Operation First Casualty

[darrels joy]

Operation First Casualty

Anti-war protest and street theater

San Francisco, November 28, 2008

The anti-American group "Iraq Veterans Against the War" decided that the day after Thanksgiving would be a good time to stage an anti-war protest and street theater in San Francisco's Union Square -- because California's most crowded shopping district on the busiest day of the year would provide the largest audience for their antics. I place "Iraq Veterans Against the War" in quotation marks because it's quite evident to anyone who sees them in action that few of their members are actual veterans, and they only claim to be veterans to give their ridiculous tales the tone of authority.

They named their action "Operation First Casualty" after the famous quote "The first casualty of war is truth." In this case, however, the first casualty was common sense, not only because 95% of the passersby who happened to witness portions of the protest were completely mystified as to its purpose, but also because IVAW were protesting to end a war that's already over.

(This report is a group effort with some photos by zombietime, others by a contributor who sent in photos using the name "aGirlNamedSue," and others by a photographer who wishes to remain anonymous. The "aGirlNamedSue" photos are credited; the remaining photos are a mixture by the other two photographers.)


The protest started at 11am in San Francisco's Union Square. Despite weeks of intense planning and rehearsal, the IVAW "street theater" flopped even at its very onset, because almost none of the shoppers had the slightest idea what was going on; not only did they not know what was being protested, they didn't even know it was a protest at all, or rather perhaps some kind of high school prank or fraternity hazing ritual. The IVAW actors divided into two groups: about five or six cruel "soldiers" and a dozen or so "innocent civilians." After a couple minutes of chaotic shouting and running through the plaza, the cruel soldiers put black hoods on the innocent civilians and had them lay their heads on the ground, preparing to be executed by the psychotic sadistic Americans.


(Photo by aGirlNamedSue)

Photographers far outnumbered the protesters. There was a great deal of overly dramatic screaming and shouting as the soldiers ran back and forth abusing the prisoners.


(Photo by aGirlNamedSue)

The soldiers then performed mock "executions" on a couple prisoners, who yelled "What have I done wrong?" and (in their role as Iraqis) "Get out of my country!" (Iraqi women frequently wear tight white T-shirts and dirty jeans, in case you were curious. The costuming was meticulous.)


Some media members, granting validity to the whole charade, interviewed a "prisoner," as if to imply that by crossing your arms behind your back and kneeling down, suddenly you have an opinion worthy of the evening news.


One of the crazed American psycho-soldiers chose a girl-prisoner and threw her to the ground.


Much crypto-erotic wrestling ensued, in the guise of a sort of Lynndie England/Charles Graner humiliation scene.


The soldiers had to mime holding guns, because the police had informed them ahead of time that the use of toy guns or cardboard cut-out guns (as have been used at earlier Bay Area street theater actions) would result in an immediate termination of the protest.
... more
http://www.zombietime.com/operation_first_casualty/