America in action - gotta love it!

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A Wide Variety of Protest Planned for Inauguration
By Manny Fernandez, The Washington Post

It's America's party. And everyone has a chance to attend.

Pundits whine about the money.... even tho most of it is from private sources.

Bleeding hearts rue the cash should go to tsunami victims... even tho the Indonesian gov't has told us, in essence, to drop off the goods, get da hell out, and oh... by the way... send up private doctors and contractors to help us rebuild, please. The unarmed kind. Some that terrorists can kidnap, threaten and behead, no doubt.

Yes. It's America's party, occuring every four years. It doesn't matter whether you are a Bush supporter, or an activist with the beef of the day. At America's party, there's a spot just for you at the 2005 Inaugural ceremonies!

Demonstrators said they would mount nearly a dozen rallies and marches in Washington along the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route and throughout downtown. The events, planned and sponsored separately, involve a mix of activists embracing causes that include opposition to the Iraq war, women's rights and the environment. A band of self-styled anarchists also plans to demonstrate.

"This is a people's uprising," said Shahid Buttar, 30, a Washington lawyer involved in the D.C. Cluster Spokescouncil, a coordinating body for about 50 local and out-of-town protest groups.

(snip)

Not everyone rallying will be against the president. Conservatives and Christian activists will line parts of the parade route to show their support for Bush and to urge him to nominate Supreme Court justices who oppose abortion.

Anti-Bush demonstrators said they plan a mix of tactics. Some said they hope to provide a left-leaning response to the celebratory pageantry; others said they wanted to disrupt the festivities.

Anarchist Resistance said it will stage a "festive and rowdy march" from Franklin Square. A message posted on its Web site says: "There's nothing left to salvage in this empire that is the U.S. government. It's time to bring it down."

Some less-radical protesters plan to turn their backs on the president as the motorcade passes as part of a Turn Your Back on Bush event. Critical Mass bicyclists are planning two rides, from Union Station and Dupont Circle.

(snip)

Of course, some are complaining their "spot" isn't good enough.

International ANSWER said it is prepared to sue the National Park Service over access to the parade route. The group accused authorities of excluding the public and demonstrators to make room for bleachers on Pennsylvania Avenue for ticket-holding Bush supporters. ANSWER plans a 9 a.m. rally at John Marshall Park, Fourth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, where members said they would erect bleachers of their own.

"The Bush administration, in conjunction with the National Park Service, is trying to stage-manage democracy," said Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, an attorney for the D.C.-based Partnership for Civil Justice.

She said that aside from Marshall Park, "there is virtually no open space" for demonstrators and people who don't have tickets to gather on Pennsylvania.

No ticket? Too bad. You want a better seat so the President can see you complain? Buy a ticket. It's part of the private monies funding the dang party! DOH!

Now if some of those protestors would, or could, actually read the fine print about the price of tickets and private funds, it would lessen the amount of inaugural free-loading protesters whining about the cost, and free up some space for the other whiners!

Not one to be left out, the District (of Columbia) is whining about their own costs as hosts of the inaugural. Uh... like this hasn't happened at any time in history before?

All I can say is... America! Gotta love it! Have a good time, everyone. And don't forget to play nice.