[Part one of this article can be read at /article.php3?id=5632.]

This crowd certainly didn't resemble the ecumenical groups that marched against the Vietnam War, although today's radicals certainly hoped they would. San Francisco's "antiwar" rally, while relatively large, was not so much a grassroots movement as it was beefed up by busloads of people from throughout Northern California. They were brought in by ANSWER and UFPJ organizers so they could blow off steam after a year's absence from the streets of San Francisco. But even as a national movement, the extremism and fractiousness of today's radical leftists hold little appeal for mainstream Americans. In fact, most people along the march route shook their heads in bewilderment rather than voicing support for their causes.

This may explain why all the talk about striking down "capitalism" at the rally appeared less heartfelt than superficial. Young people wore the trendy "Anti-Capitalista" t-shirts conveniently offered for sale at the rally, along with their Nikes and the latest fashions from The Gap. Others were decked out in Che Guevara t-shirts and berets, desperately trying to achieve revolutionary chic. The requisite dreadlocks and Jamaican hats were also quite popular, as were bandanna-covered faces in the style of Hamas or Islamic Jihad.

Lip service to the ills of "colonialism" was also prevalent among the various third-world nationalist groups in attendance. The Philippines, Korea, Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, Syria, Colombia and a host of other countries are all apparently suffering under the yoke of "US imperialism" as we speak. They even managed to find one group of Iranians (Iranians Against Military Intervention and Occupation) who don't want US help achieving regime change in the Iranian dictatorship.

While radical left-wing Democrats such as Barbara Lee were lauded, it seems that Nancy Pelosi, although hardly a right-winger, has earned the wrath of some on the Left. Apparently, she isn't anti-war enough and is far too supportive of Israel for the leftists of San Francisco, who carried signs saying, "Hey Pelosi - We Want Peace," and "Hey Pelosi: Not One More Dime for the War." Although the Progressive Democrats of Sonoma County took part in the march, they didn't appear to have a lot of company. Instead, it was the Green Party, the International Socialist Organization and a variety of other Neo-Communist groups that held sway.

As always for San Francisco, street theater was in high gear. An effigy of the Statue of Liberty with a skull face holding an American flag with a swastika on it was wheeled around, followed by a hippie playing a banjo and people dancing along merrily. A young man wearing a white shirt with fake blood dripping from painted bullet holes carried aloft a Palestinian flag, all the while smiling inanely. In one distasteful display, a man and woman wearing George Bush and Condoleezza Rice masks danced around with a "George Bush Loves Black People" sign. The Raging Grannies group sang songs like, "Oh Where are Those Weapons, Mr. Bush?" The thugs of Anarchist Action stood around trying to look menacing.

Nuttiness in general was at an all time high. 9/11 conspiracies were the order of the day, as were the tiresome variations on the "blood for oil" canard. Lyndon LaRouche cult followers set up a table and gave away magazines with Dick Cheney on the cover and the overwrought headline, "Soldiers of Satan". Even food took on a sinister connotation, as the evils of genetically modified food and non-vegetarianism were lamented. A regular at all protests in San Francisco, Frank Chu, otherwise known as the "12 Galaxies guy," babbled nonsensical ravings to anyone unfortunate enough to be filming nearby.

While this certainly won't be San Francisco's last antiwar rally, it felt like the beginning of the end. Despite a decent turnout, the passion behind the slogans and the rhetoric just wasn't there this time. At some point, the radical Left will have to do more than march against their own country and support overseas terrorists and totalitarian regimes. They'll have to actually offer forth something constructive for building a better world. But after attending this event, we're not holding our breath.

[Part 2 of 2]