DEMONSTRATIONS:Protest crowd is thin, vocal (OAS, Ft.Lauderdale)

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Tue, Jun. 07, 2005

DEMONSTRATIONS

Protest crowd is thin, vocal

Protesters may not have had much of an audience, but they used the OAS General Assembly and President Bush's appearance to speak their minds.

BY ERIKA BOLSTAD
[e-mail]

President Bush wasn't even near them. But at least 100 anti-Castro, pro-Aristide, antiwar, pro-Venezuelan democracy and anti-CAFTA protesters used his brief appearance at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale to make their own voices heard.For many, there just wasn't much of a point. They were penned into a strictly monitored area, surrounded by metal crowd barriers, and at least a half-mile from delegates attending the Organization of American States conference at the convention center in Fort Lauderdale.

''The security perimeter that was put up definitely had a chilling effect,'' said Andrea Costello, an observer with the National Lawyers Guild. ``We still think that the security plan that was implemented was unconstitutional.''
(snip)

Haitian-American picketers had the strongest numbers and loudest voices as they called for the return of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.The pro-Aristide demonstrators, critical of Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, argued with anti-Fidel Castro and pro-Bush picketers.

One man wearing a ''Bush: Worst President'' T-shirt and carrying a ''Send Bush to Iraq'' sign walked behind anti-Castro picketers, intent on getting his message in their group photo.But his message was offensive to Kemel Cereceda, an anti-Castro protester who walked nearly a mile with a walker to attend the demonstration.

''Viva Bush! Viva Condoleezza Rice! Viva the United States!'' Cereceda yelled. ``Anyone against Bush is a communist.''
(snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/11831877.htm
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[non sociopath skin]

1. Sounds suspiciously like Bob Boudelang to me ....

... sure there wasn't a sign against "President Castoroil of Cubic?"

The Skin

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. I wonder...

If 100 black Americans would come together to protest against Bush, and they penned them in one of these security cages, wouldn't that make a powerful statement? Wouldn't it make people wake up and smell the coffee? I don't see why the same picture isn't working with Americans of all colors, but sometimes, to the attention impaired, sometimes a picture is worth 1000 words.