Upper Valley Peace & Justice -- 1/03 Rallies

1/03 Rallies

Washington DC

There were reports of about 200-300 thousand, but speaking to people there, there seems to be a general sense that there were more like 500,000.

Montpelier

Reported count at the time of the rally was 3,000. However, there are reports of more like 5,000.

Bridges to Peace

The Ledyard Bridge between Hanover, NH and Norwich, VT, on Route 10a		200
The Bridge between White River Junction, VT and West Lebanon, NH, on Route 4		150?
The Bridge between Thetford, VT and Lyme, NH, on East Thetford Rd.		~130
Windsor Covered Bridge - Brownsville, VT - Windsor, NH		55-60
Ascutney, VT - Claremont, NH
Springfield, VT - Charlestown, NH
The New Arch Bridge - North Westminster, VT - Bellows Falls, NH		40?
North Westminster, VT. - Walpole, NH
The Downtown Bridge - Brattleboro, VT
The Sunderland Bridge, in Sunderland, MA on Route 116
The Coolidge Bridge - between North Hampton, MA and Hadley, MA
Memorial Bridge - West Springfield to Springfield, MA, on Memorial Drive
Founders Bridge - Route 91 to Rte 2 in Hartford, CT

There are those who argue, quite reasonably, that the numbers do not really matter - the killing, maiming, starving and sickening of children, women, and men for the profit of a few white men, to prevent the embarrasment of the illegal Resident of the White House due to his own ill considered actions, or the global dominance of the United States, is immoral whether there is only one person saying it or billions.
However, when National Propaganda Radio says that "ten's of thousands of people protested world-wide", when even by there own reports and those of police estimates there are at least 200,000 in Washington, DC alone, another 100,000 in San Fansico and on and on, I believe we need to contact the media and tell them that we will not support or tolerate their using our airwaves to lie to us. Please go to Media Contacts, and email NPR or any other media that you hear or see giving incorrect information and give them the information that you have. One participant said the Mall at DC holds about one million and it was about half full. I think the story on truthout puts the numbers into perspective - people spent time and money and endured the cold - and near the end has some quotes from police chiefs that are revealing.

Montpelier

Here is a comment from one Monpelier marcher:
"I heard that the official count was only 3,000 people at today's rally. Watching us all go by before I joined near the end, there were at least 4,000 who left from City Hall. I know others joined en route or at the State House. So my estimate is between 4,000 and 5,000. There were many more people at the State House than at our previous largest rally."

I was somwhere near the middle of the march from City Hall and I noticed people leaving the State House as I joined and they continued to leave thoughout - not surprising, it was only 12 F and the sun was so low it only provided glare.

Bridges to Peace

Windsor - There was, I would say, perhaps a 60% positive response from the cars going by in both directions. The group spanned 3 generations. The State Troopers very kindly stopped traffic long enough for us to get the picture.
Windsor1r.jpg 640x480

Thetford - Lyme - we figured there was about 80 - 90% positive response. I was rather surprised and asked if that was a liberal area and the response was "far from it" tho Lyme may be somewhat. There were probaby at least 3 generations as well as the Dogs of Peace. At one point we almost could span the bridge holding hands. A log truck went thru and honked at the end (perhaps not wanting to blast us off the bridge) - I took it to be positive. Loggers for Peace!

Ledyard - There were twenty-two from the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Upper Valley on the Ledyard Bridge.
Yesterday at the Ledyard Bridge 4-8th graders showed up with signs. They were there Monday and Tuesday too. It was very heartening to start to get youth there. They are all from Norwich and we got more honks and waves than ever before.

Walpole and Bellows Falls - Forty vigilers from both sides of the river (including at least a dozen from the Village Peace Assembly mailing list) were undaunted by wind-driven snow and frigid temperatures as they vigiled for an hour Monday, MLK day, on the (un-)arched bridge between Walpole and Bellows >Falls.

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