'Everything is at stake,' Kerry tells riverfront crowd

[kskiska]

Race's intensity visible in exchanges with Bush supporters

After scooting across Lake Michigan by high-speed ferry, Democrat John Kerry staged a large, raucous rally along the Milwaukee River Monday night, deriding President Bush's leadership in the war on terrorism and portraying the election as an all-or-nothing pivot point in the nation's future.

(snip)

The high-stakes intensity of the campaign could also be seen Monday in noisy confrontations between Kerry and Bush supporters and the use of bullhorns and air horns by a small group of Bush supporters to try to disrupt the speeches, prompting Kerry and his wife to respond to what the candidate termed "goons."

(snip)

About 30 Bush supporters chanted loudly during the speeches by Kerry and his wife, sometimes setting off air horns. The pro-Bush group was on the Kilbourn Ave. sidewalk overlooking Pere Marquette Park, almost a full block from the stage, but it could be heard throughout the park, including on stage.

Tom Lange, 18, of Waukesha said he was setting off an air horn during Kerry's remarks because "we want them to hear us and not hear what he has to say."
Lange said it's "probably not nice, but it's my beliefs."

(snip)

There were several incidents of scuffling between Kerry and Bush supporters during the rally, including one in which it appeared a Kerry supporter attempted to throw a large Bush-Cheney sign into the Milwaukee River. Police and sheriff's deputies on foot and on horseback moved into the crowd several times and ordered people to move on and to break up their confrontations. No arrests were made, although one man was pinned to the ground by a sheriff's deputy at one point.

more…
http://www.jsonline.com/news/nat/aug04/248359.asp

[WindRavenX]

1. man..some of these anti-Kerry protesters are just dumb..

Tom Lange, 18, of Waukesha said he was setting off an air horn during Kerry's remarks because "we want them to hear us and not hear what he has to say."
In other words, Mr.Lange wants to put his fingers in his eyes, cover his eyes, and run around in a circle while scream "NANANANA...CAN'T HEAR YOU...NANANANANA".
Goddamn dumbass.

[truthisfreedom]

2. silence dissent! thuggery abounds... all they can use is dirty tricks and

the nastiest of tactics... silencing free speech is never going to work. look at the age of that goon... 18 years old. no thought to his behavior. no sense of responsibility, no respect for anyone else's rights. this is exactly what bushco teaches. silence dissent lest you actually have a thought pass through your head.

[shraby]

3. If Bush wins the election, the 18 yr. old

will have plenty of time to think it over in boot camp before he's sent to the middle east.

[meow2u3]

13. 18 YEARS old? or 18 MONTHS old?

Emotionally, the Bush goon is the latter.

[bluestateguy]

4. This thuggery needs to be challenged

It's one thing if counterprotestors want to demonstrate at a Kerry rally. That is their right.

But if they try to shout down Kerry or any other speaker then they should be silenced.

[DieboldMustDie]

5. Meanwhile, if you want to attend a Cheney rally...

you have to sign a loyalty oath. And if you want to demonstrate against Bush, you're confined to a protest pen 2 miles away. :puke:

[0rganism]

6. Just TRY disrupting with airhorns at a bush/cheney rally

Assuming you make it out alive, your ass will be in JAIL.

[jean]

9. First, you would have to pledge the airhorn's loyalty to Bush - but even

so, I'm betting they're not letting any airhorns into Bush events.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

7. One side is talking about the future and the other side is blowing horns

trying to drown out dissent. Who do they think that will persuade?

[DaveSZ]

8. That's how wingers are

They don't want opposing viewpoints.

That kid reminds me of those Enron guys laughing about how they had screwed "grandma" out of billions.

[drhilarius]

10. It's like Protest Warriors.

Valiantly protesting other Americans' First Amendment right to protest.

[Barkley]

11. How large is "staged a large, raucous rally"?

I read that Kerry attracted 20,000 at a recent PA rally.

This might explain the presence of Bush supporters; they're affraid.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

14. Here's a picture from Milwaukee

and one from Bowling Green

[Dem2theMax]

15. I saw the Bowling Green pic

and I said "OH MY GOD!" THAT'S what I need to see. Thank you for the picture full of HOPE! Yeah Kerry! :) :) :)

[flordehinojos]

12. Of course the Bush-Cheney people can crash, err dissent in, a Kerry speech

Kerry supporters are kept in CONCENTRATION CAMP FREE SPEECH ZONES where Junior can't be interrupted, disrupted, disgruntled, or otherwise forced to face the opposition that's about to hit him like a tsunami.:eyes: