The Anchorage Palin Protest In Photos

What some Anchorage locals have referred to as the "biggest political rally in Alaska" took place last Saturday to protest the GOP selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as its vice presidential nominee. To mark the governor's return from a celebrated jaunt in the Lower 48, crowds with homemade signs packed the grounds around the city library.

Photos of the event spread fast and wide on email lists, email writers and bloggers apparently as shocked by the turnout as attendees had been. One of the after-event "seed emails" written by "Linda Lovett" contained the photos we're posting here, some of which were also posted in part at places like Momocrats. Although Lovett implied that the event was a specifically organized gathering, that it even had a name -- "The Alaska Women Reject Palin Rally" -- Journalist and OffTheBus community member Amanda Coyne said the genesis of the protest was difficult to pinpoint. "It's hard, if not impossible, to tell if the protest was organized by anyone specifically," Coyne wrote at her blog. "But rumors were floating around that it was the brainchild of a few 'angry moms' -- angry moms who understand the power of the Internet. Emails began popping up in inboxes early last week. My box was jammed up with at least 20 of them."

Lovett's recap was breathless:

Never, have I seen anything like it in my 17 and a half years living in Anchorage. The organizers had someone walk the rally with a counter, and they clicked off well over 1400 people (not including the 90 counter-demonstrators). This was the biggest political rally ever, in the history of the state. I was absolutely stunned. The second most amazing thing is how many people honked and gave the thumbs up as they drove by. And even those that didn't honk looked wide-eyed and awe-struck at the huge crowd that was growing by the minute. This just doesn't happen here.

Coyne was impressed, too. "Democrats here have had a hard time amassing much enthusiasm for their causes... Saturday, though, wow."

It was the internet-generated mass turnout and the homemade signs that made an impression. Coyne again:

The signs--some crafted from paper-covered clothes hangers, like the one that declared, "Bristol got to choose. Why don't we?"--nearly said it all:

The Alaska Disaster

Pray for peace, not pipelines

Palin: A woman not afraid to hate women

Palin scares this working mom

And maybe the most clever,

Jesus was a community organizer. Pontius Pilate was a Governor

But underlining the protest was a sentiment that couldn't be quipped, that no sign was big enough to contain. It was something that I had been hearing only in snippets for the past two weeks, but until today, I hadn't heard articulated. This was from a state worker, who, for fear of reprisal, didn't want their name used (it wasn't the first state worker who expressed the same fear at the rally--some even wore masks to conceal their State of Alaska identities). This is what this person told me:

"I just feel exploited. I feel like they're using this state like they use products in commercials. It is like, 'OK, what can we sell?' And Alaska and Palin are what they chose. They're selling our state out, and she's allowing it. It almost feels like a violation."

Comments

[ltva]

And none of this was in the MSM.? Makes you say umm doesn't it.

[northcan]

DEMONSTRATION; OCTOBER 4, 2008, FOR BARACK OBAMA & JOE BIDEN, IN ANCHORAGE ALASKA. Pls watch your local news or media source, better still be there to support them in the election of our next President, Barack Obama.

This is the passion, the Alaskan people feel with regards to their hope and change 'we can believe in'. Not the lies, distortions, corruption and inexperience both Sarah Palin and John Sydney McCain III they haven't to run a country of 300 million people. Their records are of corruption and greed and influence peddling to the top companies that have just been bailed out.

Sarah Palin thinks her agenda could put her in a position of power, this is extreme and reckless. Her 'soulmate' is no better....­with a trigger happy volitility that has been in question all his life. He is a dangerous man.

Palin's firing of Walt Monegan was a necessary delight for Sarah Palin, after John McCain was moonlighting for a pastor to support, he found Rev. Franklin Graham. They had an opportunity to pray together for "God's Will to be done in the upcoming election"; along with that McCain advised that Chuck Kopp was a rising star in 'Alaska's Conservative Movement' who is on the Bd of Directors at Alaska's / Palin's church...(­what a coincidence). This was on June 30th, month's befoe Palin's introduction.

Palin's connection to what is called 'elite fundamentalism' is of the interest now that she is an election and a heart beat away from Presidency.

[Mikeylikesit2]

Hey check out the locals from Alaska,

View slideshow from Anti-Palin rally this Sunday in Anchorage, AK

go to:

http://bigshow.bigfolio.com/?s=000011662&t=0e6a8ae03101be65098418ccb735e4a1

[escrow7]

What's the difference between President Bush and a "Hockey Mom"?
Lipstick!!!

What's the difference between President Bush and a pit bull?
Lipstick!!!

What's the difference between a Hockey mom and a dog that won't hunt?
(you finish it)

[Maloysius]

The reason Sarah Palin was picked was because of her high favorability ratings with big oil.

[Nina64]

Thinking of her as a possible President is frightening. Choosing her is just one more time of McCain trying anything to win knowing this is his last chance. He appears desperate and definitely not clear thinking. I can't imagine him dealing with anything that would take clear thinking and keep us out of any more disasters. She just doesn't even have the experience it would take.

[grf67]

The good news here is that even Alaskans now know palin. She will be a one term governor and out of the picture. She star has fallen on her own lies and poor decisions.

[ToxicDecal]

The actual email was actually also posted in its entirelty on the site MonsterFresh.com

[lis60]

I wish there was a way for them to REALLY SERIOUSLY stand up to her and the McCain campaign up there. She and her husband get out of cooperating with troopergate, the McCain campaign came in there as bullies and they have taken over her office. What country do we live in?? I feel very sorry for many of the Alaskans who are really upset about this and feel betrayed by her. They have been living this quiet life and now boom! I hope they seriously can get organized and get more lawmakers involved to really take action against her. The McCain people should not be taking over her office. That is nuts.....

[Roschelle]

Sarah Palin was chosen out of desperation. It wasn't about McCain putting country first. She clearly is not qualified to be Vice President of the U.S. and honestly..­.I'm not sure how she won the gubernatorial election in Alaska. For more on the real reason she fired Monegan and her complete ignorance of American history..v­isit the following links! I'm doing my rounds of cyber-snooping and I'm literally amazed at what's out there about this woman.

http://roschellenelson.blogspot.com/2008/09/sarah-palin-and-founding-fathers.html

http://roschellenelson.blogspot.com/2008/09/palins-troopergatethe-real-reason.html

[YY2H8]

Look at those beautiful women! (Some wonderful men and children, too)

Palin pretends she represents all the "real" people. Thos women look REAL to me. And they look intelligent and caring--not characteristics Palin even pretends to espouse.

[demfriend]

I guess no one noticed in the writing about this story that the McCain campaign has taken over as the governor of Alaska now. They asnwer the phones and any questions asked about Palin and her current job are referred to the Mac camp. Now not only is Palin being scripted and allowed out only with GOP/McCain operatives even the citizens who elected her no longer have any way to interact with her. I seriously doubt anyone in Alaska voted for her to abandon their state when she might see something better come along. But while al this goes on the Palin parade and her Stepford repeater speech continues. Anyone who has had a teenage daughter who might have made poor choices knows the daughter would rather eat poop than show the whole world her err in judgment. So the parade with the prenant teen front and center will have to be dealt with by the teen at some later time. Mom isn't concerned. Any parent of a special needs child knows the need and importance of getting help and doing all you can to help the development from birth. Trig is also a star of the Palin parade.

[SDSL]

Bless all of the Palin Protesters. If Alaskans can stand up to her, the rest of us can, too!

[lmgives]

I participated in this rally and posted some video from it on youtube, you can see it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzZUHxmqnRo. Just because many in Alaska like her does not mean we want her to be the VP--far from it.
Oh, this troopergate thing is insanity! This began long before she was the 'chosen one' and the McCain people saying that it is 'partisan politics' is quite pathetic. First she said he was not fired now her people are saying that he was---HELLO MRS. FLIP FLOP!!

[marc1antony]

thanks for providing that link, and thank you to all who were there.

[bmvazquez]

Hey, any North Carolinians reading this? Obama is getting close there. Maybe you good people can set up some signs in your state that say, "Palin, dangerous Northern extremist.­"