Exactly how many people were at the DC protests?

[meldroc]

The protest organizers are saying 500,000. The MSM's saying "tens of thousands." That's quite a spread there. We all know that the MSM and their corporate masters and their manipulators in the Bush administration want to discredit the anti-war movement, and make it look like nothing more than a few isolated kooks rather than a huge grassroots movement of ordinary people demanding an end to pointless bloodshed. So I'm inclined to believe the higher estimates than the lower estimates. But the disparity in the numbers bothers me.

So I'm wondering if anyone has something resembling a scientific estimate of the numbers at DC. Or at least a plausible explanation of why one number is more realistic than other numbers. Or at least will commiserate with me about the way the right wing and the media's trying to discredit the anti-war movement...

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Official report is 400,000

[november3rd]

2. officials

The DC police know but aren't telling.

The FBI probably knows. Homeland Security could tell you, too.

[ChiciB1]

3. Good Luck With Them! Maybe You Could Try Freedom Of

Information Act too! Hee! Hee!

[meldroc]

4. Here's a thought...

If there's money for it (there probably isn't), how difficult would it be to have aerial or satellite photos taken during big protests, then posted publicly, so anyone can pick through the photos and do estimates?

Probably too expensive to do satellite photos, and it would take some doing to hire a Cessna to do a fly-by, and get the permits required to go through all the restricted airspace over DC.

[Aviation Pro]

5. With the ADIZ in place....

...not bloody likely that one can get a private plane or helicopter to fly into an area that has two very prominent prohibited areas close by. The one opportunity may be a news organization that files the appropriate flight plan, takes a picture and then distributes it.

[liberal renegade]

6. 50 million

of us were there in spirit and you can take that to the fucking bank!

[Crabby Appleton]

7. Exactly or approximately?

[liberal renegade]

8. neither

it's probably more..

[Ezlivin]

9. 399,753

And I counted them twice.

It could have been 399,754 but Steve stayed in the Port-o-Potty® too damned long.