'Anybody but Bush,' cry NY marchers

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3610896.stm

 

'Anybody but Bush,' cry NY marchers

 

 

By Kevin Anderson

BBC News Online in New York

 

They marched against US policy in the Middle East,

against the war in Iraq, against the Bush

administration's environmental policy and the

Republican Party's opposition to abortion and gay

marriage.

 

They marched against what they saw as a transparent

ploy by President George W Bush and the Republican

Party to exploit the tragedy of 11 September for

political gain.

 

But one thing united the tens of thousands of

protestors who marched for block after block through

midtown Manhattan: Their desire to vote George W Bush

out of office.

 

March organisers had predicted that 250,000 would take

part in the protest.

 

They said that the turn out exceeded their wildest

expectations.

 

Diverse group

 

The march moved very little in the hours after

organisers started on the route towards Union Square

as tens of thousands of marchers flooded in from side

streets.

 

The marchers included children, young couples,

students, the middle aged and the elderly. One woman

sat in her wheelchair in Union Square holding a sign

saying, " I'm 98 and I'm outraged! "

 

Barbara, who describes herself as a middle-aged

schoolteacher, had never been to a protest march until

Sunday.

 

She held a sign saying that she was a former

Republican against George Bush.

 

Anti-Bush protest

Many in the march felt they had been misled in the

'war on terror'

 

She defected from the party in after the first term in

office of the current president's father, George HW

Bush, when religious and social conservatives Pat

Buchanan and Pat Robertson spoke at the party's 1992

convention.

 

" They sounded like dangerous guys, but this George

Bush has them in the closet. And they run the party, "

she said.

 

" [President George W Bush] has given us record

deficits. When Osama Bin Laden is in Afghanistan, he

went to war in Iraq. It's a mess, " she said.

 

" We have to get rid of George Bush. We can't tolerate

another four years of his international or domestic

policies, " she said.

 

Four more years or four more months

 

Just blocks from the Madison Square Garden, a group of

protestors decided to stay at home in their apartment

overlooking the route.

 

They hung " George Bush is the anti-Christ " signs in

their window, and a cheer went up from the marchers

below as they played The Beatles' song, Give Peace a

Chance, from speakers propped up in their windows.

 

Anti-Bush protest

Protesters wanted the Republicans to know they were

not welcome

The protest was peaceful. There was a strong police

presence, but most were not in riot gear. There were

few confrontations.

 

On the eve of Sunday's massive march, New York City

Police said more than 300 protestors had been arrested

and more than 50 more were arrested during the first

hour of the march.

 

Across the street from Madison Square Garden, Bush

supporters held signs mocking the protestors with

slogans such as " Communists for Kerry " and chanted,

" Four more years! "

 

The protestors shouted back, " Four more months! "

 

A sign at Madison Square Garden welcomed the

Republicans, but many protestors wanted the party to

know they were not welcome in New York.

 

Anti-Bush protest

People of all ages and different backgrounds took part

 

Ray Lyman worked in a building across the street from

the south tower of the World Trade Centre. The

building was heavily damaged and is still covered in a

black shroud.

 

He said the Republican Party's decision to hold its

convention in New York is insulting and emotionally

offensive. " It feels like a complete violation, " he

said.

 

" I don't believe in the way that Bush and the

Republican Party are using the tragedy of 9/11 as

their campaign platform, " he said, adding, " They are

using 9/11 as an excuse to further their own

right-wing agenda. "

 

Qualified support for Kerry

 

Four years ago, the protests at the Democratic and

Republican conventions were made up largely of

Americans who felt alienated from traditional party

politics and saw little difference between the two

mainstream parties.

 

But at this march, the political theme could be summed

by " Anybody but Bush " , even if that means electing

John Kerry who voted for the war in Iraq, which they

overwhelmingly oppose.

 

Stephanie Jennings came all the way from San Diego,

California, to march in New York.

 

She carried a sign calling for voters in swing states

to vote for the " lesser of two warmongers " .

 

Anti-Bush protest

The marchers were unified by their opposition to

President Bush

Four years ago, she voted for Ralph Nader. She still

believes both parties represent corporate interests

over the interests of ordinary people.

 

" We're here because of Bush policies and the war, " she

said, but she is also not a strong supporter of the

Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, John

Kerry.

 

If Mr Kerry has a large lead in California, she plans

to vote for the Green Party candidate.

 

" I need the Democrats to know they can't take my vote

for granted, " she said.

 

But she wants John Kerry to win. Under Bush policies,

" we are on the precipice. It's a really dangerous

time, " she said. " Four more years of this, and I fear

for the world. "