The CBS event in KC this morning - pics

[proud2BlibKansan]

It was interesting. We got there at 5am and parking was a pain. Country music fans got out of bed before the crack of dawn to come hear a free show by a band that can best be described as average. My DH and both my kids are musicians and I don't like to play critic, but if this is what passes for top music, let's put a garage band together and go get a recording contract!

So as soon as our people and the signs arrived, the TV people came over and asked them to leave. The TV lady claimed they had a permit and could decide who came to their event and who didn't come. So our attorney asked to see the permit. The snooty little TV lady returned with the police. Our attorney pointed out that this is a public space, they can't make us leave and again he asked to see the permit. So the cops said we could stay but put us in a free speech zone. And no, we never did see any permit.

So the folks in our group stood there for 3 hours holding the banners.



The good thing is they stood at the bottom of the steps leading up to where the band played so everyone coming to see the band saw the flags and we were able to hand out anti-war fliers.


One of my friends was in the crowd with a sign that said OUT OF IRAQ NOW and the cops told her to leave. She refused so they cuffed her.



They walked her over to the side of the park and held her for about a half hour. Our attorney went with her. She kept telling the cops to arrest her but I guess they just wanted to scare her. (Hey, cops, it didn't work :)) This is one of the most awesome ladies I know. Her son is in the navy and has been to Iraq and is worried about being sent back. So she is a very motivated anti-war protester.



These are the kinds of signs that got TV time.





And it's apparently okay to root for the navy on CBS. (But forget about wanting to end the war)





And this kind of sign is 'appropriate' too.





This dimwit held her sign upside down for 3 hours. I even saw it in a TV crowd shot.






And then there was this t-shirt.



I wonder how that Iraqi freedom is working out for those Iraqis?



One kind of neat thing is as I was walking around trying to figure out where I could stand to get into a crowd shot, one of the camerammen caught my eye and gave me a thumbs up for my IMPEACH t-shirt. He mouthed 'I love your shirt' I said 'Put me on TV!!' He said he would try but I don't think any of his shots of my shirt made the show. Damn.


Then I came home and watched the show. As a native Kansas Citian, I usually cringe at the cowtown image because this is a very sophisticated city and far from a cowtown. But after seeing 200 of my fellow residents show up at the crack of dawn to hear a mediocre band while holding signs that included 'Hello Mom' and 'Hello Kansas'* I guess the cowtown image is pretty appropriate.

*Will someone please explain just how stupid you have to be to bring a 'Hello Kansas' sign to an event that sits about 2 miles from the Kansas state line?? :crazy:

[Bozita]

1. Great pics! ... Thank you.

[BuyingThyme]

2. :applause:

:applause:

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. You are too kind

Thanks

[onethatcares]

4. where can those signs be purchased?

and you ROCK!!!!!!!!

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. They belong to AFSC

It's called the Cost of War exhibit.

[scarletwoman]

44. Those are awesome banners! Well done! k & r (nt)

[leftchick]

5. Exellent Photos Proud!

you and the rest of the leftists are my heroes. :hug:

[babylonsister]

6. You were invited there and then asked to leave?

That pretty much sucks. I did turn CBS on when I got up, but I didn't see your signs. :-(
Good job to all my peace-lovin' buddies in KC! :patriot: :patriot: :thumbsup:

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. Yes that is pretty much how it went.

[Catherine Vincent]

7. Thanks for all your hard work!

[sinkingfeeling]

8. Great job to all of you who went in the wee hours! And I don't know how you

made it through Cowboy music!

[Bennyboy]

9. I watched and looked

But did not see any of your signs..or the navy one either....

[Jack Bone]

10. great pix..great job!! just one question..

on the shot of your friend being handcuffed, in the background I think I see the radio stations logo projected onto a wall, is that wall part of the WWII Monument? if it is...talk about bad taste.

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. I don't think so

[gratuitous]

11. If they arrest you, there's paperwork

If they just "detain" you away from the action until the cameras are turned off, then there's no violation! See? Of course, if some activist bleeding-heart judge doesn't buy that ruse, well, it's just a few thousand out of the city coffers, and you can blame all the budget shortfalls for the next ten years on the dirty fucking hippies who don't know what a terrific thing war is.

The three cops "detaining" the woman are fascist pigs, right out of the worst excesses of Bull Connor. And no, I don't think I'm overstating it.

[MelissaB]

12. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Awesome photos and report.

:applause:

[proud2BlibKansan]

35. You're welcome! You're welcome! You're welcome!

[JuniperLea]

13. So proud of you, Proud!

You are a true patriot!

:bounce:

Great bunch of people you got there too!

:applause:

It's going to take a lot more of this sort of action... you're an inspiration!

:patriot:

[Warren Stupidity]

14. "but put us in a free speech zone"?

"Regulations on demonstrations may affect the time, place, and manner of those demonstrations, but may not discriminate based on the content of the demonstration."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_speech_zone

Your attorney should look into a lawsuit. The pictures you put up clearly document that people were allowed to demonstrate in front of the cameras based on the content of their signs and shirts. That is a violation of your rights.

The 'free speech cage' at the 2004 Democratic National Convention:

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. Yes he asked me to email him my pictures

So hopefully he will be doing something.

[Richard Steele]

20. Good to hear. You guys rock! recommended.

[formercia]

19. Free Speech Zone?

What an oxymoron that is.

[Maraya1969]

21. That T-shirt is APPALLING!

Talk about not having respect for other people or their homeland.

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. This one?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

33. Wow, just like going to a concert......

...or in reality, one you never really went to.

[Maraya1969]

45. Yea that's it. The United States of Iraq

[LSK]

23. Thank you for doing this

K&R

[fed-up]

24. great signs-thanks to you and all those that were out protesting the war nt

[roody]

25. Great action!! Thank you.

[Neecy]

26. this is very disappointing...

Disgusting that the KC police are now being paid to patrol and censor a corporate event.

I'll say this for Kay Barnes: she didn't herd us into first amendment pens and the cops were, for the most part, respectful when we protested one of Bush's visits.

My nephew knows Funkhouser well and I'm going to have him raise this issue with him. This is really outrageous.

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. Good luck

We contacted the prosecutor's office last year to complain about KC cops hassling us at our vigils. We never heard a word back. And we complained to a suburban police dept and the city council about one of their cops flipping us off as he drove by. We never heard back on that either.

We have talked to a couple attorneys. It's going to take a major lawsuit by the ACLU or someone as powerful. And the locals are concerned that if we win, it opens the gates for Fred Phelps and other crazies as well as our little protest group.

[Ilsa]

28. Hey, I got up early enough to watch you! My CBS station doesn't

start the Morning Show until 10 minutes before 8am (WTF?) but I was looking for your signs. When I saw only the "Work out at my ladies' gym" signs and other commercial-type signs and then the stupid "Love a cowboy" crap for the group Big and Rich (WTF kind of name is that?) I got suspicious about the protestors getting marginalized and placed into a "free speech zone". And good on that friend who took her sign in anyway. Bless her and her loved one who is serving.

I finally turned off the show when they started in on the Big Brother tv show review shit, and then the band started playing. Blech. At least the tv people know that there are real patriots out there, not just war-loving morons. I'm looking forward to the protestors outnumbering the "I wanna be on teevee" crowd.

[proud2BlibKansan]

30. Thanks for watching!

[stillcool]

29. Love the Pics...

K&R! It's too bad that an invitation encouraging the public to participate doesn't mean what it used to.

[live love laugh]

31. Eggsellent!! nt

[peekaloo]

32. Tee Hee,,,in the pic with the Navy sign does the small sign to the right

say "GMA in Lawrence, Ks Rocks"? If so those peeps must have been disappointed not to see Diane Sawyer. *guffaw*

Nice job with the protest and pics! :thumbsup:

[proud2BlibKansan]

36. Yeah I should have pointed that out in my OP

Wrong network.

Man there are some dumbass people in Kansas City. :crazy:

[AX10]

34. Country.

I'll pass.

[EFerrari]

37. We keep pushing. K&R

[bobthedrummer]

38. K&R#25

:patriot:

[proud2BlibKansan]

39. Thanks Bob!

[Roland99]

40. Big K&R

[B Calm]

41. That woman really held her sign upside down for three hours? LOL

[proud2BlibKansan]

42. Every time I looked at her it was upside down

:crazy:

[Postman]

43. the Revolution will not be televised....

eom

[coco77]

46. Good..

[Blackhatjack]

47. Thank You For Taking The Time To Bring This To Our Attention at DU.,..

People here need to see that DUers are doing more than posting on a website. THANKS!

[demnan]

48. Great work!

What a brave thing your friend did, and you too for wearing your impeachment shirt. I wore impeachment stuff on my shirt at the county fair. It isn't easy to do that when you know you're in "enemy territory" (Veteran for Peace friend's term).

[deutsey]

49. We used to criticize the old Soviet Union for its treatment of dissidents

I swear the conservatives who always went so apoplectic about them Commies trampling over civil liberties were really just jealous of them and wished they could do the same here.

[SaveAmerica]

50. I thought AMERICA is a free speach zone!??