Get Your Protest On!

The Radical Bohemian, aka the eldest daughter, will be doing just that on September 15th in DC. She asked me to let all my readers know about the March On Washington that day. After all, if just 1% of you guys actually showed up, that would be ... not even a whole person. Like a toe or something. At any rate, the big yellow button over there is for info on the march. I actually entertained the idea of going, but our big re-presentation to the district's administrators is the 18th, and we'll have a lot to do before that. Gotta pick your causes, I guess. Plus there's the money factor.

My little Radical has been volunteering with the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) practically non-stop. She's been working in their offices and plastering signs all over DC. Apparently, a lot of folks don't want this march to happen in Dubya's back yard. This could have something to do with the fact that the march is set to coincide with the release of a report on the "progress" of the war by non other than General Petraeus, US military commander in Iraq. Oh right, the progress -- specifically the progress around the infamous surge.

Should be an interesting report.

Though the ANSWER Coalition has permits to hang the signs, which I gather look like the button on the sidebar, officials (read "Dubya's minions) have charged that they were using "improper adhesive." The ANSWER Coalition uses an organic water-based adhesive, specifically chosen to be non-offensive, environmentally friendly and above all, compliant with Red Regulations. The volunteers also remove signs after events using sponges and water, which is going to be a bitch after this march, as these signs are everydamnwhere.

To date, they have been charged with over $20,000 in fines. Over some glue.

I'm thinking the Republicans have a bad taste in their mouths when it comes to Marches on Washington.

This is a definitely a calculated political move aimed at disrupting the demonstration, which has been organised on a day when the world's eyes will be on Washington for the Petraeus report,

Sarah Sloan, staff coordinator for ANSWER

My daughter and 2 other young women were actually slightly assaulted by an angered Republican while hanging signs, as a matter of fact. He got his dander up over them publicizing "a bunch of bullshit" and charged it was illegal for them to hang the signs. They showed him their permit, which practically caused his sphincter to implode. He snatched a sign out of my daughter's hands -- oh yes he did -- and tore it up. He pushed another of them, spilling their pot of organic water-based glue on her clothes. By then, their 4th compatriot, who'd been driving them around and just happened to be the owner of A Penis, came flying out of his car and asked Mr. ConservaSphincter if there was a problem. Seeing that the little gals now had A Man on their side, the chickenshit beat feet, still railing about how it was all so much bullshit.

My my, but folks do have their panties in a bunch over this march.

Here is a bit from the Radical Bohemian's blog:

Anyway, I want you all to go to http://www.sept15.org/ . It'll tell you all about the protest. If you start to feel like you can't possibly give a dollar or risk getting arrested (just don't do anything stupid and you'll be fine) or take off work, think of this: The people of Baghdad are marching in solidarity with us on September fifteenth. If the people of Baghdad can go out on the streets and risk being blown to pieces for the sake of stopping this war, you can get off your ass too.

Good point.

She also has info on other things you can do to help the cause if you can not attend the march.

OK y'all, are you sitting down? I have not previously linked to the Radical Bohemian's blog here, due to my well-known paranoia around keeping my blog an Ex-free zone. Hey, a girl's gotta have one stress-free place in life, right? She is, however, too deliciously kickass to keep to myself, and I can't believe I've done it this long. So, with much cyber fanfare, I give you the Radical Bohemian's radical blog.

(Just don't say something in the comments like, "Oh, I'm here from your mom's site, cowbell dot blogspot dot whatever!" Comments are fine, in fact, she'd probably love that. just don't link back to me. Sir, Madam, and the former MIL read her blog, which she has at times regreted, but can't undo now that the blog address has been given unto them. I comment over there either as Dirty Rotten Kitty, or "kolomp".)

The post about the march is called "See You In September?".



And just to give you a taste of how entertainingly kickass she is, here's another tidbit, from that same post:

As I turned down 3rd St to my dorm I heard the hisses before I saw the men. There were about four of them, lounging on the porch of an old brownstone, smoking and drinking. "Hey baby," they said as I sped down the street. "Can I ride with you?" "Wonchew come on over here, baby."

At the last second I slammed on the brakes, revelling in Spirit The Unicorn's high-pitched squeal and the way her back tire slid. "Do not harass me!" I yelled. "I'm sick of it, and it's not gonna get you anything!"This verbal attack had come so suddenly, and they were so drunk, that the men were rendered completely speechless. Before they could regain their composure I put the pedal to the rubber (of my shoe) and took off. Many, many seconds later I heard their curses chasing us, and laughed. Spirit The Avenging Unicorn's tires whirred happily on the pavement. "Suckers," I said to myself.

I'd like to say I slapped protest stickers on all of their foreheads, but I'm not stupid. Foolishly confident, maybe, but not stupid. It's only legal to put stickers on lampposts.

See? Kickass.

Anyway, if any of you are actually attending the march, I'm envious, go kick ass for all of us. And if you see a pissed off protester on a periwinkle bicycle named after a unicorn, curls streaming and sign waving ... give her a hug from me.