I've been going out for a walk about this time [6:30PM when I started writing] for the last few nights, to stretch my legs before starting the nightshift in front of the computer. It's a bitterly cold night, by local standards anyway, due to freeze tonight and possibly even snow a tiny bit. So I changed my plans, and took the short loop, which took me in the direction of what this little neighborhood charmingly considers its "downtown", all four blocks of it.

As I walked I heard the din of car horns, and then I could resolve chanting voices. I got near the intersection of the two main drags, and there I saw about a hundred people on one of the corners, shivering and protesting.

All except a sign with a simple "NO!" were hand-printed. In addition to one large sign reading "We urge NO surge", there were several reading "Stop the lying!" and "Stop the dying!". In the back I spotted a sign demanding the impeachment of Bush-Cheney. Also prominent was a sign reading "Honk for peace!", and I'd estimate that roughly a third of the cars that went through the intersection honked, some with evident enthusiasm.

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After writing the above, I decided to grab my camera, and walked back to take a few pictures. It looked like the crowd had grown a bit. The light levels were poor, but I think the pics get across the scene.

I also took a short video with the digital camera. (5 MB) The din of the car horns is pretty impressive.

To put it into perspective, in the 2-1/2 years I've lived in this neighborhood, the most political activity I've seen has consisted of lawn signs for city council candidates. The people are diverse, and range across the middle-class spectrum from blue-collar to upper. The neighborhoods are mostly older homes, gentrified Victorians, a few McMansions, and a few blue-collar apartment houses. The sort of place where you have to be careful to not get mowed down by mommies pushing double-wide strollers when you stroll downtown.

While I was sitting across the street in front of a Starbucks, several people strolled by, and the snippets of conversations I overhead were all supportive, and a few who noticed I was photographing nodded their approval. The only counterprotest came from a car of skinheads stopped in the turn lane, who shouted obscenities, but they moved on.

This was not a routine protest. There was nobody out in front with a bullhorn coaching anybody. As I said, the signs were all hand-lettered, with the exception of the "NO!"; I made a point of checking that detail. It took a day to organize, but it was genuine.

A protest in my little town. I wonder in how many places across the country tonight was this scene repeated.