abc.com, listenerservices@wnyc.org, countdown@msnbc.com, news-tips@nytimes.com, rrhodes@airamericaradio.com, tawalker@airamericaradio.com, caro@MakeThemAccountable.com
==========================================
Message Text:

Dear Mayor McDermott and City Council Members,

I was extremely disappointed by the conduct of officers from the Westfiled Police Department during yesterday's visit by President Bush. Several witnesses to the arrest of 18 year old protester Emily Colvin, have reported that she was peacefully protesting when singeled out by your officers, grabbed, hauled OVER the barricade, slammed against a patrol car and arrested.

For more details on this and other arrests, please refer to my website (link below), where I have posted a full account of the events as witnessed by several individuals.

The fact that she was apparently singeled out of the crowd for this treatment was just a prelude to dispersing the protesters with more threats of arrest. The attempt to intimidate and harrass the protesters is self evident.

Dissent in America is crucial. Bush supporters were given a voice inside the talk. Those that oppose his policies were kept some distance (up to a mile and a half) away. This clear attempt by your police department to quite the protesters through force and intimidation is deplorable.

Please take immediate action to have the chrages of disorderly conduct levied against Ms. Colvin dismissed immediately. In addition, please conduct a full investigation into the performance of your police force at the day's events , as it is likely that others that were arrested were guilty of nothing more than expressing their Constitutionally protected right to free speech.

Sincerely,
======================

Please, take some time write a message and send it around to these folks. It is very possible if we pressure these local political goons, we can get them to drop the meaningless and bogus charges against Emily and/or others. Speak up for these folks. They are fighting for YOUR freedom!
Distressed American

I like them. Thank you for sharing. Did Bush ever see them??

Hi Agent Mike!
:hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi:

Why did they arrest that young woman, Emily?

http://www.seedsofdoubt.com/distressedamerican/main.htm

Sloppy harrassment, little more.

She was singeled out for arrest with two other guys. Cops just jupmed and grabbed a couple of people dragged them over the barricades and arrested them.

The whole protest group was then herded 6 blocks and dispersed with threats of more arrests despite the fact that no one was acting up in any way.

More than 1,100 of our citizens call this their final resting place. Such a shame that so many families are suffering from Bush/Rice incompetence.

It will be "Huge"!!! But we sure could do with Mr Suziq's intellectual input on "Great" signs!
Extremely clever, funny, but politically straight to the point, signs are going to be in big demand! come March 19th! He could make a fortune!!!!

I think you'd like some of my designs. You get bulk order discounts and I'm pretty sure they will ship down under. I'll keep you posted.

DA

For example:

You can find them here:

http://www.cafepress.com/distressedgear/523000

Protest On!