Anarchists in spiked collars and black facemasks, professors, Quakers, children and at least one disgruntled Princeton University graduate shared a cold, wet afternoon of anti-war protest on Sunday.
"I played football with Donny Rumsfeld," said Stokes Carrigan, a member of Princeton's Class of 1952, as he marched, with his black greatcoat buttoned and Navy veteran's cap pulled down.
"This is criminal, what's happening. The unfortunate part is I know the guys who are doing it."
About 2,000 people participated in the kick-off rally on the Delaware River and the march to Independence National Park that followed. Many protesters arrived on the waterfront before 2 p.m. and stayed well past 5 p.m., chanting, dancing and making known their displeasure with the war in Iraq and the U.S. government.
Though counter-protesters were present along the march route, even burly, bearded members of the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club failed to break the protesters' strides. Chanting over revved engines and turning children's eyes away from a variety of obscene gestures, protesters continued past the shops, bars and tourist traps of Old City.
The protest was sponsored by the Philadelphia Regional Anti-War Network -- a large coalition of left-wing and anti-war organizations from Philadelphia and its suburbs -- which organized a rally on Feb. 15, drawing around 10,000 as part of an international day of protest.
There were no injuries or arrests, a welcome change for those who experienced the energetic attentions of the Federal Protective Service at an anti-war rally on March 20.
"The arrests were quite violent. I can still feel it below my ear," Penn visiting professor Hans Van de Velde said, rubbing the ear by which he said he had been hauled to his feet.
He didn't expect similar problems this time around, however.
"I don't think we run any risk today," he said, still irritated that he had been forced to pay a $250 fine from his last protest "to support the American war industry," something that "people in Europe wouldn't even imagine happening."
"People are behaving themselves," an American Civil Liberties Union legal observer said, brushing off worries that the large numbers of both demonstrators and police might be a recipe for trouble.
City police, including about a dozen on horseback, joined federal marshals in protecting the courthouse and maintaining order.
Despite a spirited, percussion-heavy "this is what democracy looks like" circle dance, the crowd had dwindled to only a few hundred by the time PRAWN's rented Ryder truck, an improvised speaking platform, backed into the street.
As the final speeches drifted further into special interest territory, from support for the North Korean regime to anger with U.S. involvement in Taiwan, many protesters vowed to return to the streets for President Bush's visit yesterday.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.