Counter-Protesting MoveOn in Valparaiso - 9/2/2009

[Phil502]

I'm in that one.

 

[rambone]

NWIP Blog:

Blog and pictures of the March on Washington Street.

March On Washington In Valparaiso September 2, 2009

Valparaiso rocked to chants of “USA! USA!” and “No Obamacare!” as over 300 people people marched down Washington Street in Valparaiso, IN, Wednesday evening to participate in the health care reform debate. Concerned citizens were there to get their views out.

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People started gathering across from Von Tobel Hardware around 5:30.

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As always, they weren’t shy about saying what they think.

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Patriots of all ages were there.

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We brought our “We the People Are Coming” sign, with signatures from people who came to our July 4 Tea Party in Valparaiso.

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The crowd kept getting bigger.

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And bigger.

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And bigger.

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Faith led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance and in singing “God Bless America” before the march started.

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Greg Smith offered a prayer.

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The flag was carried and escorted by veterans in the crowd.

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Then the real fun began.
We were there to counter-protest a health care vigil at the Courthouse hosted by Christopher Pupillo on behalf of MoveOn.org. There were about 100 people there at its peak.

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We marched up Washington Street and split into two groups at Indiana Street. We surrounded the city block of the Courthouse, our flags held proudly.

There was a police presence that grew as the evening went on. Squad cars were parked in the street on Lincolnway and Franklin, lights flashing the whole time, and uniformed officers stayed between the two sides. There was no violence, but there was a lot of shouting.
The air crackled with energy. Groups of children and young people chanted along with the adults. Cars filled with American flags drove past often, always drawing cheers. Passing motorists honked their support in increasing numbers as the time went on. At some point, the police said we could stay on the sidewalk across from the Courthouse, and we took advantage of that.

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Many people left when it started getting dark, but many more remained till the Sheriff called an end to the festivities around 8 p.m. A group of children sang “God Bless America” to wrap things up for our side.
I personally heard very little of what the pro-health care speakers said, because it was very loud everywhere I went on our side, even in the smaller group that took over a street corner across from the Courthouse on Franklin and Lincolnway. I’m told that at the beginning their speaker acknowledged that we outnumbered them, and that there were speeches about peoples’ financial problems caused by health issues. Steve, our webmaster and videographer, heard an exchange that he unfortunately didn’t get on video. He says that the two aging hippies who had been playing songs for the pro-health care reform group all night called for them to gather together for another song, to “block out the negative energy” coming from our chants and shouts. Don’t know if it worked.
The March on Washington in Valparaiso pointed up the clash in philosophies of the two sides. Northwest Indiana Patriot Charlie Kochenash and the MoveOn.org organizer spell it out here.
Patriots, you did northwest Indiana proud today! Thank you for coming out for freedom!

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More photos here.
Another video here.
Local coverage from the Post Tribune:
Post Tribune Health care reform debate draws crowds
Experts say lawmakers can hear health rallies
Health care reform debated photo gallery

 

[Phil502]

Yea Cheech and Chong were there man, I think they got lost on the way to Chicago and stopped for directions then just hung out in front of the drugstore.