Protests mark Bush's last day in office`(protesters throw shoes @ the gate of WH)

[sabra]

Source: Sydney Mourning Herald

Anti-war protesters have thrown shoes outside the gates of the White House on President George W Bush's last day in office.

About 500 people marched to the White House and threw about 40 pairs of shoes at the gate while tourists looked on and took photos.

Supporters said they were acting in solidarity with Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the Iraqi reporter who threw his shoes at Bush during a news conference in Baghdad in December.

The event was sponsored by the Washington Peace Centre, the local chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War and other groups.

Organiser Jamilla El-Shafei said on Monday that the event allowed protesters to express their anger over Bush, who she said was "leaving with no accountability for eviscerating our constitution".

Read more: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/protests-mar...

[mucifer]

1. interesting, not covered in the American press. This is an Australian article.

[bulloney]

11. That was my immediate reaction, too.

Current criticism of Bush notwithstanding, the U.S. media gave this clown a virtual free pass for eight years, cooperating with his administration on the buildup to war in Iraq, illegal wiretapping, appointing incompetents to his administration, and on and on.

I wonder what suddenly has prompted the media gerbils to tell-all about the Bush years now? Do they think it will somehow wash their hands of of their complicity in all of this mess?

[ooglymoogly]

35. Whadaya expect; The corporate media is owned lock stock and barrel

by the pugs. On a happier note, Keith and Rahel might cover it, nay probably will cover it.

[pink-o]

31. From the Sydney "Mourning" (sic) Herald?

Do they print it early in the day or in a Funeral Parlour?

[KoKo]

41. Isn't this David Swanson and "After Downing Street Memo's "Action

David had a post up about this in his Diary, here on DU.

Link:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/davidswanson/...

[lazyriver]

2. May Bush have shoes thrown at him every day for the rest of his life.

[olddad56]

14. I would prefer to throw boots full of bullshit or blood at him.

[lazyriver]

47. I wish him 'round the clock shoe/boot/bullshit/blood ducking

and dodging... an endless battery of shoes flying at his head everywhere he dares show his pitiful self so he can never let his guard down. And then each night when he closes his eyes to sleep, they come flying out of the darkness to haunt his nightmares forever.

Hopefully sooner than later, those nightmares will be taking place in a prison cell somewhere.

[superconnected]

26. I second that!

[bdamomma]

40. he needs to prosecuted for his crimes.

is more like it.

[lazyriver]

46. Of course he needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent. But

that doesn't mean we can't throw shoes, right?

[caseymoz]

43. If Bush gets away with just shoes being thrown at him, then justice has been subverted.

Prosecution of Bush et. al. is necessary to even partially repair the damage they have done to our society. If justice is avoided, then surely our government has put itself above the Constitution, and all its obligations therein.

According to the Convention Against Torture Treaty, signed by the Reagan Administration and ratified by Congress Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell and many others must be tried. There is no discretion about it. No matter what Obama says, or whether his administration drags its feet and procrastinates, it has to go forward. Even if he pardons them (and if he does this he's a traitor), the US still has an obligation to refer the case to international courts.

Here are the pertinent Articles from the Convention Against Torture Treaty:

Article 2

1. Each State Party shall take effective legislative, administrative, judicial or other measures to prevent acts of torture in any territory under its jurisdiction.

2. No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat or war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture.

3. An order from a superior officer or a public authority may not be invoked as a justification of torture. . . .

Article 4

1. Each State Party shall ensure that all acts of torture are offences under its criminal law. The same shall apply to an attempt to commit torture and to an act by any person which constitutes complicity or participation in torture.

Article 7

1. The State Party in territory under whose jurisdiction a person alleged to have committed any offence referred to in article 4 is found, shall in the cases contemplated in article 5, if it does not extradite him, submit the case to its competent authorities for the purpose of prosecution.

Article 15

Each State Party shall ensure that any statement which is established to have been made as a result of torture shall not be invoked as evidence in any proceedings, except against a person accused of torture as evidence that the statement was made.

The Right Wing bloggers and even Robert Mulcasy himself have tried to deflect arguments that the Geneva Convention only applies to signatories. This has nothing to do with the Geneva Convention.

And, of course, this is only one of the many violations this administration has against it.

I don't think the Obama administration will move forward on it until its 3-4th year, and I think his administration will be spending time till then attacking the legacy of the Bush administration along with exorcising Bush appointments from the DOJ. Those are necessary preparations, but no matter what he says now, his DOJ will move forward on it.

I don't think he likes the position he has been put in. Prosecuting the faction that's out of power is onerous, and if I were him, I would want to avoid the appearance of a 3rd world regime where the faction out of power is imprisoned and tried; I mean as the first minority in the White House, it has to be on his mind, but this is a far bigger issue than the mere appearance.

And you know that the Right Wing pundits will raise as much hell as they can as it happens. I'm hoping that they will be so discredited by then that it won't matter.

I advocated before that we should mail Bush shoes. It will express outrage that should continue for the rest of Bush's life, but it won't redress the horror, the injustice nor the damage he has done.

(Thanks to Glenn Greenwald for his excellent blog as the source.)

[lazyriver]

48. He would be much easier to hit if he were locked up in a cell.

But perhaps the metaphorical shoe is even better. I'd like to see a long slow process that dogs Bush and keeps him ducking, bobbing and weaving so he never gets a moment's rest. He wouldn't be able to sit back and enjoy watching the adults clean up his mess if he were constantly meeting with legal defense teams and old "acquaintances" working on "strategery" and document shredding.

Investigations...three or four separate ones coming at him from different angles and for different crimes should be enough to tie up all his time and energy. Different departments can initiate these investigations and President Obama (man, I love typing that!) can keep his distance and continue his focus on our economic and foreign policy grease fires as well as rooting out the unqualified DOJ (and any other)appointments of the last eight years.

[20score]

3. Wish it were 500 thousand. K&R

[El Supremo]

4. Photos >>

[Jefferson23]

8. OMG, I love it, thanks for the pics.

[Duval]

9. So very satisfying. Thanks.n/t

[asdjrocky]

20. Thanks for the pics.

[wordpix]

33. Love it and thanks for the photos

[Hissyspit]

5. My photos HERE!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[El Supremo]

37. Thanks Hissy

I just got mine off the internets. You were there!

[trusty elf]

6. Shrub, I hope someday soon it dawns on you just how despised you really are.

[Number23]

18. Love the giraffe-print stiletto!

That shoes makes a statement as it's being hurled...

[mshasta]

32. horseshoe??

lol... that really hurts...love it!

[HeresyLives]

7. Here's a short item from Canada.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2009/01/19/8076161-ap...

[santamargarita]

10. Good! Let's make sure that asshole knows how we feel!

[Phred42]

12. Eggs were thrown at his car on the First day - this is appropraite

[llmart]

36. Wasn't his car egged.....

at his inauguration? I wouldn't know because I didn't watch either of them.

[Phred42]

42. That's what I ment by - first day

[lenegal]

13. Should have been thousands of shoes. But thank you to the protesters.

nt

[bluesmail]

15. I doubt he's ever gonna get the message. n/t

[mcjackson]

16. they were just talking about...

...this on Air America.

[ro1942]

17. shoe throwing

what that brave man did in Iraq expressed most of the worlds feeling about what was done to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. as for the American press, they should tried for aiding and abetting war crimes. hope the brave man comes out of this ok.

[proud progressive]

19. ONLY 500!!!!??????

[pleah]

21. K&R Proud of the 500.

[rateyes]

22. To borrow a phrase from Forrest Gump...

"Sometimes there just aren't enough" shoes.

[lonestarnot]

23. And this is one of those times!

[rateyes]

24. Yeah, but I'd prefer someone throw rocks. nt

[lonestarnot]

27. LOL

[superconnected]

25. I'd throw my shoe if I had a chance. I'm glad for those people. They need that release.

[Yavapai]

28. I wish it would rain pretzels on him!!!

[depakid]

29. Parting kisses

They ought to be tossing a few at the Washington Post as well.

Bush and the Republicans couldn't have done nearly as much damage without his loyal sycophants.

Reuter's link: http://blogs.reuters.com/frontrow/2009/01/19/activists-...

[sce56]

30. Geesh I wish I would have know sooner my sis is there to witness the inaugural!

She would have thrown a few dozen shoes also!


After all he is the fourth stooge!

[RoccoR5955]

34. Someone's gonna throw the book at Bushco, Inc. ...

...and it better be soon. Justice delayed, is justice denied!

[rpannier]

38. I'm surprised and relieved no one got shot

No sarcasm at all

I would not have been surprised if someone had gotten shot

[bdamomma]

39. Rachel just mentioned it, were there people unfortunately arrested.

[pitchforksandtorches]

44. DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD!

Ding Dong the Wicked Witch is Dead!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jn8K8EA7-Q

I love this
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/19/cheney-in-whee...

[Loge23]

45. Great clip!!

"A day of Independence for Munchkins and their dependents!"

I feel like dancing into work today! Ding-dong indeed!