Instead of going down to Point Lobos and Monterey, I asked the other 5 hikers if it'd be okay to go to the SF peace march. Consent was given and we ended up spending the day up in SF. The march was to start at 11 AM from start of Market st. We arrived early and saw the gradual buildup of the masses of people protesting against the possible war with Iraq. Thousands of people poured onto the streets. It was an experience I personally will never forget. The radio and tv reported the police as estimating 50,000 people. From what I could see, there were easily over 200,000. But more than the sheer numbers are the people themselves. Thousands of groups marched side by side, along with individuals from all over the state (Sacramento, Marin, LA, etc.) There were chanting - "What do we want? Peace! When do we want it? Now!" to singing to drumbeating to numerous customes and banners, posters, and signs.
After observing the march, we hiked to Chinatown and had lunch there. Then we walked back to where we'd part at 6th & Brannan. It was a significant hike - probably 7-8 miles in all. Four of us continued the day at Fort Funston, located near SFSU, on the coastlines. There we walked along the beach and climbed sandy ravines and watched a gorgeous sunset. I have prepared two sets of photos - the "All" and the "Select". If you have time, I would really recommend going through the "All" set to see all of the peace march activities. I've tried to identify what some of the signs said. But really take a look at the people's faces, they tell the real stories. -Paul. |
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