March on Crystal City
Part 2
The march continues, now going north on Wisconsin Avenue.
Reaching P Street, we turned east, and crossed to the north side of the street in a somewhat random location, much to the annoyance of Jeff Herold because we didn’t use the crosswalk.
Making a quick stop at the home of DC Council member Jack Evans.
Shouting, “Shame! Shame! Shame!” and “For the people we will fight, we know where you sleep at night!” outside Jack Evans’ house.
On our way again!
Turning south on 29th Street NW, heading back towards M Street.
Say “cheese”!
Oh… hi, Isis!
Returning to M Street.
We departed Georgetown while shouting, “We’ll be back in April!” referring to upcoming World Bank protests.
With the Georgetown section of the march complete, we turned our sights toward the Lincoln Memorial, with the intention of joining the ANSWER march. We had no concerns about being late for the mainstream march. Feeder marches such as ours usually have contacts at the main location, to keep us informed about what’s going on at the main site so that we can alter our plans if necessary. And true to form, it was well past noon, and ANSWER speakers were still blathering on at the Lincoln Memorial about all kinds of matters. I’m sure if ANSWER could get away with it, those blowhards would go on all day. I personally had no problem missing out on the speeches. Speeches are great and all, but at demonstrations, you’re essentially preaching to the choir. I personally think that taking it to the streets and engaging outsiders in the cause and engaging in direct action is a much more effective effort than giving speeches to people that already agree with you.
However, the route we took to the Lincoln Memorial surprised me. I had assumed that we would return to Washington Circle and then turn south on 23rd Street to approach the Lincoln Memorial from the north. I was very surprised when we turned south before reaching the bridge over Rock Creek Parkway. We ended up going down a highway ramp, heading down to Rock Creek Parkway, where we followed a bicycle path alongside Rock Creek Parkway to the Lincoln Memorial. We went under a number of bridges, and went past the Watergate and the Kennedy Center as we followed Rock Creek Parkway’s path along the Potomac River. Thus we approached the Lincoln Memorial from the northwest.
Taking the ramp down to Rock Creek Parkway to continue our march. Going this way really did surprise me.
Marching south along Rock Creek Parkway.
One thing about this march route was that it was somewhat scenic, marching along the banks of the Potomac River. However, having marched something like four miles already, we were not in any sort of condition to appreciate the view.
Crossing under the Roosevelt Bridge, which carries Interstate 66 into Washington.
After crossing under the bridge, it became quite apparent that we were almost there.
Shouting, “Anticapitalista!” as we approached the Lincoln Memorial.
As we approached the Lincoln Memorial, we spotted a row of Park Police officers on horses.
Our final approach to the Lincoln Memorial, as we reached the ANSWER march.
Our timing couldn’t have been better. The ANSWER march was just starting to move as we arrived. Our plan was to join the march right behind the Anarchist People of Color (APOC) group, though I don’t believe we succeeded in locating the group. Nonetheless, we joined the mainstream march, functioning as a bloc within the larger march.
Watching the march, and waiting for the APOC group to arrive.
The scene at the Lincoln Memorial as we waited for APOC to arrive, as a large chunk of the ANSWER march passed us.
While we waited for the APOC group to arrive, we took an opportunity to see some of the other participants in the mainstream march.
While we waited, and even after we got going, this gentleman with red hair proceeded to make a large nuisance of himself, aggressively asking loaded questions to some of the participants in our black bloc.
At last, we are underway! And still carrying the pot of chili and the basket of other foodstuffs, no less.
Marching towards Memorial Bridge after we joined the mainstream march.
The march continues, heading toward Memorial Bridge.
Someone had also scattered copies of IRS Form 1040 on the ground along the early part of the march route.
Meanwhile, what a difference two years makes. At this march, the first major anti-war demonstration since the start of the Obama administration, the crowd of anti-war demonstrators seemed larger and more spirited, and, at least on the DC side, counter-protesters were nowhere to be found – and good riddance to them.
Having joined the march, we continued over Memorial Bridge. Marching over the bridge with the black bloc, I was very surprised to see Mary, one of my coworkers, and her partner, Mike. So I stopped and said hello to them. Turns out that they had also spotted another of our coworkers in the crowd. How cool!
Mike and Mary march over Memorial Bridge.
We continued carrying our banners, though by now, the reinforcements on our banners were starting to give out, and the banners started to look somewhat worse for wear.
The march continues over Memorial Bridge, and into Virginia.
The march pauses on Memorial Bridge due to ANSWER’s typical stop-and-go movements during marches.
And as is typical for ANSWER marches, there was a man with a large bucket asking for donations.
Singing, “Solidarity forever, for the state won’t smash itself!”
And the march continued into Virginia, turning south on Route 27, as happened in 2007. Here is where we encountered a very small group of Freepers, doing their usual counter-protesting along the side of the road. However, with their smaller numbers and our larger numbers, they looked particularly small and insignificant, though I admit they should get a few props for reusing their banner, though it was obviously made for an earlier protest in 2004. The question, however, becomes, are they reusing the banner because they believe that the message is still relevant, or are they reusing it because their movement is running out of steam, and they are reduced to reusing a four year old banner because no one can be bothered anymore to make a more relevant one?
Freepers along the side of Route 27.
The march continues along Route 27.
“1, 2, 3, 4, end this f—ing fascist war!”
Our black bloc also joined up with our friend Maddy on Route 27, and we got to have our hellos and such with her there. Many of us had not seen Maddy in some time, and so we were glad to see her again.
Maddy joins us along Route 27.
Meanwhile, this time, Arlington wasn’t taking any chances about having another standoff on the bridge over Jefferson Davis Highway. Metal barriers and orange construction fencing were spread across the entire roadway in such a way as to funnel all pedestrian traffic onto an exit ramp leading to the Pentagon Access Road.
Barrier preventing further movement south on Route 27.
At the site of the previous standoff, and perhaps anticipating another standoff, police were already lined up at the north end of the bridge ready to block further progress south should the barrier fail.
And thus the march continued down onto the Pentagon Reservation without stopping. That surprised me – for a demonstration marketed as a “March on the Pentagon”, the Pentagon was simply a symbolic flyby. ANSWER didn’t even do its trademark stop-and-go routine while on Pentagon property, going nonstop along the edge of the property. This is also when one remembers that the Pentagon is one of the largest office buildings in the world, and the amount of area that the Pentagon Reservation covers. As proof, we walked nearly a mile (approximately 4800 feet) on Pentagon property alone! While there, though, Maddy and I discussed all the permits one might need to march in Virginia, to which I said that they probably needed “over 9000” permits to do this march.
We marched through Pentagon property nonstop, never getting very close to the Pentagon at all, until we crossed under I-395.
Marching down the ramp and onto the Pentagon Reservation.
A number of people took a shortcut across the parking lot to gain some ground rather than following the established march route, which squared off a corner of the parking lot.
Marching along the edge of the Pentagon parking lot.
This is about as close to the Pentagon as we ever got – in other words, not very close at all.
A masked woman waves a peace flag through the Pentagon parking lot.
Two women dressed in clown makeup, advocating art and education over war.
“We love the planet, we love the animals, we support the ELF, free political prisoners!”
(This particular chant was previously used at a “Resist the Greenscare” march in December 2007)
ANSWER “security” at work. Would anyone care to explain what their purpose is besides attempting to look badass and shouting at anarchists that don’t even recognize them as having any authority in the first place?