1500 Alaskans, mostly women, protest Palin & McCain in Anchorage

Photos by Bob Hallinen

A crowd of anti-Sarah Palin protesters gathered in Midtown Anchorage soon after the Republican nominee for vice president left Alaska to resume campaigning in the Lower 48.

The Saturday protest in front of the Loussac Library appeared bigger than any Anchorage has seen in recent memory. The crowd looked to be in the high hundreds at least, and organizers said they counted 1,500. It included roughly 100 counter protesters supporting Palin.

Planning for the protest began as discussions over coffee by a small group calling itself “Alaska Women Reject Palin.” As recently as Friday, the group thought it possible that just 10 people would show up to the event. But it went viral on the Internet, with friends forwarding e-mails to friends, and people saying they saw a chance to vent their frustration over what several called the myth of Palin.

Many in the pro-Palin group said they heard about the event on the Eddie Burke radio show on KYBR AM in Anchorage.

Palin opponents said the Burke show also inspired many of them to show up after Burke gave out cell phone numbers of protest organizers on his show.

“We were bombarded with all kinds of hateful, abusive, intimidating phone calls,” said Charla Sterne, one of the organizers.

Burke was at the Saturday protest, carrying a sign that said “Alaska is not Frisco.” He said the women sent out the phone numbers in a press release about the protest, and he didn’t realize they were personal cell numbers.

Burke said he’s apologized for calling the Alaska Women Reject Palin group “maggots.”

“I used the words socialist, baby killing maggots,” said Burke, adding he’s only taking back the part about maggots.

You can view many photos from the event here.

MORE: Here’s a Daily Kos diary about the protest. Here are some more photos.

This video of interviews with the protesters is great. What’s interesting is how many of them are lifelong or longterm residents of Alaska…

Posted by Kevin K. on 09/14/08 at 03:02 PM • Permalink

Categories: Images • News • Politics • Election '08 • St. McSame • Nutters • Sarah Palin • YouTubidity •

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Beautiful - those with whom the Gov. has the most in common believe she’s a Fail. Put ‘em on a Swift Boat style ad to testify to the mess she made.

I think her brand is in eclipse, Kevin. For that two weeks, she worried me, but it’s over. Her speeches are monotonous in tone and detail. Her lies are catching up to her. Her image as a rebel is really tanking. She’s not Reagan - she’s Ferraro.

Now, Obama is getting quick in his responses and seems to actually be on the attack. So when do we get the tv ads with the magic two words, the phrase that will send McPain and Failin’ to their well-deserved fate - spokesfolks for some PAC gravy-train?

“Rape kits”.

The commercials better be coming. The story will absolutely kill the GOPs chances.

Comment by mediajunk on 09/14/08 at 04:41 PM

For some reason that completely eludes me, the Obama campaign seems to be scared shitless of the rape kit issue—I can’t imagine why. They seem, unfortunately, to lack the killer instinct, and while that’s a nice and sweet trait, it doesn’t win elections. Pity they chose to kneecap the 527s who could have done the dirty work for them, since they’re so fastidious.

Comment by Helena Montana on 09/14/08 at 05:47 PM

Pity they chose to kneecap the 527s who could have done the dirty work for them, since they’re so fastidious.

I read somewhere (can’t remember where, but it was a media source) that they have quietly given 527s the okay to go to town.

And mediajunk, I agree that she reached her highwater mark at the convention and it’s all downhill for her now. I’m just not sure how quickly she’s going to bottom out.

Comment by Kevin K. on 09/14/08 at 06:04 PM

I read somewhere (can’t remember where, but it was a media source) that they have quietly given 527s the okay to go to town.

I saw that too and Planned Parenthood has already put out an ad blasting McCain for the kindergarten sex ed crap ad he did. Also the ad blasting her for supporting aerial (sp?) hunting was done by a 527. I e-mailed Planned Parenthood and said it would be great if they went after the rape kit thing too.

Comment by marindenver on 09/14/08 at 06:46 PM

I think she can lose a lot of steam on this one, K.

The “rape kits” revelations really hit the Net on Thursday - that day even the fucktards at NRO saw fit to wring their hands. I’d expect the next big bubble will come when ads go public. Then cable news runs with it, claiming to be covering only the controversy surrounding the ads.

I suspect a 527s gonna step up and am heartened to hear that the campaign has given the quiet go-ahead - the story is too awful, too dramatic. It just dovetails perfectly with two of her perceived strengths - her image (cost-cutter!) and politics (pro-life even in cases of rape!) So the story doesn’t so much undermine those perceptions as it does fill in the dirty details and connect the horrid dots.

Ta-dah - ugly AND credible…

BTW - The GOP ticket will take another big hit this week with gas prices. Lehman is the big story at the moment but not for the folks who are in play for November (the marginal middle class of the upper midwest and rocky mountain west) who are about to see another jump at the pump.