D.C. 9-12 rally in pictures and text (part 1: the crowd)

I have so much stuff that it would be a tremendously long post to put it all in, so I split this into two posts. Also, to save some bandwidth and make sure you don’t need an sundial to determine page load time, I placed most of the signage photos here as part of my Facebook page.

This part will mainly be crowd shots (just for disbelievers like a certain left-leaning local blogger – he knows who he is because he just LOVES to refer to our group as “teabaggers”) and the second part, probably tomorrow, will be other shots I enjoyed. It’s 9 photos tonight and 15 tomorrow if my count is correct.

I’m going to do this in chronological order and don’t forget to hold your mouse over the photo for additional captions if you run IE8. (Firefox has a way of doing it but not everyone takes advantage.) By the way, you may use these photos IF you give credit to me and my website. Not much to ask is it?

The first picture of our busload was taken about 9:20 on the road between Easton and Queenstown.

As you can tell by this shot I took on the way, the bus was pretty full of people. We had one empty seat on my bus so AFP's effort was certainly a success.
As you can tell by this shot I took on the way, the bus was pretty full of people. We had one empty seat on my bus so AFP’s effort was certainly a success.

We were told the march had started about 9:30 – 2 hours before schedule – because Freedom Plaza couldn’t hold the people who were massing there. So our group went to the Capitol.

About 11:30 we arrived at the Capitol for the main protest. I thought this was a pretty shot with the flowers and the Capitol dome in the background.
About 11:30 we arrived at the Capitol for the main protest. I thought this was a pretty shot with the flowers and the Capitol dome in the background.

I walked around for the better part of the early afternoon. This shot is taken from the west end of the reflecting pool looking toward the Capitol, about 12:20.

I was surprised how well you could hear the speakers way back here. No one could actually see the stage yet thousands congregated this far back because it was as close as they could get.
I was surprised how well you could hear the speakers way back here. No one could actually see the stage yet thousands congregated this far back because it was as close as they could get.

Eventually I settled on that platform you see in the last picture, atop the steps. I had an old friend from Ohio who supposedly was there but by the time I got back there from the bathroom lines I found out he and his wife were themselves waiting in them. Alas, we never did get together because they left a little early. Anyhow, the next two pictures were taken between 1:30 and 1:45.

The 'silent no more' sign was brought by one of our group, but this is the view I had from much of the first half of the rally.
The ‘silent no more’ sign was brought by one of our group, but this is the view I had from much of the first half of the rally.
Looking back across the reflecting pool to where I'd stood earlier taking pictures.
Looking back across the reflecting pool to where I’d stood earlier taking pictures.

I was curious to see what was going on around the Mall so I walked that way after a little while. I ended up at this spot at its northern end where the contingent from my native state had staked a claim. It was about 2:30 by this time.

The Ohio group had placed this easy-to-see landmark for convenient meeting. I think besides the adjacent states they may have had the largest participation.
The Ohio group had placed this easy-to-see landmark for convenient meeting. I think besides the adjacent states they may have had the largest participation.

Returning to my spot, I watched from there awhile then decided to get closer as the event was wrapping up. The next two shots were taken after 3:30, with the gathering slated to end at 4:00 – so the crowd was a little thinner.

Looking toward the stage toward the end. I believe this speaker was Mario Lopez of the Hispanic Leadership Fund.
Looking toward the stage toward the end. I believe this speaker was Mario Lopez of the Hispanic Leadership Fund.
You can see the crowd wasn't quite as deep as before but many thousands stuck around until the end.
You can see the crowd wasn’t quite as deep as before but many thousands stuck around until the end.

If you wonder about where all those signs went after this ended, here’s a clue. I don’t know if small fenced-in areas were provided specifically for this purpose, but they proved quite useful in gathering large-sized trash.

I wonder whether these signs will be recycled for future use at next year's 9-12 event or some other TEA Party.
I wonder whether these signs will be recycled for future use at next year’s 9-12 event or some other TEA Party.

I actually picked up one I found quite humorous for future use. I’ll have to add it to my post tomorrow because of all the pictures I took I didn’t take one of that sign! Tomorrow’s post will focus on some of the speakers and protestors.

Author: Michael

It's me from my laptop computer.

6 thoughts on “D.C. 9-12 rally in pictures and text (part 1: the crowd)”

  2. Michael, I am going to use one of your photos. Looks like lots of people. Great to see people voicing their opinion. Is that last picture recycling or rubbish?

  3. I presume most of it would be recycled. I just thought it was good that collection points were created, and one thing about the rally was the lack of trash strewn everywhere. People cleaned up after themselves as best they could since garbage cans were overflowing.

  4. Pingback: monoblogue » Blog Archive » D.C. 9-12 rally in pictures and text (part 2: the players)

  5. Hi, thanks for posting your pictures… in one of them you captured my yellow, 28-foot long “Silent No More” sign that I flew out from California with, for the rally.

  6. Pingback: Protesting Jim : monoblogue

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