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U.S. | Government & Elections

Bush Inauguration, Jan. 20, DC
by Eric Blair
Monday Jan 31st, 2005 5:56 PM
Photos i took at the Inauguration of Bush in Washington DC. These are photos of the Anarchist Resistance march.
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January 20 dawned brightly. The sun reflected off the snow and spirits were high to oppose Bush and the whole capitalist system. There was a huge march of thousands called by the DC Anti-War Network. An Anti-Fascist contingent marched in this march then split off. We joined the Anarchist resistance march and marched downtown. Motorcycle police tried to block us but we outmanouvered them. Lots of snowballs were thrown. When we got to the security perimiter to the viewing area of the parade route we tried to march right through. The police atacked before we got there. They smashed our biggest banner that was reinforced with pvc. We tried to fight our way through but we were pretty evenly matched with the police. We linked arms and counted down from 10 then rushed forward. Police beat us with batons and pvc from the banner and used small cans of pepperspray. More police arived and blasted us with fire extinguisher sized pepperspray and we were driven back. We regrouped behind the FBI Building. Thousand of Bush supporters poured past, many in fur coats. We heckled some but there were too many. I ran out of film but we later made another attempt to break through a checkpoint and the police shut it down for the day. Later people broke through the fence but were again held back with pepperspray. However, there was only one arrest that I saw. It was a good day with DC filled with thousands of protestors and many forms of resstance on display.
DAWN Anti-War march
by Eric Blair Monday Jan 31st, 2005 5:56 PM
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Anti-racist contingent on the DAWN march
Anarchist Resistance march starts
by Eric Blair Monday Jan 31st, 2005 5:56 PM
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About 500-800 anarchists and others marched on the parade route
Anarchist Resistance March
by Eric Blair Monday Jan 31st, 2005 5:56 PM
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On our war to try and meet Bush
Anarchist Resistance March
by Eric Blair Monday Jan 31st, 2005 5:56 PM
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We had to manouver around all sorts of cops.
Anarchist Resistance March
by Eric Blair Monday Jan 31st, 2005 5:56 PM
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Signs and banners supported a number of different causes.
Sowballs thown at the police
by Eric Blair Monday Jan 31st, 2005 5:56 PM
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At one point massive amounts of snowballs were thrown at the police (highlighted). There were other times they were thrown as well and even Chaney's limo was hit later by other people.
Scuffle at the checkpoint
by Eric Blair Monday Jan 31st, 2005 5:56 PM
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We tried to brek through the checkpoint, the white tent is the top of it. The police atacked and we fought back.
Trying to break through
by Eric Blair Monday Jan 31st, 2005 5:56 PM
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We try to push forward but were surprised by the rapid police atack and many people were not prepared for pepperspray.
Pepperspay causes retreat
by Eric Blair Monday Jan 31st, 2005 5:56 PM
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Pepperspray and batons caused us to retreat.
Police take the street
by Eric Blair Monday Jan 31st, 2005 5:56 PM
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Police now hold an area in front of the checkpoint. Note one officer holding a long section of the pvc from the banner that was used to hit people.
We push forward
by Eric Blair Monday Jan 31st, 2005 5:56 PM
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With arms linked we countdown from 10 and push forward.
Police blast pepperspray
by Eric Blair Monday Jan 31st, 2005 5:56 PM
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Police push us back and blast us with massive amounts of pepperspray. We have to retreat.
More pepperspray
by Eric Blair Monday Jan 31st, 2005 5:56 PM
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Another police officer tells the agro pepperspraying officer to quit as we retreated.
Regroup behind the FBI building
by Eric Blair Monday Jan 31st, 2005 5:56 PM
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We regrouped and there had been no arrests. there were a few injuries and a bunch of people had to recover from peperspray. The medics fixed them right up.
Republicans
by Eric Blair Monday Jan 31st, 2005 5:56 PM
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Many hundreds of Bush suportes, like these women passed through our march. I have never seen so many fur coats in my life. There were many taunts and arguments but mostly we ignored them.
The Anarchist Bush
by Eric Blair Monday Jan 31st, 2005 5:56 PM
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George Bush the Anarchist also took part in protests against himself