At last a protest review worth a read! Damn!

Ok I did an advanced search and can't find this poster who helped me out with suggestions for painting protest signs. To this person I owe a special thanks. And I would like to share this E.J. Montini column from today's Arizona Republic in Phoenix.
Gourmet 'crow' served with style for $1,000 a plate
Nov. 29, 2005 12:00 AM
They could not have selected a finer street corner on which to stage a political protest. Not simply because it is easily accessible and quite busy but because it's so . . . chichi. The intersection of 24th Street and Camelback Road is so ostentatious that protestors didn't need to gather there. The ritzy location proved their point for them. Still, since they showed up, so did I.

They came because U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl was hosting a dinner with President Bush. The two men, along with a gathering of their closest well-heeled friends, were set to enjoy a $1,000-a-plate fund-raising meal for Kyl on Monday at the Arizona Biltmore Resort Spa.

Before that happened, however, a crowd of sign-carrying citizens gathered in the late afternoon at 24th and Camelback to protest the war in Iraq, the president's immigration policy and, finally, Kyl. The senator was singled out in a pre-protest news release as "a willing accomplice in the Bush administration's plan to remake America into a playground for the rich and powerful."

Of course, 24th and Camelback has all around it some of Arizona's most opulent high-rise condominiums and office buildings. It is just south of the Biltmore. And it is the location of Arizona Biltmore Fashion Park, a collection of fine restaurants and high-end shops.

As much as any single location in Phoenix, this intersection is designed to demonstrate beyond any doubt that America is a playground for the rich and powerful. Not only do Kyl and Bush apparently believe this, but they embrace it. They celebrate it. By their choice of the Biltmore and the price of their meal, they flaunt it.

So the protest went ahead. I arrived early enough to find a seat outside the Coffee Plantation, which not only produces wildly overpriced beverages but also is within view of the street corner where protestors first congregated.

Among them were Pam Russell and John Dale of Prescott. The couple stood on the northeastern corner, near the valet parking section of the shopping center, holding up a sign that read, "You can't be all you can be if you're dead."

"We have been wanting to be part of a protest for some time, and this really was our best opportunity," Russell said. "I only hope that this kind of thing catches on."

As Dale explained his reasons for opposing the manner in which President Bush has dealt with the United Nations, the driver of a car who was stopped at a red light began shouting "Go home" to the protestors. To which one responded, "We are home!"

Of course, neither the senator nor the president heard this. Perhaps by then they were exchanging pleasantries with their guests, who I suspect were careful to avoid the topic of Kyl's recent lukewarm support for his powerful benefactor.

Days before the president was flown into town as the main attraction at Kyl's fund-raiser, the senator was asked if inviting a relatively unpopular president to town might be a political risk.

"I don't know," Kyl said.

Then, as if that weren't unenthusiastic enough, the senator added, "I would never be so disrespectful as to suggest that he's not welcome in my state."

I overheard a couple of protestors discussing this, causing one of them to wonder out loud if $1,000 a plate was the going rate for a gourmet feast of crow.

Still, as protests go, it was most civilized. Exactly as one might expect at such a haughty locale, particularly when much of the Biltmore's valet parking lot was occupied by police cruisers.



Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com

And here's the sign we painted and two of the protestors stood with on the corner referred to above. I would just like to give another special thanks to this person and let them know how impressive the sign idea was. No less than stellarly SPECTACULAR!
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:toast: :loveya:

Did you get lots of feedback, did the news cover the event? Any word on JD Heyworth in AZ; he was agin the blivet and supposedly now he's for?
Thanks for the birds' eye view! :hug:
Finally, did you know dimson went to CO today? Here's a link:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5476481

up. Pressure increase, need pot! Oh No, doc gave me some medication drops to decrease it for the first time. Freak'n me out, but not going to worry. If I go blind I'll just protest in the fucking dark! But the point I was trying to make is I have been out of the loop on any of the media coverage except for expressions of disappointments by all my in the know crowd.

I do however have a funny fucking story to share about an event that occurred at the protest. On the walk back from the approx 10 blocks on which I packed a loud bullhorn with the police siren, the same one we road the rickshaw through tempe shouting Bush is a serial killer and then siren blasted anyone who talked back! Sort of like a media tactic revenge of our own making! OH! Well there was this lonely bushilter supporter with her stupid sign about how she loved bushitler, which someone was ever so kind to point out to me. WRONG thing to do! OMG. :evilgrin: came over me I guess. She was standing up next to the street. I was on the sidewalk. I stood behind her and started my speech re 27% OF AMERICANS BELIEVE GEORGE BUSH IS TRUTHFUL! ONLY 30% BELIEVED IN STAYING THE COURSE! WHAT COULD BE WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE. You know the rest. All my buddies joined in with similar comments. And by the time she was maybe deafened, she turned to give us a dirty look. RICH GET RICHER WITH THE TAX CUTS THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY STEALING FROM US. THERE WAS NO YELLOW CAKE. CIA AGENT OUTTED TO SELL THE WAR AND RUIN THE OPPOSITION'S LIFE...SINGING ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST HEY HEY ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST (Queen) LOL. (the rant continued for about 8 minutes or so) She finally lowered her stupid sign and we left! Yeah! Goodbye you rained on trash! SEEEEE Ya! Damn that felt good. Didn't change her stupid mind, but she couldn't do anything but listen or make a ruckus, which apparently she chose not to do. I believe they know they are loosing the fight and I saw it with my own eyes. LOOOOOSERS! Ok that's the end of my story. Hope I didn't bore you. I'll move along now. LOL

like you. And BTW, ragin says 'lov ya.'

:yourock: and I hope you get your eye problems under control (protest in the dark? I trust it won't come to that!).
Thanks for standing up for all of us!

types and they haven't figured mine out yet. Newly diagnosed problem. For most people meds work just fine for a lifetime. Hope mine is that kind! LOL. Still looking for this poster who gave me this idea. I don't know why the search mechanism can't find this thread. Perhaps I am not searching correctly, but I sure hope that they see this article. Goodaye my dear! Keep on fighting!

"I packed a loud bullhorn with the police siren, the same one we road the rickshaw through tempe shouting Bush is a serial killer and then siren blasted anyone who talked back! Sort of like a media tactic revenge of our own making!"

there it is!

my new eye drops! LOL Catch you tomorrow.

sign idea!:kick:

Come on, step forward for your well deserved phrase praise!

You really wrote that, didn't you?