Being There

CODEPINK held a protest at the intersection of 6th and Market Streets - just a block from the Xcel Center. It was much closer than most rallies and marches have gotten.

A woman in an evening gown with a sash that says "Miss America" was yelling, "The whole world is watching!" into a bullhorn.

A large column of police with batons blocked the way to the center. At least three of the protesters were cuffed by police and held behind a heavy, steel fence. An organizer standing on a concrete riser spoke calmly into another bullhorn, "Please be gentle. You have no cause to hurt or push. They are your sisters."

Medea Benjamin was there and at the forefront, in a pink foam crown. She called for onlookers to talk to delegates in the Xcel Center about ending the Iraq War. Several times, she told the police her group just wants a spot on the sidewalk.

"This is a free speech nation," she said.

(From CQ reporter Rob Margetta)