Amazing night

Dear MoveOn member,

Could you hear the noise last night? We gathered at over 350 veto rallies across the country. With pots, pans, noisemakers, horns, bells, whistles, and our own chants and cheers, thousands of MoveOn members and allies sent a powerful message: Congress must stand firm against Bush's veto. As Congress decides how to respond, we're going to keep the pressure on. It's time to end the war and start bringing the troops home.

The rallies successfully shaped the media message. CNN gave the rallies prominent national coverage--and hundreds of regional stations and papers cited the rallies as evidence of the growing consensus against the war. Here's a typical example, as reported by a MoveOn member who watched the news after his event:

On NY1 News and WNBC local, we were part of the lead story about the Congressional/ presidential summit on the veto. As such, the story was not about compromise, but about how many insist that we get out, the support for the bill, and the impatience people have with getting us out of Iraq.--John B., Bronx, NY
Participants reported overwhelming support from passing pedestrians and cars:

There are so many people who feel just the way I do! Who knew there were so many right in my city? These are not activists. These are regular people. The sense of solidarity and joy was palpable. Fabulous.--Giovanna P., Miami, FL
I stood there and banged on a pot lid with a butter knife and shouted and yelled to end this war. (It was a really loud pot lid. My ears are still ringing!) We yelled and chanted and made a ton of noise every time somebody waved or beeped. And here's the amazing thing. The cars driving by honked, they made peace signs out the windows, they waved, they yelled. I stopped counting after 100 cars had let us know that they are with us.--Cindy B., Frederick, MD

The positive response of passersby made the event worth attending. The statistic that 70% of the American public no longer supports this
administration's handling of the Iraq War seemed to prove true in the amount of support that we received.--Andrew S., Tulsa, OK
We sent a crystal-clear message to Congress and President Bush: the American people refuse to be vetoed. Veterans, elected officials, faith leaders, military families, students, and retirees all came out in force, demanding an end to this war. At our rallies--some with just a few people, others with several hundred; some with speakers, some just with noise--we made an impact that matched the importance of the moment.

Check out photos of the event that have already been submitted by clicking here:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2548&id=10280-6782044-3OfxUY&t=2

Yesterday was a testament to our ability to mobilize quickly. Going forward, we'll be out in the streets, on the phones, on the web, and at the doors as often as we need to until the troops are home safely.

Thank you for coming out yesterday, and for all you do,

--Nita, Justin, Matt, Anna, Karin, and the MoveOn.org Political Action
Team
Thursday, May 2nd, 2007

P.S.--Be sure to send your rally photos to: vetorallyphoto@moveon.org

And if you haven't already filled out our event survey, please let us know how it went! Click here to share your experience:

http://pol.moveon.org/vetorally/survey.html?id=10280-6782044-3OfxUY&t=3

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Alfons at the Moveon.org Emergency Rally to End the War Today Wednesday 05022007, in Toledo http://www.v911t.org/M/MoveOnRally05022007.mp3