Hundreds of people in San Francisco protest Bush's re-election, 57 arrested

[Guest guest]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/a/2004/11/04/state1559EST0069.DTL

 

Hundreds of people in San Francisco protest Bush's re-election, 57

arrested

 

(11-04) 12:59 PST SAN FRANCISCO (AP) --

 

Police arrested 57 people Wednesday as nearly 2,000 protesters decried

the re-election of George W. Bush and the continuing war in Iraq.

 

San Francisco police said the large demonstration that started around

5 p.m. was peaceful, but a smaller group of about 150 later splintered

and marched through Civic Center and the Tenderloin.

 

Fifty six were cited and released and one protester was arrested for

assaulting an officer.

 

Officer Maria Oropeza said the protester was seen throwing a glass

bottle at officers. Shards of glass from the shattered bottle flew at

officers but did not cause any injuries, she said.

 

Raucous demonstrators chanted " We're going to beat back the Bush

attack, get the troops out of Iraq. "

 

Anti-Bush signs were in abundance, proclaiming " Nov. 2, 2004 -- a sad

day " and " Overthrow King Bush. " One man held a sign that said " Stop

mad cowboy disease. "

 

" I want Bush to know that just because he won the election he doesn't

have a mandate and needs to listen to other perspectives, " Liz

Farinella, 35 of Oakland, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

 

A large truck carrying drummers in orange T-shirts led the procession

down the Market Street.

 

About a dozen Bush supporters, wielding signs that read " The silent

majority has spoken " also showed up and marched behind the crowd.

 

" I'm in this to promote the fact that we won, " said Victor Tracey, 20,

a San Francisco State University student.