Liveblogging the Louisville Iraq Summer Protest
Joe Sonka August 28th, 2007
(crossposted at BlueGrassRoots)
Ok, lets see how this works. My computer wasn’t hooking up to the wi-fi, so I’m borrowing Aniello Alioto’s (superman) computer, hunched in the corner.
Many big shots here, I met Bob Moser of the Nation and finally met Lt. Col. Andrew Horne, who is set to be the keynote speaker. And of course Jim Pence and all of the amazing people with Iraq Summer and Americans Against Escalation in Iraq.
The place is already packed, and there’s even an overflow room which they are expected to fill.
US Rep. John Yarmuth just walked in to a standing ovation.
Hopefully I can get some pics on here soon, as they are about to start soon.l
The crowd gathering
Jim Pence and Lt. Col. Andrew Horne
Aniello “Superman” Alioto, who somehow functions without sleep
Ha! Blogger outreach will never cease to amuse me.
UPDATE: John Yarmuth just spoke, saying that they will continue to stand up to Republicans in Congress every step of the way, making sure that this disastrous policy comes to an end.
MUCH MORE BELOW!
Yarmuth speaks to the crowd.
Yarmuth takes a bow.
UPDATE #2:
The crowd is packed to capacity, nearly 1,000 people standing up to end the war in KY.
UPDATE #3:
Video showing the tireless effort of the Iraq Summer staff, finally showing a video from last night where a staffer met McConnell in Northern KY. He asked McConnell why he wouldn’t meet with his constituents tonight in Louisville (he was invited a month ago). He didn’t answer. He followed him into an elevator and kept asking him why he wouldn’t talk to his constituents. No answer. Mitch, you coward, you can’t even face your constituents and defend your actions.
UPDATE #4:
Lt. Col. Horne now speaking. He is a veteran of this Iraq War, who came back and spoke out against this folly. He is with Vote Vets and has bravely and forcefully spoken out against this war and Mitch McConnell. Though he lost against Yarmuth in the 2006 Dem primary, he has backed Yarmuth since then and continues his fight to respect and protect our troops by bringing them home.
Then he drove the point home, clearly stating what is so wrong with the direction that Bush and McConnell have (mis)lead this country:
“Americans do not start wars of aggression. Americans do not torture. We know who we are. Americans do not abandon and neglect their veterans, no more than they abandon their own children. “
“This isn’t a partisan issue, this is an American issue”
“President Bush and Mitch McConnell are responsible for this, and they must be held accountable”
“Mitch, can you here us, we are the people!”
Huge ovation for Horne as he finishes.
UPDATE #5:
Aniello Alito, who has been absolutely tireless in his efforts, is closing now, leading the group to Mitch McConnell’s house.
Apparently, HE IS HOME!!
I’ll have more when I can.
UPDATE #6:
Oh. My. God.
There was an absolute army, an seemingly endless stretch of people marching from Frazier Hall to Mitch McConnell’s home. Simply mind blowing.
Mitch had corralled about 20 bikers to stand in front of his house and intimidate us, but they pissed their pants when they saw 300 chanting, sign carrying protesters.
This was one of the most amazing scenes I’ve ever witnessed. Just 15 yards from Mitch’s house 300 people “screaming support the troops end the war”, “Hey Mitch, come out and face the people”, “Mitch, are you listening, we are the people!”. I can’t really put it into words so I’ll just post all of the pictures.
As you can see, I’m in awe.
Many, MANY more photos to come, including a local representative going up to McConnell’s door and ringing the doorbell and being arrested by the police.
OH, AND I’D LIKE TO THANK MITCH MCCONNELL FOR PROVIDING THE WI-FI FOR THIS POST!!!!!
UPDATE #7:
Here’s Jim Pence’s amazing video.
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- Comments(20)
Great coverage! Thanks for doing this!
WDRB/FOX41 just reported (with a video interview) that Mitch wasn’t home– he was in Lexington during the demonstration.
Totally, TOTALLY COOL!! We’ve been tracking the Utah mine disaster and consistently tying it to Elaine Chao and by default, Mitch NoLips Mitchell.
WDRB/FOX41 just reported (with a video interview) that Mitch wasn’t home– he was in Lexington during the demonstration.
Huhht. Well, then why the intimidator force?
And BTW - who the hell let that Schecter work here? Don’t you people have standards!?
Beautiful. Absolutely stunning. Gorgeous. From way out here on the Left Coast, Greetings, Congratulations and Best wishes to the caring citizenry of Louisville, KY. Thanks for that outpouring of common sense and civic action. And what a great cross section of Louisville was represented.
Right on.
Photos first viewed via Americablog.
Why the force? Mitch is a pussy.
Job well done. !!
My late mother was born in Kentucky and no doubt doing the Snoopy Dance of Joy in heaven. Congrats to one and all. Throw that pussy Mitch to the rabid blue grass dogs.
Just read about this over at Americablog and had to come over and see the photos. Congratulations!
This is awesome.
I live overseas and am active in Democrats Abroad. I’ll have to return the favor to you guys by getting whatever Kentucky members we have over here to vote Democratic next year.
I’ll also try to get rid of my own, useless Senator, Gordon Smith (R-OR), the pretend ‘independent’ Republican.
Saw this at FireDogLake. Great job! I dunno about you, but if 300 pissed-off people showed up on my lawn screaming at me for my war policy, I’d give some serious thought to changing it. There’s real power in numbers, and by making these kind of unified statements, it will absolutely have an effect on lawmakers. Keep up the good work!
Great job Joe and Jim and Aniello and EVERYBODY! WHAT A FANTASTIC EVENT AND TURNOUT! I know how much hard work all this took, and it’s really going to make a difference. Displays like this in Kentucky are going to up the ante elsewhere, too!!!
someone needs to see if Cnn Ireport will run this here is the link
http://www.cnn.com/exchange/ireports/topics/forms/breaking.news.html
“OH, AND I’D LIKE TO THANK MITCH MCCONNELL FOR PROVIDING THE WI-FI FOR THIS POST!!!!!”
Think about that for a moment. A senior U.S. Senator has an unsecured wi-fi connection at his home. ANYBODY could be packet-sniffing his web-surfing habits, his email, his communications with the RNC and other members of the Senate. The President, even.
This is really, really REALLY bad. This is opportunities for blackmail, and espionage.
This scares me at least as much as his voting record.
I was at the Cincinnati “End the War” vigil on Tuesday in front of Rep. Mean Jean Schmidt’s suburban office. I think it’s significant that Schmidt also put in calls to biker goons to come to the site to harass and threaten the peaceful demonstrators. They roared in with huge flags flying (probably stolen out of a school)attached to the back of their bikes. They stood on the other side of the driveway from us, shouting invective and making threats. One of our protestors went across the street to a store and purchased multiple American flags and distributed them to the protesters to hold with their anti-war signs. Bikers have no monopoly waving American flags. When we did this, it took the air out of the biker’s flags. They’d been neutralized as far as the passing cars could observe. If Mitch and Mean Jean thought they needed protection, why did they call in biker goons instead of following the accepted practice of calling the police? Was this an attempt on the part of McConnel and Schmidt to incite a riot?
This Is How It’s Done…
Whose streets? OUR STREETS!
From Ditch Mitch:
Kentucky may be a Red State now, but it’s turning Blue fast. When, folks in Kentucky decide to hold a war protest and then march to Senator Mitch McConnell’s house, it’s a good bet that times are a c…
Wow!
Hey…can you come to New Mexico and march on Pete Dominici’s house?
No! Better that WE should do it!
But thanks for the inspiration…this IS how it is done.
Well done!!!
Brava/o!
Referred here via a post from Firedoglake.com.
Impressive w/b an understatement of your collective dedication & energies.
We hope that your efforts can be translated into putting an “ex-” in front of McConnell’s title.
Thank you, all!
Off the hypocrite Lincolnite Party Death Culture-MOVE FORWARD-MOVE UP !
See, now if they just had torches…
GO TEAM!
Unfortunately, I missed the event, which I had planned to attend. Thanks for this coverage, which is excellent. And congratulations to all those who put in the time and hard work.
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