Washington – Support for U.S. troops fighting abroad mixed with anger toward anti-war demonstrators at home as hundreds of people rallied Sunday on the National Mall, a day after tens of thousands protested the war in Iraq.
“No matter what your ideals are, our sons and daughters are fighting for our freedom,” said Marilyn Faatz, who drove from New Jersey to attend the rally. “We are making a mockery out of this. And we need to stand united, but we are not.”
About 400 people gathered on an eastern part of the mall. Saturday’s anti-war rally near the Washington Monument drew about 100,000.
Amid banners and signs proclaiming support for U.S. troops, several speakers hailed the effort to bring democracy to Iraq and Afghanistan and denounced those who protest it.
Many demonstrators focused their ire at Cindy Sheehan, the California woman whose protest near President Bush’s Texas ranch during the summer galvanized the anti-war movement.
“The group who spoke here the other day did not represent the American ideals of freedom, liberty and spreading that around the world,” Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., told the crowd. “I frankly don’t know what they represent, other than blaming America first.”
Organizers of Sunday’s demonstration had hoped that as many as 20,000 people would turn out.
