Vigilant Squirrel Brigade: "Stop Iran Now" Rally- NYC (pics & vids) 7-22-15

From StopIranRally.Org.

Our aims:

1. An end to the farce being perpetrated against the American people with a pending deal which will endanger America and our allies.

2. A restoration of the ORIGINAL demands – NO nuclear military capability, NO centrifuges and authority for any and all unannounced inspections of all known and any future facilities discovered.

3. Providing an understanding that a failure to STOP IRAN NOW will necessitate a military response later.

"Our mission is to educate our countrymen on the dangerous accord being negotiated in Geneva that will soon be put up for a vote in Congress."

"...as we consider Obama’s Iran deal. The Constitution makes treason a ground for impeachment, but it seems to have been outside Madison’s contemplation that a president would actually be so insidious as to use his foreign-affairs power to give aid and comfort to an enemy of the United States. On that score, note that as soon as Obama’s deal was announced, not only was Iran’s foreign minister vowing to continue funding jihadist terror; the regime’s “supreme leader,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was also extolling the continued Iranian call for “Death to America.”

Some observations from July 22, 2015. The day of "The Rally For Peace Through Strength" includes pictures and two short videos with excerpts from Times Square- NYC.

Around 5 pm, I arrived at the S/E corner of 42nd St and 7th Ave. I made a decision to carry one camera and no tripod; I could to be more mobile that way in the press 'box". But, crammed between 3 cameramen, taller than myself, added to the challenge. (I was missing my ladder and tripod)

Still, I was able to take pictures of the jam-packed crowd that surrounded us.

Across the street. On the sidewalks. Everywhere I could see, there was a crowd of people pressing to get close to the speakers stage.

Part 1 slide show:

This was no local lightly-attended rally. America took this protest very seriously In NY and other cities across the country, protests have been held in Fort Lauderdale, Phoenix, Winnipeg, Los Angeles and San Diego. Will Senator Schumer "Kill The Deal"? Can the POTUS Treachery be stopped?

America has spoken, " ... the deal with Iran is a danger to the US, to Israel, and to the entire world, and the Obama administration is engaged in an act of desperation bordering on treachery." (AFSI)

The Rally had many fine speakers lined up but, looking at the list, there was no way this was coming in at two hours and, since it was live-streamed, I focused on pictures and ... listening...

VIDEO Part 1 - is mostly the host, Jeffrey Wiesenfeld and Mort Zuckerman (with crowd shots and pleas from the stage to the massive crowd to "keep moving south on 7th Ave". Everyone was jamming up near the stage.

VIDEO - Part 2- Excerpts include Former NY Governor George Pataki and Alan Dershowitz. as the crowd shouts "Kill This Deal!"

I had to leave at 7:30,hoping Allen West would speak before then. Didn't happen. But, perhaps they were saving the best for last. No way of knowing. I had to leave.

I was going to miss the one speaker I came to hear, former Congressman, Lt. Col (ret) Allen B. West.

It was 7:30 as I headed down 7th avenue to take a look at the 6 blocks of "Stop Iran Now Rally" attendees (10-12,000 according to the police).

There were crowds of people on the side streets as well.

But, due to the original stop time for the rally, the crowds were thinning as I got closer to 38th St. (this is looking towards 39th)

Part 2- Slide show

38th St. was the location for those who came out to support a nuclear Iran. An officer told me the opposition started out at 40th street but with the swelling of the Rally they were forced to stand at 38th street.

By 7:45 there was just the Neturei Karta. I have seen no reports on these protestors, so maybe this is all there was.

The six smallish sound speakers on the stage (pictured below) projected the sound to the 12,000 easily. It was amazing!

As I left the Neturei Karta, I realized at about 7:50 - I was hearing very clearly- at 38th st - with no distortion - Allen West's fabulous speech!

(VIDEO from Jew Tube)

Wish they'd had a video screen for those so far away. (I've seen screens used at this location.)

But, on a the good side, anyone who had to stand that far from the stage heard all the speeches. Loud and clear.

This was a powerful protest. Kudos to those who put it together. Having organized such events myself, I know it takes a lot of patience and a lot of hours. So my last observation is really a suggestion for the speakers.

"... a diverse group of speakers -- experts, dignitaries, and public figures dedicated to preventing a nuclear Iran....

*SHORTER SPEECHES* Please. Too often, after the speakers made their most important points, they would 'start over' --- making a good speech too long (sigh)

24 speakers, with lots to say, even 3 hours wasn't enough. The pressure to get it all said in so little time is perhaps what we all might be experiencing.

Tough days ahead with little time to make a difference.
"So Much Evil. So Little Time."

The speakers (9) I heard in the first two hours:
John Batchelor Radio Host WABC-AM, Monica Crowley Political Commentator, board member Center for Security Policy; Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law Professor; US Congressman Trent Franks , U.S. Representative for Arizona’s 8th congressional district, Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities on the House Armed Services Committee, and a member of the Strategic Forces subcommittee; Caroline Glick , Deputy Managing Editor of The Jerusalem Post; Kevin McCullough , Radio Host from WMCA and 970 The Answer; Robert Morgenthau , Manhattan District Attorney from 1975 to 2009, and of counsel with the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, George Pataki, Former Three-Term Governor of New York, in office during 9/11 ; Mortimer Zuckerman, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of U.S. News & World Report and the publisher of the New York Daily News and former Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

The remaining speakers (15) in the last hour after I left (including Allen West, ) : Genevieve Wood, Senior Fellow in Communications and Senior Contributor, “The Daily Signal,” from The Brookings Institute; General Paul Vallely, Former US Army Major General and Chairman of Stand Up America;Richard Kemp, Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan;Tony LoBianco, “The French Connection” Actor and Activist;Herbert I. London, President London Center for Policy Research, President Emeritus of Hudson Institute and former Dean of New York University; Kasim Hafeez, Founder of “The Israel Campaign” and Christians United for Israel’s Outreach Coordinator;Pete Hoekstra, Former U.S. Congressman and Chair of the House Intelligence Committee;Clare M. Lopez, Former CIA officer, Terrorism and Iran Expert at Center for Security Policy;U.S. Navy Admiral James A. “Ace” Lyons , Former Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Senior U.S. Military Representative to the United Nations; James Woolsey, Former Director of the CIA and Chairman of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies;Steven Emerson, Founder of The Investigative Project on Terrorism;Frank Gaffney, Founder of the Center for Security Policy;Anne Bayefsky,Professor and Director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and President of Human Rights Voices;David Brog, Executive Director, Christians United for Israel.

KILL THIS DEAL!!