Code Pink, March 8, 2006

1. Color.

I’ve decided to divide my experience with Code Pink into three (3) distinct divisions:

1. Color(fullness)
2. Media Swarm
3. Cindy Sheehan

I’ll begin with Color.

Not surprisingly, the event was nothing if not colorful. Almost cloyingly so.

I took almost 100 photographs. I’ve chosen here what I think are the most representative regarding the “look” of the march.

This is really brilliant on Code Pink’s part. Protesters with a Brand look. They could probably get a Trademark. Easily identifiable.

Click HERE for video.

Or you can right click the link and download the video to your own computer and view it there if your prefer.

The video is a 7 minute montage of clips I took during the march.

It begins with one of the organizers and co-founders, Medea Benjamin, making the rather bizarre claim that the current Iraqi government does not represent the majority of Iraqi citizens. Odd. I seem to recall several well attended elections.

Her speech is followed by a short lesson in protesting in Arabic.

A rather longish scene follows during which there are several confrontations. First in the foreground between two media blokes. Then CodePink delivers their petition to someone in the Iraqi Embassy while to the left of the screen a small group of counter-demonstrators remonstrate with CodePink.

Following that is a portion of the march where the women chanted and danced down Connecticut Avenue. Truthfully, I found this part of the march rather charming.

When we got to the White House it was open-mike day. Unfortunately I missed taping some of the more interesting comments, but did manage to capture this particular person’s discussion on torture, along with what sounds like a Freudian slip regarding whether or not the US Government engages in same.

The final scene I found rather powerful. The organizers walked to the main gate at the White House to deliver their petition, asking the remainder of the rally to maintain complete silence. It worked very nicely, with only the sound of footsteps on the sidewalk. Very nice theater, highly effective.

It all ends rather abruptly … my battery sadly hit bottom.

Click on any of these photos for a more detailed look.
I have to say that eventhough I don’t agree with much that this group represents (although I am on the same page in certain, perhaps surprising, ways) they were all extremely nice, cheerful people. I liked them all. They made the day both fun and interesting …

Some were more dour than others …

Tomorrow: Media Swarm and Cindy Sheehan (with more video).