[quote name='chosen1s']That's really interesting. I was in Minneapolis during the elections and it was pretty much the opposite. There were several "good ole' American families" who went out with pro-Bush signs supporting the war, but mostly there was just anti-war hatred. On the eve of the election, the word "Vote for" was painted over so that pro-Bush families woke up to find "F*CK BUSH" in their front yards. People hung similar banners in the middle of the city and the anti-war protests were generally people with nasty signs who tried to disrupt businesses by blocking the doors, etc. It was very oppressive.
Are your rallies really that peaceful? That surprises me.[/quote]
The ones in boston are like what camoor described. First there's the regular counter protestors. There's a guy covered in religious bumper stickers and he often walks around with a giant sandwich board around his neck. You can find him almost everyday if you know where to look, but he's a regular counter demonstrator at anything remotely liberal. Then there's a stereotypical preacher guy, the type they put in movies when they show them as slick, untrustworthy and hateful.
But the counter protests bring out the funny old men and drunk guys. I remember one guy was like 70 years old and he had plastered himself in bush bumper stickers. He was standing outside a university denouncing anyone he thought was a kerry supporter as traitors.
Then there was this guy who spit on a protestor, then punched him, then waddled drunkenly away when the cops threatened to arrest him. He then decided to moon the crowd/cops, but when the cops started going after him he took off. Though, just to point out, the guy who broke up the fight was also a counter protestor. He threw himself in the middle of the two people and pushed them apart. Nice guy, I spent a few minutes talking to him. He actually hated bush, but felt that protestors were harming the troops.
Another time a soldier was told to leave the area by police, since he was attempting to instigate protestors into attacking him.
Then there was the time about 5 bikers started revving their engines and pretended to break through a barrier that was set up by cops to block traffic temporarily and ram the protestors. That scared half the people in the crowd.
Usually if you go by a construction site the workers either all ignore you, all cheer you, or all start shouting traitor and waiving flags. It's strange, it's almost always uniform.
The last group is the norm though. The counter protestors typically are the fire and brimstone type. If it's an anti-war rally then they're traitors and terrorist supporters. If it's a same sex marriage/gay rights even then they're fags, sinners, damned to hell etc. The liberals tend to outnumber them and laugh at them more than anything else. They're viewed as comedy more than anything else, unless they actually become or threaten violence. Sometimes someone will debate with the counter protestors. That either results in A. nothing B. counter protestors making an ass out of themselves or C. a shouting match (rarely gets violent)
