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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Tea Party and Occupy activists rub shoulders at Bilderberg protest | Tea Party and Occupy activists rub shoulders at Bilderberg protest |
| (30 days later) | |
| A protest targeting a secretive meeting of powerful international leaders entered a third day Saturday, with numbers swelling well into the hundreds. | A protest targeting a secretive meeting of powerful international leaders entered a third day Saturday, with numbers swelling well into the hundreds. |
| Clear skies and pleasant temperatures made for a picnic-like atmosphere as a mix of Ron Paul supporters, members of the 9/11 truth movement and a smattering of Occupy protesters gathered outside the Westfield Marriott hotel in Chantilly, Virginia where members of the Bilderberg group are meeting. | Clear skies and pleasant temperatures made for a picnic-like atmosphere as a mix of Ron Paul supporters, members of the 9/11 truth movement and a smattering of Occupy protesters gathered outside the Westfield Marriott hotel in Chantilly, Virginia where members of the Bilderberg group are meeting. |
| The demonstration has been growing in numbers since early in the week, with Saturday being the most well-attended day of action by far. | The demonstration has been growing in numbers since early in the week, with Saturday being the most well-attended day of action by far. |
| Scores of protesters gathered at the entrance of the hotel, launching into a chorus of jeers each time a vehicle suspected of carrying Bilderberg attendees entered or exited the property. | Scores of protesters gathered at the entrance of the hotel, launching into a chorus of jeers each time a vehicle suspected of carrying Bilderberg attendees entered or exited the property. |
| "Get out of our country," yelled one. "Traitor," screamed another. | "Get out of our country," yelled one. "Traitor," screamed another. |
| Breaking from the dishing out of verbal abuse, demonstrators took it upon themselves to light-heartedly tease the dozens of police officers ordered to keep them off the site of the meeting. | Breaking from the dishing out of verbal abuse, demonstrators took it upon themselves to light-heartedly tease the dozens of police officers ordered to keep them off the site of the meeting. |
| One young man with a megaphone initiated a "who's got the flattest flat-top among our law enforcement" contest. When the crowd decided upon its champion even a few officers were seen chuckling at their co-worker's expense. | One young man with a megaphone initiated a "who's got the flattest flat-top among our law enforcement" contest. When the crowd decided upon its champion even a few officers were seen chuckling at their co-worker's expense. |
| Down the road another group of protesters gathered outside the chain-link fence surrounding the Marriott's perimeter. | Down the road another group of protesters gathered outside the chain-link fence surrounding the Marriott's perimeter. |
| With the hotel in sight just a few hundred yards away, demonstrators broke into a chant of "murderous scum", "treason" and "we are aware." | With the hotel in sight just a few hundred yards away, demonstrators broke into a chant of "murderous scum", "treason" and "we are aware." |
| As the noise and chants continued to escalate, the fence bowing with the weight of the protesters pressed against it, roughly a dozen police made their way through the trees to stand between the crowd and the building. | As the noise and chants continued to escalate, the fence bowing with the weight of the protesters pressed against it, roughly a dozen police made their way through the trees to stand between the crowd and the building. |
| One young man yelled to the police: "We are not the criminals, the people in the building are the criminals." | One young man yelled to the police: "We are not the criminals, the people in the building are the criminals." |
| Protesters view the annual off-the-record Bilderberg meeting - which draws dozens of influential figures in finance, national security and politics – with suspicion. Some go as far as to suggest that those invited plan the establishment of an oppressive "new world order". | Protesters view the annual off-the-record Bilderberg meeting - which draws dozens of influential figures in finance, national security and politics – with suspicion. Some go as far as to suggest that those invited plan the establishment of an oppressive "new world order". |
| "Honk if you hate the new world order," protester Steve Miroy yelled by megaphone to a passing car. | "Honk if you hate the new world order," protester Steve Miroy yelled by megaphone to a passing car. |
| Miroy, who described himself as "British by birth and a rebel by the grace of God", was the only protester who was visibly armed, proudly sporting a Colt 357 Magnum in a leather holster on his waist. | Miroy, who described himself as "British by birth and a rebel by the grace of God", was the only protester who was visibly armed, proudly sporting a Colt 357 Magnum in a leather holster on his waist. |
| A Virginia resident since 1973, Miroy said: "If Virginia seceded tonight I'd be back here tomorrow with a gray uniform on." | A Virginia resident since 1973, Miroy said: "If Virginia seceded tonight I'd be back here tomorrow with a gray uniform on." |
| He added: "These people rule the world. It's Satan's kingdom, they're the human form. They're really bad people." | He added: "These people rule the world. It's Satan's kingdom, they're the human form. They're really bad people." |
| Miroy attended the demonstration in garb adorned with the Gadsden flag, an emblem adopted by many within the Tea Party movement. | Miroy attended the demonstration in garb adorned with the Gadsden flag, an emblem adopted by many within the Tea Party movement. |
| But the protest marked the gathering of a diverse cross-section of contemporary US activist movements. | But the protest marked the gathering of a diverse cross-section of contemporary US activist movements. |
| Chris McCarron stood outside the fence surrounding the Marriott with a 99% flag, an overt nod to the Occupy movement. | Chris McCarron stood outside the fence surrounding the Marriott with a 99% flag, an overt nod to the Occupy movement. |
| For McCarron, who participated in Occupy protests in Colorado, the motivation for attending the rally was simple: "A shadowy group of rich people gathering together, making their plans for the world; I'm not going to sit on my ass and let them do it. They're gonna hear my voice." | For McCarron, who participated in Occupy protests in Colorado, the motivation for attending the rally was simple: "A shadowy group of rich people gathering together, making their plans for the world; I'm not going to sit on my ass and let them do it. They're gonna hear my voice." |
| McCarton hoped the movements could find common ground and come together. | McCarton hoped the movements could find common ground and come together. |
| "It was funny, earlier today me and a Tea Party guy, we threw our arms over each other like 'Hey, here we are, we're working together on this." | "It was funny, earlier today me and a Tea Party guy, we threw our arms over each other like 'Hey, here we are, we're working together on this." |
| "We're all kind of protesting the same thing, just different segments of it," he said. "Whenever we can we should get together." | "We're all kind of protesting the same thing, just different segments of it," he said. "Whenever we can we should get together." |
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