A Week of Inauguration Protests Planned

1010 WINS
Dec 21, 12:54 PM EST

A Week of Inauguration Protests Planned

By EMILY FREDRIX
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Groups targeting President Bush's economic agenda, the legitimacy of his election and the war in Iraq plan a week of events to counter his inauguration Jan. 20.

"Our intention is to show President Bush and the world our movement is energized, mobilized and determined to fight back," said Gael Murphy, of the activist group Code Pink.

Inauguration week will feature rallies, marches and demonstrations with the focus on peaceful, family-friendly gatherings, said organizer Shahid Buttar. Hundreds of groups throughout the country will participate, Buttar said, including Mobilization for Global Justice and the Committee to ReDefeat the President, a PAC that sees Bush's presidency as illegitimately won.

The groups have received permits for parks around the city, Buttar said, but they are still waiting for clearance to march along the Inaugural Parade route. More details will be released once all permits have been secured, said David Lytel, founder of Redefeat Bush.

Bush, who will be in a security area known as the "Red Zone," will be surrounded by blue, the color assigned to Democratic-voting states, Lytel said.

"What I expect is more people will be here to protest Bush's inauguration than to inaugurate him," Lytel said.

Lytel said his group will film events on Inauguration Day and release a documentary online that evening. They also plan a protest near the Capitol on Jan. 6, the day Congress will certify the electoral votes and officially declare Bush the winner.