CNN: Protesters Interrupt Bush's Speech At Monticello
By Nicole Belle Friday Jul 04, 2008 12:30pm
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Charlotteville Daily Progress:
While thousands flocked to hear President Bush speak at Monticello on Friday morning, Dana Palmer stood by the side of Route 20 dressed like Lady Liberty to teach her kids a lesson in free speech.
Palmer, her husband and their two children were among more than 100 people to protest Bush's visit to Monticello with homemade signs, costumes, expressive T-shirts and their voices.
Palmer wore bright green robes, a foam crown and had her face painted white to represent "the death of liberty," while her husband, dressed in black, was "Darth Cheney." Palmer, a Charlottesville resident, brought her son and daughter to see the First Amendment in action. "What better thing can I teach them about free speech than bringing them out here to show them free speech?" she said.
Protesters started arriving around 6 a.m. in Quarry Park, a mile from the Monticello Visitor's Center, and their numbers grew through the morning.
The earliest to arrive stood at the entrance to Quarry Road on Route 20, but moved nearer the visitors' center to make their views known to drivers, bus passengers going to the naturalization ceremony and eventually Bush's motorcade.
Most people held up signs of their own creation with messages including, "Healthcare Not Warfare," "Save The Bill of Rights" and "Who Would Jesus Bomb?"[..]
The protesters included members of CODE PINK Women for Peace, the Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice, the Charlottesville Democratic Party, and Web sites moveon.org and afterdowningstreet.org.
Sarah Lanzman, an organizer and Center for Peace member, said the protest was about protecting the Constitution from what she described as attacks by Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
"We don't want to hurt the ceremony for the new immigrants," Lanzman said. "We just want to state our constitutional right that someone who has destroyed our Constitution should not be at the home of a president who initiated it. ... That seems very disrespectful to the memory of Thomas Jefferson."
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1mpeach!
“We don’t want to hurt the ceremony for the new immigrants,” Lanzman said. “We just want to state our constitutional right that someone who has destroyed our Constitution should not be at the home of a president who initiated it. … That seems very disrespectful to the memory of Thomas Jefferson.”
Well, they've been disrespectful to just about everything and everyone else, why not Tom?
Read Glenn Greenwald's latest here.
We do not have a King though G-Dub and far too many others think we do.
'Bout time!! Although I realize it's been damn near impossible for ordinary Americans to get close enough to do even this
I know it's off topic, but I really wish some news organization would start pointing out the rather obvious difference in the size of crowds Obama's getting compared to McSame.
Bush had a bigger crowd here than most McCain events, while Obama if filling stadiums - where's the news on this?
"... someone who has destroyed our Constitution should not be at the home of a president who initiated it. … That seems very disrespectful to the memory of Thomas Jefferson.”
it sure does...
but duby's never been one to contemplate implications, much less respect...
And at the G8 robbers summit in Japan the Tokyo police are raiding union halls and security forces are harassing and arresting people.
So much for free speech.
If Bush believes in free speech, why were the protesters dragged off?
Hmm...CNN must be off their game today. Don't they usually refer to them as "hecklers"?
Suppose bush would be a little depressed if someone read what the protestors signs say to him?
Things got so hectic that they had to scrap the urination ceremony at Jefferson's nearby gravesite, where the old boy was said to be spinning frantically and attempting mightily to get out, with fists clenched and murder in his eyes.
Fortunately, whether he believes in God or not, Mr. Bush will never have to fear giving account to Mr. Jefferson in the hereafter.
It just goes to show what happens when Bush makes a public appearance that isn't pre-screened . It's just unfortunate that only around 100 protesters showed up. There should have been thousands . It's sad that most people chose independence day to re-affirm their dependence on oil, junk food, credit cards and a government that brags about free speech while spying on it's own citizens and stripping them of their rights.
The clapping by those clowns in the audience sent waves of revulsion through me. If I were to attend a gathering where that goddamn blockhead was speaking, I'd be protesting him, too.
Somewhere up above Jefferson is grinning ear to ear.
Our founding fathers would be proud of those patriots shouting at the war criminal King George.
They should have rushed the stage with torches and pitchforks and dragged that war criminal to the gallows.
Bush is repulsive. I hope I can make it to January.
Someone get me my blood pressure pills, please. And a pint of Jack...
thousands? more like hundreds
and they werent doing much to shout down the protestors
and im sorry, but the protestors need to take a page from abbie hoffman
1 or 2 yelling at a time does nothing...they needed to stand up, yell and get arrested en masse
Lest we forget, we have a Congress slated to come back to Washington next week and grant immunity for Bush's criminal cronies who violated the fourth amendment. The destroying of our Constitution is not a one man operation. The clear message to these companies with sophisticated legal departments - cooperate with the government in violating constitutional rights, and we'll protect you. With that approach, the Constitution isn't worth the paper it's written on.
We've lost two branches of government, and we're one Supreme Court justice away from having a majority over there endorsing this "unitary executive", aka "the decider" form of government. Meanwhile, we have been steered again to a choice between the two evils. This country is in trouble.
SemiPundit @ 10:
LMAO Cough, my keyboard is soaked, thanks
the rodney dangerfield of modern day presidents
i get no respect.......how's it feel...we've been living your nightmare for 7-8 yrs.....if we don't keep the pressure on mccain..that he will for sure be another bush term we may suffer another 4 yrs.
EVERY person there SHOULD have been screaming Impeach the War Criminal!
The presence of this "unitary executive" wannabe at the home of the framer of the Constitution of this great nation is an slight to Jefferson's memory.
The people who still support this clown make me sick.
SemiPundit @ 10:
By far the funniest damn post I have read today!
NobodySpecial @ 2:
Democracy is often messy and unpleasant. Mr Jefferson would be cheering these patriotic Americans who have the courage to stand up and protest this war criminal on behalf of all of us. In fact he'd be one of the one standing up and fighting back. He might even feel moved to become part of a rebel movement or insurrection.
Glad I could help clear out the system, Floridiot.
Don't forget for a moment that Bush, Cheney, and every enabler of this administration, had they been alive and breathing in Jefferson's day would have handed his head to the British along with every other revered founder of this formerly great nation.
It will rise again, cleansed, but it will take awhile.
Oh, but that we had men like Jefferson, Washington, Adams, Madison, and Franklin alive today...
SemiPundit @ 10, very good!! I think you've about got it 100% right!
Let him not know a day without protest, even in Paraguay.
Keeping in mind that I disagree with the decision to remove the protestors...
Give me a fucking break. If one desires to witlessly dress up as the Statue of Liberty and Dick Cheney, fine. But don't do it under the guise of teaching your kids something. Halloween is not how politics works, educate your kids about policy. Then you can say you're doing it for their betterment.
Attila: Paraguay? That reminds me, the old Mengele place is up for sale.
PopulistPagan @ 22:
I had another laugh for a second here, I had thought it read 'urinary executive' at first
If the First Amendment doesn't impress these people- try the Second.
These kind of protests would have occurred every time he showed his face in public if he wasn't
so shielded from the population by his team, who carefully screened his audiences, filling them
with his like minded supporters.
( Maybe that was ROVE's job? )
I think his ardent (and fooled ) fans are the only ones surprised at seeing ANY protesters.
One wonders what will happen to protesters who will bring signs and chant Out of Iraq Now! and Out of Afghanistan Now! at the Democratic convention at Denver this summer. But that is assuming that Obama and the Democratic party will tolerate those activities at the convention, since it should be remembered how the antiwar platform was totally ignored when the Democrats nominated John Kerry as their leader.
How can Bush say he believes in free speech only to have the protesters removed? How does that work?
Mitch @ 7:
And then people clap.
So much for some new citizens who think and defend the constitution.
The reason Bush spoke at Monticello is because he had nowhere else to go. Monticello has a standing invitation to all sitting Presidents to speak at the naturalization ceremony. With his disapproval rating in the stratosphere, he obviously was casting about for a place he could invite himself without being snubbed. There would have been more protesters, but there was very short notice that Bush was coming (it was supposed to be Ken Burns).
To Monticello's credit, they issued the 1,000 tickets without consideration for political affiliation--a rarity for a Bush appearance. More importantly, Monticello declined to press charges against any of the protesters. Bush was called a fascist and a war criminal among other things. He was interrupted 9 times in his 10 minute speech, which might not seem like much by 1960s standards, but it had to be the most humiliating appearance he's ever had.
So maybe that'll teach him to mess with Jefferson, and a pipsqueak of a town that went 69% for Kerry.
Now if Obama would read the Bill of Rights....
So much for free speech!
Along with the right of free speech, we also have the "Right of Revolution." The Declaration of Independence states: "But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."
I hope that with every single public appearance from now on, Bush gets heckled, booed and ridiculed for his and his misadministration's exceptionally bad performance in such a high office. I can't wait until he's out of office and feels the real wrath of the public when he's not so protected, that will be a joy to watch and listen to.
BTW if you read the comments to this over at YouTube you will find people saying they should be tried for terrorism as they could have had a bomb on them as they rushed the stage (one woman).
crazylikeafox @ 36:
More dumbfucks to aid and abet fascism and clap when folks are dragged off for speaking truth to power. just what this country needs.
Wow. The bubble appears to have a crack in it. This is twice now, no?
Someone's head will roll.
MsJoanne @ 43:
I'll bet Bush threw his banana at his handlers over that one.
Ruthless People @ 42:
I am going to generalize but it pertains to my own experiences. All the people I know who are immigrates to this country have done so for monetary reasons not for political or idealistic reasons.
Paul Thoreau @ 39:
Just don't try to exercise that right or you will see exactly what the Constitution means to them.
I am amazed that Jefferson didn't burst out of his grave and beat Bush senseless. "How dare you, sir?" he would wheeze from his rotted lungs. "Get your worthless arse off my property before I set the dogs on you!"
Zimbabwe election: The stolen ballots
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-A8FAQZCCA
Hope @ 40:
Large protests were a key to ending the Viet Nam "Conflict" If we had the threat of a Draft now, you'd see the masses get off their couches, and onto the streets. Now the incredible military men and women just get their tours extended.... and lives changed forever.
Just keep protesting---MSM has to cover it!
Dear Senator Leahy,
I swear on the graves of America's Founding Father that if this current FISA bill is passed with the retroactive immunity and the provisions allowing for any warrantless surveilence other then that allowed by the 1978 law that there will be more trouble in this country then you can even began to imagine. I have no idea why so many in Congress hate America's freedoms and ideals so much that they would lie, cheat and steal to see them destroyed. But I do have an idea that it is possible for a small number of Senators to put an end to this absurdity, since we've seen Republican members of the House and Senate do just that to good legislation time and time again the past 18 months. If you can't handle THAT then put the word out now and there could be enough veterans and active duty soldiers in Washington on Tuesday to hold the DC police at bay and put the Senate supporters of this anti-American legislation in the brig where they belong. THIS IS NOT A JOKE! I am deadly serious! And I know damn good and well that hundreds of thousands of other Americans are as well!
Terrible
VT
NOTICE: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency may have read this email without warning, warrant, or notice. They may do this without any judicial or legislative oversight. You have no recourse nor protection save to call for the impeachment of the current President.
it's not realy a protest unless you get to punch a cop
Terrible @ 50:
you better be careful son
this could land you in jail AND john and nicole in hot water
I have been waiting for something more along the lines of: Police Interrupt Bush’s Speech At Monticello and Arrest Him.
marko @ 52:
I really don't think you can get in trouble for saying that, Marko.
Civil Unrest! We want more... the world deserves to know we are not docile citizens
The simian warmonger lives in a cognitive bubble and is down to about 5 hackneed, ideological, rhetorical phrases of neo-con, evangelical, anti-democratic one-liners. He is basically a free-floating, self-contained, moronic adolescent who is pathetically unaware of his own dissociation from reality. He is insane.
Mitch @ 7:
They were'nt in their "free speech zones".
CNN is fond of the term "hecklers" so maybe there should be designated "free heckle zones".
Sweet feathery Jesus, this bus has some serious engine problems, my hat is off to the speech disrupters.
xoites defends Constitution @ 54:
people have been jailed and tortured for less by this administration
marko @ 52:
Cowardice is a major reason we are in this moral and Constitutional cesspool in the first place. Those protesters are true patriots, unafraid to challenge power.
marko @ 59:
These sorts of revolutionary statements are exactly what the Patriot Act and other 'anti'-terrorist laws were designed for.
How ironic, Jefferson was the antithesis of boosh.............i.e. a man who deeply cared about this country, and the constitution.
As the man protesting said....."HE HAS BROUGHT FACISM TO OUR SHORE." May his words ring forever in the ears of these treasonous traitors to our country and the constitution of the United States.
boosh asked for it..........this guy will have this in his video archives for his family to view for generations to come. That is, if we all survive for another generation or more. He is a true patriot, and I hope we learn more about him.
mcflight suit, of course, allowed this to happen so they can continue the agenda in PLAIN SIGHT.............YOU KNOW, just like the movie title, "Hide In Plain Sight."
Note to protesters: don't dress up in silly garb when you (rightfully) protest. it makes you look like clowns and no one takes you seriously.
Why not just send so much ethereal energy into the atmosphere via the blogosphere that Hurricane Bertha churns into DC and steals the show from every warmonger in the city. I've seen the weather directly affected by mass demonstrations of high emotion (every Spring and Summer Dead Tour from 1984-91.)
People forget that vibes are real.
What a LOSER. LOSER, LOSER, LOSER. The sound of his voice makes me ill.
Lanzman said. “We just want to state our constitutional right that someone who has destroyed our Constitution should not be at the home of a president who initiated it. … That seems very disrespectful to the memory of Thomas Jefferson.”
====================
*claps*.
So very true.
Ruthless People @ 44:
Heh! Very funny!
digitaLiberacion @ 55:
Fair enough, I agree, but it's hard to gage what percentage these protesting folks are of the 300 million plus Americans who are affected by the programs, decisions, and wrong doings of the Bushites. The rest are numb too long to remember that we live in a Democracy. Then, again, the Congress doesn't do too much to represent us.
jon @ 63:
Note to blog posters: Don't give condescending advice to those who *actually* do something, while you sit behind a keyboard typing away. I am not going to say how that makes you look like, but I am sure you know where that one is going...
bob dobbs @ 24:
Please, stop idolizing the founding fathers.
For the most part they were rich white land owners whose main concern was taxation...
Protesters: "Impeach! Impeach! War Criminal! War Criminal!"
Bush: "I don't come to your job at knock the broom from your hands! Heh heh heh"
There is only one EVIL person running for president,thats John McCain.Plus one idot,Ralph Nader.
thousands flocked to hear President Bush
I didn't see "thousands" in that picture - not even hundreds, nope didn't see that either. I wonder why Bush waste his breath.
ANYWAY - I guess this is just Bush gettig his end-of-term bounce in polls, you know, because (as Bush said) people don't despise him as much as they used too, but nobody could tell that in this latest video. And the security service guys look like their letting the hate get closer. I wonder if they are tired of fending off spit wades that are intended for Bush.
Funny how come this weasel didn't go to that fascist reagan's home.
Mitch @ 7:
They weren't speaking repugnnant con free speach.
Ruthless People @ 44:
He didn't get his banana caught in his zipper?
Hey, Dewd.
I've been politically active probably since before you were born. I know what works and what doesn't. How much money have you given to causes and political action committies? How many vigils have you stood up for? I am not going to say how that makes you look either, but I am sure you know where that one is going…
Goons ,FUCKING GOONS. Is this what america is on THE FORTH
The Dude @ 69:
Well said Dude. The most important thing is to get out there and be loud. The nature of your garb should be a secondary or tertiary concern. Any time I see protesters, my heart jumps a bit. I don't care what they're wearing.
Terrible @ 50:
He doesn't read much correspondence since that trick Anthrax letter.
I see this is from CNN. I'm shoocked they even reported on it. I made a comment on an Obama story over there two and a half hours ago. It's still pending moderation. CNN sucks eggs.
marko @ 52, actually no it couldn't.
marko @ 52, but thanks for trying to tell me to not speak my mind.
tjb @ 80, yeah so that's why I use his e-mail!
And marko I don't know how old you are but I doubt you're old enough to be my father so you can stop with the son shit. For that matter even if you are old enough to have a 48 year old son I'm quite certain you're not the man my father was!
I find it rather hypocritical of Bush to say he supports free speech, when you consider how many people have been arrested for 'disturbing the peace', first strike variety, before Bush rallies. Of course the charges are dismissed, but only after Bush and his posturing rally was over. He only allows free speech if it's of the kissing his ass variety. He and his gang have run roughshod over the rights of US citizens, and human rights.
This Op-ed was probably the only opportunity for anyone to publicly call him out on his actions, for President or not, he is accountable. And as president, he is answerable to the citizens of the US.
kablooie @ 64:
I don't. I've been "praying" for the vibes to reach out and grab the apathetic Americans for 8 years.
TC @ 79:
There seems to be a little "oopsie" at 87. I'm the part with INDEED and the paragraph after that.
Is that not the time or place for Bushie to respond to the demonstrators on his intentions for war in Iraq, other than mentioning free speech like a brand name?...Did Nixon ever get booed like this when he was in public? Wonder if it can be found in vintage footage on YouTube.
"Any time I see protesters, my heart jumps a bit. I don’t care what they’re wearing."
You may not, but the regular folks do. The Vietnam war went on and on until the common folk got sick of it, but at first they were afraid of the "radical" element. It took a long time for them to come around. So what do you want to accomplish? End the war or just make your point?
This is reminiscent of the 1960s classic Compared to What by Les McCann and Eddie Harris and in particular the lines:
The president he's got his war,
folks don't know just what it's for.
Nobody gives us rhyme or reason,
everyone doubt, they call it treason.
Just as relevant now as it was during the Vietnam War.
And one more thing marko old boy in case I haven't made myself clear, you're a fearful little shit! The English language and American law still apply in this land! No matter what you and your masters may wish.
Damn, those protestors made me proud to be an American again, if only for about :30 befire it faded. I truly believe most of those in attendance were at least grudgingly aware they were right. Even dumb assed bush supporters know the truth after 6 years. He is a lying war criminal
My gratitude for their protests
Snowball @ 35:
When you start screaming in the middle of someones speech you expect to be told to leave. Or dragged off. Or maybe tasered
jon @ 90:
As far as I'm concerned, if the old folks think the protestors are "too radical" it means they aint gonna get off their asses in the first place.
Until you take an attention deficit disorder afflicted nation like the U.S. of A. and make noise, in an outrageous fashion even, youll just simply be ignored. "Radicalism" can more easily inspire more of it than less of it, as long as its non violent, it gives others courage to follow suit
Makes me long for the days of duals like Burr and Hamilton.
Or just send him hunting with Cheney, maybe they will shoot eachother.
Given that over 70% of Americans agree with the protesters I don't think it matters much what they were wearing.
I'm guessing Bush, always a person of questionable personal courage, won't be making too many more "public" speeches. Remember, throughout his terms he's had select audiences who would never boo...(out loud).
watching this makes me proud to call myself an American.
Bush and Cheney are war criminals and traitors to their oaths of office.
Bush says he believes in free speech while, at the same time, he has his security people removing the people whose speech he doesn't believe in. Yep. Most laughable president ever.
-- Sarah Lanzman, an organizer and Center for Peace member, said the protest was about protecting the Constitution from what she described as attacks by Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. “We don’t want to hurt the ceremony for the new immigrants,” Lanzman said. “We just want to state our constitutional right that someone who has destroyed our Constitution should not be at the home of a president who initiated it. … That seems very disrespectful to the memory of Thomas Jefferson.”
So...can Sarah tell me which article in the constitution covers the right to protect the memory of founding presidents? I have my copy right here in front of me. How about the right of refusal to let a president visit memorials, let alone speak. Also, which section in the constitution protects us from fascists...I seem to have skipped over that part of the constitution.
[Deleted. Abusive. Site Monitor], the constitution DOES ALLOW for fascism if the constituency wants it. Consent of the governed, circa 2004. That's why people don't take you seriously when you yell at the president and are dragged off or taken down by another crowd member like the moron at 00:35 in the video clip. Enjoy your Bologna sandwiches in jail losers.
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