Today is the 5-year anniversary of the war in Iraq, and San Francisco (like other cities) marked the occasion with a day-long series of protests. We woke up this am to a traffic update: a warning against trying to navigate through the financial district due to crowds, protesters and police. And I have to admit I wondered out loud (as the significance of the date didn't occur to me), what are they protesting? (hangs head.)

Arriving downtown shortly after 9, we missed the first big events of the day. I did, however, run across these three guys:

They were lip-synching "Bomb Iran" (to the tune of "Barbara Ann") and other songs, and were totally entertaining, in a jib-jab sort of way. Later on at lunch I wandered down to the "die-in" at Montgomery and Market St., where there were two-dozen people sitting in the intersection, surrounded by easily three- to four- times as many officers. And a brass band (which I *think* was trying to pull off a Rage Against the Machine cover at one point, A for effort...)

More events were planned for this evening throughout the city. J pointed out the protesting he saw was pretty mild; it did seem the police presence was the most stunning part of the day, but we definitely were only on the fringe of things. And of course I left the house this morning without my 'real' camera. You think I'd know better.