Anti-War, Anti-Wall St. Protest Hits Washington, DC

[Better Believe It]

Anti-War, Anti-Wall St. Protest Hits DC
By Matthew Rothschild
Editor of The Progressive
October 7, 2011

Three thousand demonstrators gathered in Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC, on Thursday for a spirited anti-war and anti-Wall St. protest.

Dick Gregory came on, one week before his 80th birthday, and got the crowd to laugh when he said, “You know you’re old when someone compliments you on your alligator shoes and you’re not wearing any.” And he urged everyone to “be like a turtle: hard on the outside, soft on the inside, and willing to stick your neck out.” He told the crowd: “You have already won. You’ve given people hope who didn’t have any.”

When Kevin Zeese spoke, he said the United States is “the biggest empire in the world’s history, and the empire is not good for us, and it’s not good for the world. Zeese then ridiculed the corporate media for failing to get the message and for criticizing protesters for not having specific demands. “What we want is very clear,” he said. “We want an end to corporate rule.”

Then the crowd marched past the White House and on to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, blocking traffic out front for a half hour. Protesters put up a huge sign that said “Greedy” right below the chamber’s banner that read “Brought to You by American Free Enterprise.”Another sign said, “Not Too Big to Jail.” The crowd proceeded down K Street, chanting, “We Are the 99%.” Doormen and people waiting for buses cheered the crowd on.

Read the full article at:

http://www.progressive.org/anti_war_dc_protests.html