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Good Going Brad! First Photos from the San Francisco Beach Impeach! Project

by Robert B. Livingston (gruaudemais [at] yahoo.com)
Veteran San Francisco cabbie Brad Newsham has listened to people in the back seat of his taxi complain about the Bush administration for years. He was fed up and did something personal: he organized a protest project to send a message.
sf_beach-impeach_8.jpg
San Francisco
Saturday, January 6, 2007

Brad Newsom's message was simple:  IMPEACH BUSH!

Here's how Brad describes how he was going to send that message (from his website):

On Saturday, January 6, 2007 (just two days after the new US Congress convenes), 1,200 people will gather for an impeachment event in Nancy Pelosi’s back yard — on Ocean Beach in San Francisco.

Early that morning, in 100-foot letters stretching 450 feet across the sand, volunteers from the Beach Impeach Project will outline the message:

I M P E A C H !

At 10:30, the attendees will arrive and lay their bodies down inside the message’s lettering. At 11 a.m. a helicopter will arrive overhead and photographers will record the 1,200 bodies in the sand — “IMPEACH!” — with the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

As expected, hundreds of people began to gather-- in fact, more than the 1,200 hoped for.  (San Francisco voted overwhelmingly this past November to endorse an impeachment of George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney for High Crimes and Misdemeanors.)

Brad's project succeeded without a hitch-- news at 6:00?

Here are some early photos of the action.

Sorry, no helicopter shots here... best visit Indybay or Newsham's own website for that later.
§Brad Newsham
by Robert B. Livingston
sf_beach-impeach_16.jpg
sf_beach-impeach_19.jpg
Some people brought friends and families with them. Some came alone but found old friends and made new friends.
§Looking for the helicopter to arrive
by Robert B. Livingston
sf_beach-impeach_6.jpg
The weather was perfect... a little cloudy perhaps, but not cold like yesterday.
§Is that a nude man in the crowd?
by Robert B. Livingston
sf_beach-impeach_22.jpg
But he's not hurting anybody.
§A dog sports about in all the excitement
by Robert B. Livingston
sf_beach-impeach_23.jpg
San Francisco loves its dogs. Many came along and thoroughly enjoyed participating.
§Maria Gilardin was there
by Robert B. Livingston
sf_beach-impeach_28.jpg
Maria hosts TUC Radio which can be heard on KALW and from her own website.
http://www.tucradio.org/
§Impeach for Peace!
by Robert B. Livingston
sf_beach-impeach_37.jpg
§the crowd breaks up after... SUCCESS!
by Robert B. Livingston
sf_beach-impeach_32.jpg
§San Francisco's Ocean Beach
by Robert B. Livingston
sf_beach-impeach_35.jpg
§Brad Newsham in action
by Robert B. Livingston
brad_newsham_in_action.gif
Brad and his volunteers were well-prepared and directed the crowd well. The project was convivial and festive. But the message was serious one:

PUT IMPEACHMENT ON THE TABLE!
§short viseo clip of crowd
by Robert B. Livingston
Copy the code below to embed this movie into a web page:
§Action over... what next?
by Robert B. Livingston
Copy the code below to embed this movie into a web page:
Add Your Comments
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TITLE
AUTHOR
DATE
Chuck
Fri, Jul 4, 2008 9:19AM
Impechment On the Table Now!
Sun, Feb 25, 2007 9:23AM
Robert B. Livingston
Sat, Jan 6, 2007 7:30PM
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