Robach's "unpatriotic " WV protestors....more like 400 to 500. Great pics

[madfloridian]

Remember the anti-Bush protestors in West Virginia? The ones Amy Robach on MSNBC implied were "unpatriotic"? Well, there were not just a "few". This is a well-organized event with real estimates between 400 and 500.

From Blog for America, a great post by the West Virginia DFA
This is what Democracy looks like

This is what Democracy looks like.
(Chris Chapman is the Chair of Democracy for West Virginia.)

WV For Democracy did not lay down when George Bush came to our town on July 4th.

I've been told that the largest demonstration in Morgantown's history was about 300 people for Kent State, 35 years ago. On the 4th, we took that record with a crowd estimated to be between 400-500 (200 by the newscasts and I think the NY Times said "several dozen.")


Just one of the groups, many more pictures at the blog and the DFA for WV website.

Our local police force, possibly angry about cancelled vacations and an administration that cuts its grant programs, not only let us demonstrate in peace, but invited us to come closer (Sounds a bit menacing doesn't it? It wasn't.). We ended up protesting a mere 75 yards away from where Bush was speaking. Attendees told us that we could be heard clearly throughout the speech.

Then the coup de gras. When it was over, police funneled exiting attendees right through the middle of our crowd. It was like walking the gauntlet. One reporter was overheard on her cell phone saying it was "amazing."


We got lots of press coverage, including a mention in all of the national stories (marginalized, of course) and several interviews for both local and Pittsburgh TV. Locally, and in Pittsburgh, coverage of the protest was fair and presented well with the fact that there were no arrests highlighted in most instances. WDTV in Clarksburg even noted that "This was not your usual group of protestors—these were doctors, lawyers, WVU professors." Two members of our City Council joined us, as did our county assessor and probably others that I don't even know about yet. One of our DFA state leaders told me we were even on the local news in North Dakota. The next day, a conservative radio host in Clarksburg was defending our actions and it appears that an independent newspaper here is now doing a story on WV For Democracy too."

http://www.wvfordemocracy.org /
Stewart Hall protestors at the University.

[unhappycamper]

1. We know who the real Patriots are.

Just look in the mirror, folks. Thank you for speaking up.

Nominated and kicked.

[napi21]

2. You guys did terrific! Thanks from all of us!!!

I hope we all follow their lead when Shrub comes to any of our towns!!! Protest him with signs and chants, and NO VIOLENCE. I

[tabasco]

3. Thanks for the pics !

Way to go Morgantown mountain patriots!!



Don't let the fundies take over beautiful WV !

[davidinalameda]

4. very cool

glad to see there are still some sane people left back in my home state

[Helga Scow Stern]

5. Wow! that is heartening. n/t

[EC]

6. My family is from WV and Morgantown was our

county seat....I'm very proud of you guys, I was really afraid of the state going completely red if Byrd retires...

[dobegrrrl]

7. Let's GOOOOOOO Mountaineers!

The pics make me homesick ..... I love Morgantown.
Great job!

[Broken Acorn]

8. Awesome!

Maybe WV isn't as red as I thought

[Clark2008]

20. NONE of the South is as red as the corporate media would have you

believe.

Diebold, Triad and ES&S, a right-wing media and the intimidation of minorities at the polls have all resulted in making it look like everyone in the South supports that idiot.

But, as evidenced above - ehhhh... not so much!

[tsuki]

9. Not the usual suspects, eh? My God, is the M$M so divorced

from the public. It is no wonder that everyone is turning them off and tuning them out.

WDTV in Clarksburg even noted that "This was not your usual group of protestors—these were doctors, lawyers, WVU professors."

[democrank]

10. You made my day.

Thanks.

[young_at_heart]

11. I lived in Morgantown 10 years ago and would never imagine such a sight

Life seemed so peaceful then.........very happy to see all the politically responsible people, but sad that so few media outlets reported this.

[madfloridian]

12. Robach said: "A couple of protestors with a few signs" Baloney

Unbelievable! Shame on you, Amy.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200507050003

MSNBC anchor Robach implied Bush protesters unpatriotic.

As noted on the weblog Daily Kos, MSNBC Live anchor Amy Robach suggested that protesting President Bush's policies was unpatriotic. Following a live broadcast of President Bush's Independence Day address at West Virginia University, Robach told viewers, "There were a couple of protesters we heard with a few signs, but for the most part, looks like a very patriotic crowd."

Hide your head in shame, Amy.

[SoCalDem]

14. Would we expect any less from "Barbie"?

News-Barbies are just paid to look good and repeat what the earpiece says, or to read the prompters..

[madfloridian]

15. All the little Barbies are making TV news immaterial.

They simply are not important anymore.



More on what she missed in the crowds that day:

"Robach apparently does not believe that one can love one's country while opposing the current president. As The New York Times reported, many of the protesters did, in fact, explicitly state their support for the troops:

Outside the presidential rally in Morgantown, one protester made reference to the case, holding a sign that read: "Jail Karl Rove."

Several dozen other protesters demonstrated against the war in Iraq, chanting, "Please support our troops, not the president!"

http://mediamatters.org/items/200507050003

[VaYallaDawg]

13. Thanks for the photos. n/t

[cmd]

16. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

That was a great crowd - and you didn't even get an invitation from the shrub! I'm so proud of all of you.

[intheflow]

17. Right on, WV!

Thanks so much for sharing the photos. We really do have to be the media these days. I'd have never heard about this without your posting this, as I've been away from DU for a while and missed the Robach slight.

[madfloridian]

19. Robach got a lot of mails and calls. Proud of West Virginia.

You are right. There is no news anymore as it used to be, only propaganda. We do have to be the media.

[nascarblue]

18. Here, here....good job! NT

[Catrina]

21. Great pictures

Thank you ~ I would have thought that there were only a few people there, had you not posted these ~ WV can be proud of its Democrats. While Bush was promoting himself, Patriotic West Virginians, like Sen. Byrd, were doing the work of the people.

Sen. Byrd had led a bipartisan Senate effort in the Senate last week to keep the VA from cutting services to veterans and even turning them away from medical treatment.

Here are some pictures of him at the VA medical center in Huntington on Sunday. He and Rep. Rahall are wearing Constitution lapel pins which, I am proud to say, were presented to him by my girlfriend who is a WV democrat. The pin was inspired by him because of his devotion to defending the Constitution. He was very moved when she told him that and asked her to pin it on for him. He then took out his copy of the Constitution, which he always carries, and showed it to her!

Here is Sen. Byrd showing the pin to someone:

<img
src="">

And here he is with Rep. Rahall:

<img
src="">

A close-up of the pin can be seen here. He was very gracious and asked for a second one. Let Bush wear his flag, Sen. Byrd knows what this country is supposed to be about ~

www.pinsforpatriots.com


Great work by Patriotic West Virginians!! I think it will be a blue state in 2006!!

[madfloridian]

22. Good poster...apologize for cutting Pell Grants?

and draft Jenna. These guys did a great job there in WV.

[Genki]

23. Hillbilly Proud

The pictures are great, madfloridian. I'm from southern WV and have heard all week about the how big the protests were and how MSNBC labeled them "unpatriotic" Americans.

But don't write us off as a red state~~there's lots of true Democrats stll around and we'll need each and everyone of them to get Senator Byrd re-elected. Word is that the right is going to launch a brutal campaign against the Senator, a national treasure, and that Bush's interest in the state is to garner support for Byrd's opponent.

Hi, Catrina!!

[newyawker99]

26. Hi Genki!!

Welcome to DU!!

[liberal43110]

24. nice job!

Thanks for representing all of us! Excellent turnout.

[MountainLaurel]

25. Let's Go Mountaineers!!

Does my little Mountie heart good to see all those WVans out protesting the Shrub. Wish I could have been there.

[BornaDem]

27. On a campus the size of WVU...

they could only dredge up 400 - 500 protesters? Shame on them. Disgraceful. It would be different if he had been speaking where there is no university.

[madfloridian]

28. The 20,000 students were not there...college not in session.

I am very proud of this group for getting this size crowd together in July, when a college may only have some summer session folks around. I am proud of them.

From the DFA for WV website:

"Local newscasts later estimated the crowd at 200. The New York Times (who you would think would check their facts) reported “several dozen” protestors. The Uniontown Herald Standard gave us credit for 400. But aside from this bit of marginalization, we here in Morgantown know the truth. We had the largest protest since Vietnam and our 20,000 students weren’t even here. One of our local stations, WDTV noticed that these weren’t the “usual type” of protestors, “…these were doctors and lawyers and WVU Professors.”

20,000 students were not there. It was not in session.

Sorry you spoiled the tone of the thread without realizing that.

[BornaDem]

29. I did realize it. Summer school is big...

Sorry, I didn't know it was a "cheerleading" thread for some group or I would not have butted in with a bit of truth.

[Tommymac]

30. I see no truth in your statement...

only bitter opinion.

Kudos to the WV's who participated....400+ who actually got to be heard by * and let through the main crowd is quite an accomplishment - you beat the "Free Speech" zone!!!

Excellent work!

[madfloridian]

31. It was a "cheerleading" for a group which was made fun on MSNBC

I will continue to cheerlead for truth. Blonde Barbie Amy Robach said there were a "couple of protestors with signs but that most there were patriotic"

I will continue to "cheerlead" for truth. Go to the site and see which groups are involved.

I am sorry you think I am "cheerleading", or whatever.

[madfloridian]

32. How big is summer school?

I can't find the statistics myself. How big? And what have you gained but take a hopeful thread and turn it ugly.