In its report on a Mar. 22 antiwar rally and march, the News Tribune (Tacoma, WA) omitted its principal theme — a G.I. Rights rally and was titled “Soldier You’re Not Alone.”[1]  --  We were there, and can report that we saw no violence and felt no threat of violence, and heard very few of the “insults” that Scott Fontaine found so remarkable that he led his account with them.  --  On the contrary, both sides were peaceful and the Lakewood police were, on the whole, cooperative and fair, refraining from the absurd antiriot gear the Tacoma Police Department called out on Mar. 15 at the Tacoma Mall.  --  Truth to tell, demonstrators on each side seemed to regard the other as deluded simpletons whom they regarded with pity, rather than with anger.  --  Scott Fontaine posted some video of the protest that can be seen on the News Tribune site here.  --  Video is also available on the web site of Fox 13.  --  As of midday Sunday, six comments to the account had been posted.[2]  --  A notice of the event in Friday’s edition of the News Tribune described the event, which was co-sponsored by United for Peace of Pierce County, as “a ‘GI Rights Rally’ . . . to make military service members aware of their free-speech rights and resources for counseling and separating from the military,” but omitted the title of the event.[3]  --  On Saturday, a KING 5 TV news segment also ignored the theme of the rally and pretended that violence was narrowly averted.[4] ...

1.

FREEDOM BRIDGE SEES DUELING PROTESTS
By Scott Fontaine

** Hundreds of anti-war protesters and counterprotesters at Freedom Bridge, which links Fort Lewis with Camp Murray and Tillicum. **

News Tribune (Tacoma, WA)
March 23, 2008

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/316094.html

[PHOTO]

They stood on opposite sides of the Freedom Bridge and hurled insults at each other. Lakewood police officers and state troopers stood between them to maintain the peace.

Another weekend, another Iraq war demonstration in the South Sound.

About 200 people met Saturday at Harry Todd Park in Lakewood for an anti-war rally, which included speakers, live music, and food. Organizers called for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, and they distributed pamphlets encouraging active service members to speak out against the war.

Another 200 assembled on Freedom Bridge, the Interstate 5 overpass that links Fort Lewis with Camp Murray and Tillicum, for a pro-troops rally. They waved American flags as patriotic songs blared over portable loudspeakers.

When the anti-war protesters marched toward the bridge, the atmosphere turned tense but remained largely peaceful. Demonstrators on both sides chanted and occasionally hurled personal insults across the two-lane bridge. Each side stood on sidewalks behind yellow police tape. Officers stood in the roadway, and others on bicycles, motorcycles, and in cruisers waited a block away.

It was a far tamer response than the Tacoma Police Department’s preparations for last weekend’s demonstrations outside military recruitment offices at Tacoma Mall, where dozens of officers (including some in SWAT gear) formed a human barricade between both sides.

“Today was an inspirational day because we held a rally on the fifth anniversary on the war and brought attention to the fact that our servicemen and women are being abused by this war, and also their families are being abused by this war,” said Tacoma peace activist Tom McCarthy.

Others didn’t quite see it that way.

“I just find it ridiculous they’re protesting the war,” said Spc. Andrew Johnson, a member of the 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade. “We’re over there to protect them here.”

This demonstration had a soundtrack. One man brought a portable speaker and played “God Bless America” and songs by Toby Keith. Later, as the anti-war protesters marched back toward Harry Todd Park, they stopped to recite the names of the service members from Washington who died in Iraq and to sing “Amazing Grace.”

There were no arrests, but police separated demonstrators who nearly came to blows when the anti-war protesters began marching back toward the park and had to walk directly past the pro-troops side. Police then stepped between the two sides, prompting one anti-war protester to momentarily sit on the sidewalk, refusing to move because he believed the officers favored the other side.

The demonstration broke up shortly after 4 p.m., and both sides claimed success.

“We’ve done plenty of rallies in the past, but this is the first one at the gates of Fort Lewis,” said Chanan Suarezdiaz, president of the Seattle chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War. “And as long as the war goes on, there will be plenty more.”

Scott Fontaine: 253-320-4758

blogs.thenewstribune.com/street

2.

COMMENTS

News Tribune (Tacoma, WA)
March 22-23, 2008

Original source: Web site of the News Tribune

Comment by jimminee @ 19:54 - Saturday, March 22nd, 2008

People who support this illegal occupation DO NOT SUPPORT THE TROOPS!!! To continue this mayhem so Cheney's cartel can get cheap oil is unfathomable. The U. S. Armed forces use more gasoline and oil produts fighting this war than over 100 countries (Ron Paul).

The daily slaughter of Iraqis apparently is acceptable to this crowd.

But the daily killing and maiming of AMERICAN TROOPS is unforgiveable.

If you get by the hypocrisy of the pro-war group it was informative. You support the troops by leaving an Islamic country and restoring the Armed Forces to fighting status.

God forgive them for they [k]no[w] not what they do.

Permalink Comment by djarnone @ 21:50 - Saturday, March 22nd, 2008 Email

So I have to say that the protesters have every right to speak there mind. But to go in front of my home (the Post) and speak there mind, making my husband and friends feel like they need to be DEAD, makes me feel discusting!

All that I have stuck in my head is of a picture I saw some time ago of a few woman holding signs up that said "Thank God for Dead Soldiers!" What do I tell my son when he asks me what the protesters are doing? Should I tell him that they want his daddy dead?

I am at a loss for words. I hope that people can realize, this is how we survive. My husband is working his best to give his kids everything he never had. Thank God for the military!!!

GOD BLESS THE USA AND THOSE WHO SUPPORT EVERYTHING WE DO!!!

Permalink Comment by nbowling @ 22:46 - Saturday, March 22nd, 2008

Two quick notes,

1. "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" is a campaign by an ultra right-wing church in Kansas led by the Rev. Fred Phelps. They are horrible fundamentalists who say 9-11 and losing soldiers in Iraq is God's punishment for U.S. tolerance of homosexuality.

2. I am curious -- does "EVERYTHING WE DO" include the firebombing of Tokyo, My Lai, or Abu Ghraib? Seriously.

Permalink Comment by steveandkristinebel @ 02:42 - Sunday, March 23rd, 2008 Email

What's missing in this report is the ear-splitting volume of the sound track from the much smaller group on the side of the war. What's missing also is a visual representation of the majority of people representing anti-war who refrained from name-calling, spitting, and physical affronts to folks with opposing points of view. The person sitting was not protesting the police. It was an attempt to protect individuals from the effort of the other side to stalk to them to the parking lot. But we appreciate your attempt to report the event. Scott, I have a hard time understanding how you could figure forty people to be two hundred on the nationalist side of the bridge. The total count on both sides was somewhere around 140, though I like that you escalated it overall to build some hype to the event. I appreciate your pressure toward equanimity in partisan reporting.

Permalink Comment by HappyHeathen @ 05:53 - Sunday, March 23rd, 2008 Email

The 90-day land grab gone bad! I'm still trying to figure out the official reason we went there in the first place. You know, since the people who attacked us were in Afghanistan to start with. Whatever happened to Long-bin-forgotten? Or is that another one of those "SO WHAT" things?

Permalink Comment by jimminee @ 11:37 - Sunday, March 23rd, 2008

I am trying to understand the logic of djarnone? Keeping the soldiers in the Iraq shooting gallery is saving their lives? The people who want to bring them home now, alive, are not supporting the troops? A clue: the BUSH regime will not show flag draped caskets being unloaded daily at Dover AFB.

Four thousand sacrificed for what; Cheney's oil cartel? More are sacrificed every day, killed or maimed, so the occupation will be passed on to the next President. The buck doesn't stop in the Loyal Bushie regime, it gets passed.

3.

In brief

Tillicum

SATURDAY RALLY WILL GIVE SOLDIERS WAR-OPPOSITION INFORMATION
By Mike Gilbert

News Tribune (Tacoma, WA)
March 21, 2008
Page B2

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/military/story/314633.html

A collection of groups opposed to the war in Iraq will hold a “GI Rights Rally” from noon to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Harry Todd Park, 8720 North Thorne Lane S.W.

Organizers said they’re staging the event to make military service members aware of their free-speech rights and resources for counseling and separating from the military.

Event sponsors include the Seattle chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War; GI Voice; the Tacoma chapter of Veterans for Peace; the Peace Action Coalition Tacoma; the Tacoma Fellowship of Reconciliation; Tacoma Students for a Democratic Society; and United for Peace of Pierce County.

4.

WAR PROTESTERS MARCH AT ENTRANCE TO FORT LEWIS

KING 5 (Seattle, WA)
March 22, 2008

http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_032208WAB_war_protest_KS.17cf0120.html

LAKEWOOD, Wash. -- War protesters confronted military supporters at the entry of Fort Lewis Saturday, days after the Iraq War's fifth anniversary.

Protesters marched across an I-5 overpass known as "Freedom Bridge" -- which has become a symbol for supporters of the troops.

They shouted their opposition to the war, and military supporters shouted back.

Police were forced to keep the two groups apart. They divided the overpass, allowing each group to take one side of the bridge.

With troopers standing in the middle, both sides voiced their opinions.

"You people are not welcome in this military community," shouted one woman.

"Many in the American public have had the wool pulled over their eyes, and believe that supporting whatever the country does is right," said another.

It's estimated the war is costing taxpayers $12 billion a month.