While taking a Muni bus on the afternoon of Friday the 11th...
...we paused briefly to let a small, noisy demonstration against Israel's invasion of Lebanon pass...
...as they marched by astonished tourists in the shopping district on Market Street.
This was presumably a warmup for a larger protest march that started off in Civic Center Plaza at noon on Saturday the 12th.
On Saturday, there were also hundreds of counter-protestors...
...standing across the street in front of City Hall.
One gentleman had both a rainbow flag and an Israeli flag wrapped together.
It wasn't clear whether or not he was a Proud Gay Zionist...
...or if the rainbow flag was the Italian "Pace" ("Peace") flag.
There are innumerable admirable qualities to Jewish culture...
...but "peace-loving" isn't one of the adjectives that immediately comes to mind, particularly with middle-aged suburban ladies holding signage that essentially excuses the murder of women and children.
The crowd on the other side of Polk Street in the plaza...
...was unfortunately having to listen to one screechy speaker after another.
Why does the A.N.S.W.E.R. group have the most annoying, preaching-to-the-converted orators around?
They are simply awful and detract from the peace activists who have a serious message.
Most people ignored the speakers, however...
...while preparing for the actual march downtown.
Some people were using the occasion for electoral politics...
...including this Green activist who was passing out Krissy Keefer for Congress flyers in her attempt to unseat the increasingly unpopular Nancy Pelosi.
My favorite signage was on a low-lying bike warning California's version of Joe Lieberman that her turn was next. We can only pray.
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