repost: pics from last weekend's anti/pro gay rights 'meeting'

[G_j]

see photos here:
http://www.citizentimes.com/photogallery/gallery.php?gallery=411&photo ...
---------------------------------------------------
Our quick report:
The family values ( anti-gay) rally was organized and had many speakers including government and church leaders. The counter rally had not been organized and people showed up from word of mouth. Given this, it was heartening to see that our numbers were fairly equal: in the hundreds.

Stone_Spirits and I arrived to see both groups assembled on the lawn, the colorful pro-people group on the right with their rainbow flags and the drab anti-gay people on the left, separated by a line of police.

For a while the groups seemed to coexist while various preachers railed against same sex unions.

It wasn't long before the police began to push our group of gay rights supporters further to the side, at this point there were several arrests of people who didn't seem to move quickly enough.

Eventually, they had us all moved to the other side of the street in a grassy area. As long as people stayed in this area they were ok. The police had the area surrounded and would not allow people on the sidewalk.From there, we couldn't really hear what was being said from the stage. When US Republican Senator Charles Taylor spoke people started to chant "banking criminal!!" (Taylor should be in jail for illegal bank practices but has been well shielded by the powers that be)

People held mock weddings, sang songs, and generally had a good time. Hats were passed around for jail support. Eleven people were arrested. Of course the police made sure they filmed all of us unAmerican rabble rousers, as usual. Eventually both crowds dispersed.

[meegbear]

1. The debate starts again here in MA

And they're gonna keep doing it until they can outlaw it outright or get it on the ballot.