From The Salt Lake Tribune, 8/31/06:
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4265337
Salt Lake sounds off in protest and support
Utahns show their protest and support
By Heather May and Christopher Smart
The Salt Lake Tribune
A crowd of thousands cheered Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson for
calling President Bush a "dishonest, war-mongering, human-rights
violating president" whose time in office would "rank as the worst
presidency our nation has ever had to endure."
The group - including children and elderly and some hailing from
throughout Utah - then marched to the federal building Wednesday to
deliver a copy of a symbolic indictment against the president and
Congress for abuse of power and failure to uphold the U.S.
Constitution.
With their signs labeling Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld the "axis of evil," calling
the Iraq war a "mission of lies" or comparing the invasion of Iraq
after Sept. 11, 2001, to invading Mexico after Pearl Harbor, the
estimated 1,500 to 4,000 protesters hoped their demonstration at the
Salt Lake City-County Building sent a message about the reddest state
in the country.
"If they [the Bush administration] lack support in Utah, my God
they're in trouble," the Rev. Tom Goldsmith of the First Unitarian
Church of Salt Lake City told the lively gathering between protest
songs and banner waving.
For those who didn't get enough, organizers held a "Rock Against
Rumsfeld" concert at Pioneer Park in the evening. Between songs, Salt
Lake City singer Colin Robison challenged Rumsfeld's Tuesday speech to
the American Legion.
"Critics of the war were equated with Nazi sympathizers. How dare he?"
Robison asked the crowd of over 300.
"What about Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay? Who's the Nazi?"
A mother of an Iraqi war veteran on his second tour, Debbie Johnson,
told the crowd they need not heed the "Orwellian double-speak" of the
administration.
"This war is illegal. You don't have to support the war to support our
troops."
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Refreshing, eh?
Harry
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