Protestors show up at Bush appearances (Ore)

[Nambe]

By kgw.com and AP Staff

A couple hundred protesters showed up Friday at the Beaverton high school where President Bush was holding a town hall-style meeting with supporters.

A chain-link fence and police in riot gear separates the protesters from the school. The demonstrators criticized Bush's handling of the war in Iraq and the economy.

The group gathered at the same time thousands of people were lining up in downtown Portland for a public rally for Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.

Some of the protesters at the Bush event said they would have rather been at the Kerry rally, but they thought it was important to protest Bush. ..

Ride Don’t Drive * * It’s Global Cool

[rainy]

1. Ah Ha!

Now we know why Bush is going everywhere Kerry is going. He is hoping to minimize the number of protesters knowing they will have to choose where to go.

[henslee]

13. hee-hee, too funny!

[young_at_heart]

2. Police in "RIOT gear?

What does this say about our president?

[Supply Side Jesus]

3. it means...

he is a punk ass little ?itch who is probably scared of his own reflection at this point.

[swag]

8. He is exactly that.

In fact when Al Gore called Bush back to retract the mistaken concession, what he actually told Bush was, "Circumstances have changed. And you're a punk-assed chump."

[Nite Owl]

4. Did they have police

in riot gear at Kerry's rally too? Bet they didn't need any there.

[FightingIrish]

5. No riot police here yesterday

John Kerry was in southern Oregon yesterday. The police presence at the Kerry rally was in marked contrast to Cheney's appearance a few days earlier. I saw no riot gear, not even a helmet at the Kerry event which drew an estimated 8,000 people in 102 degree heat. The Cheney event had more police than protesters and they were menacing. The police presence for Kerry's visit was necessary mostly because of the traffic that backed up I-5 and local streets to the rally venue. It took an hour for us to get out of the parking lot.

[steely]

10. Thanks FightingIrish...

...for the eye witness account - and welcome to DU!!

[PsN2Wind]

12. Hi Irish

I'm over the hill in K Falls and wasn't up to standing around in the heat in the valley. Glad for the eyewitness account. Watched on the news and seemed like a good event. The contrast with the pro Bush rally at Veterans Park was pretty damn funny. Fifteen people running in circles trying to make it look like a crowd.
Welcome to the DU!!

[swag]

6. I loved the drumming protesters right outside the high school

It reminded me of the famous and massive Punk Percussion Protests at the South African Embassy in the mid-80s.

And the famous line from Sonic Youth:

"We bangin' on pots and pans
Gonna make you understand
We're gonna bury you, man."

[oregonjen]

7. Est. 20,000 people at Downtown Kerry Rally!

Watching local coverage (wish I could be there) and they said estimated 20,000 people. Bush's* invitation only event had 1000 people. Kerry is reaching more people by letting anyone come. Go ahead Bush*, cater to the rich, that will hurt you come November!

Edit: Kerry just said 50-60,000 people are there!

[Nambe]

9. We e-mailed Mayor Katz last week about security ....

for dimson's private rally. He skirted Portland, and went to Beaverton. Good job Mayor Katz!

[grasswire]

11. it's BEAVERTON

Think fat cats, suburbia, and the cops necessary to protect the have mores from the rabble. I believe it was a Beaverton cop who pepper sprayed the child at the protest a couple of years ago.

[readmylips]

14. CNN: Portland Kerry Rally Huge....

little georgie's small. Little georgie's sign says...Moving America Forward...Down Niagra Falls.