Protesters gather in D.C.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Thousands of anti-war protesters, energized by fresh congressional skepticism about the war in Iraq, were demanding a withdrawal of U.S. troops in a demonstration Saturday featuring a handful of celebrities such as Susan Sarandon and Jane Fonda.

"We see many things that we feel helpless about. But this is like a united force. This is something I can do," said 59-year-old Barbara Struna of Brewster, Massachusetts.
Struna, a mother of five who runs an art gallery, said she made a two-day bus trip with her 17-year-old daughter, Anna, to the nation's capital to represent what she said was middle America's opposition to President Bush's war policy.

"My generation is the one that is going to have to pay for this," added the high school senior who said she knows as many as 20 friends who have been to Iraq.
She held a sign that said, "Heck of a job, Bushie," mocking Bush's words of encouragement to his disaster relief chief, Michael Brown, amid criticism of the government's immediate response to Hurricane Katrina in the summer of 2005.

Other demonstrators on a clear, sunny day carried signs to the National Mall that said "Make hip-hop not War," "The surge is a lie," and "Clean water speaks louder than bombs."
United for Peace and Justice, a coalition group sponsoring the protest, said there has been intense interest in the rally since Bush announced he was sending 21,500 additional troops to Iraq. He termed the increase a "surge" in troops.

The group said its Internet site received more than 5 million hits this month, including 650,000 on Wednesday -- the day leaders held a media briefing about the protest.


---Im not a big fan of war protesters (even though that IS their right) because I feel they just make our boys who are over there dying look like shit. I think it shows too much division between the US public and our soldiers. I personally would never protest a war in public. They dont get anything done anyways...

I can remember the 1st Iraq war led by the 1st Bush back in the early 90s. At High School, a bunch of anti war hippy morons had planned a staged walkout of class at a certain time. I can remember I was skinhead at the time and I heard rumors of how these kids were gonna burn a flag in protest and I thought that proved nothing, so I followed the walkout just to make sure a flag burning would not take place. Call me a "patriot" or whatever you want, but I love this great nation and thats something I will never be ashamed of.

Its only fitting that Jane fucking Fonda is one of the heads spokeswomen for this protest.---