Thousands rally in holiday protest

While citizens, celebrities, Supreme Court Justices and Mayor Street celebrated the opening of the National Constitution Center on July 4, across the street over a thousand protesters gathered to voice opposition to what they referred to as "U.S. Wars at Home and Abroad."

The event kicked off at 8 am in Franklin Square, and after a series of speakers and a protest rally, demonstrators marched their way through the city.

The congregants represented a variety of organizations, including National Organization for Women Philadelphia, the National Green Party, Veterans For Peace, the Muslim American Society and ANSWER International, a group against war and racism.

Phoebe Schellenberg, the media spokeswoman for the event, hailed the diversity of groups present as a sign of the campaign's strength and a testament to the fact that "Bush is widely and massively unpopular."

Members of the crowd set forth a range of agendas -- while some assumed an anti-Bush stance, others gathered to support environmental causes, the rights of gays and lesbians, or Mumia Abu-Jamal, who faces the death penalty for killing a Philadelphia police officer in 1981.

Julia Hall, a student at the University of the Arts, said her primary concern and motivation for attending was the fact that "people blindly celebrate the 4th of July."

Buffalo native Jorge Hernan attended Friday's demonstration to "oppose policies that Bush and his administration put forth concerning Iraq and occupation."

Akashara Fire, a resident of Cleveland, cited "multiple causes" for taking a 10-hour bus ride in order to attend the rally. She planned on biking back to Ohio, a ride she hoped would be "empowering for young women."

Schellenberg estimated that several thousand people were in attendance at the event. Lieutenant Dennis Konczyk, a member of the Philadelphia Police Department, placed the number closer to 1,200.

Pennsylvania State Representative Babette Josephs was among the day's speakers, having turned down an invitation to attend the NCC opening in favor of appearing at the protest.

"Over there I think they're honoring the dead Constitution, over here we're making it live," she said.

A protest participant's sign -- held up as one of many in the crowd -- echoed this refrain, stating, "We come not to burn the flag, but to wash it."

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