GI SPECIAL 3C60:

You Think Kartrina Was Bad News For George?

It Don't Mean Shit Compared To This:

Fayetteville:

"A Soldier In A Beat-Up Olds Cutlass Gave Them A Peace Sign"

[Thanks to Max Watts, who caught this, and understands perfectly what it means. He should. He was key in helping numberless soldiers escaping from the army during the war in Vietnam, and was one of the civilians who always gave aid and comfort to GI resisters, whether deserting that evil war, or organizing rebellion against it from within.]

21 September 2005 By Petula Dvorak, The Washington Post

"This is my community. I don't want to offend people here. But my husband is a soldier; he can't say anything. So it's my duty as a citizen to speak up," Kara Hollingsworth, a DC native and Army wife at Fort Bragg whose husband served two tours in Iraq, said as she took a seat on a panel of antiwar activists last week.

Because of Sheehan, "military families across the country are stepping forward to speak out" in support of US policy, said Iowa state Sen. Charles W. Larson Jr., who recently served a year in Iraq with the Army. "You don't normally see people like this do that. They are angry and frustrated, and that is why they have become engaged in the debate."

Sheehan also galvanized Phil and Linda Waste, who were riding one of the "Bring Them Home Now" buses through the hills of North Carolina last week. Their three sons, grandson and granddaughter are all in the military and have served a total of 58 months in Iraq, and the Wastes have white-knuckled their way through each of those tours of duty.

They sat in their Hinesville, GA, living room for months, cursing at the television reports from Iraq.

"Then we saw Cindy in Texas," said Linda Waste, holding tight to the table's edge on the bumping bus. Her husband picked up her thought: "And then we heard people call her unpatriotic. And that was it."

"It's something I've got to do. Otherwise, I can't live with the guilt of what I did to my sons," Phil Waste said. He served in the Navy and has the blurry, sagging tattoos to prove it. He never fought in a war and used the mechanical skills he learned in the military to earn a decent living repairing elevators. "I told them the military was a good place to start out, a good place to learn a skill." He shakes his head and begins to cry.

"You wouldn't believe how many people in the military are relieved to hear us speak. It's like they have permission to be angry now," said Julie Cuniglio of Dallas, who comes from a large military family. She joined the bus tour in Crawford, mourning the death of her nephew, Staff Sgt. Aaron Dean White, who was killed in May 2003 in Iraq.

The antiwar tours have hit 51 cities in 28 states, covering the South, Midwest and North. Sheehan has met up with each tour at various times, flying from one city to the next, making quick speaking appearances and signing a few autographs.

Last week, the riders on the southern tour had been wearing the same clothes for days and were begging their chain-smoking, ex-Navy driver, who goes only by "Chito," to stop for a bite to eat. In some cities, like-minded families served them fried chicken and potato salad dinners and sometimes put them up for the night. Other nights, they slept on the bus or occasionally splurged for a cheap hotel.

Carolyn Culbreth, whose father is a retired Special Forces soldier, came to downtown Fayetteville on her lunch hour to meet the antiwar bus. "What they're doing is unpatriotic," Culbreth said, spangled head to toe in red, white and blue. "And in a place like this, it's just like a slap in the face."

When Chito parked the Bring Them Home Now bus in the center of Fayetteville the next day, cars whizzing by it honked and drivers barked at the slogans all over the windows and sides.

A woman in a silver Mercedes leaned out and shouted, "Go home!" A man in a red muscle car gave members of the group an obscene gesture. A soldier in a beat-up Olds Cutlass gave them a peace sign.

IRAQ WAR REPORTS

Ohio Tanker Killed

Army Spc. David H. Ford IV, 20, of Ironton, Ohio, is shown in this photo, date and location unknown. Ford, with the 4^th Battalion, 64^th Armor Regiment, 4^th Brigade Combat Team, 3^rd Infantry Division, in Fort Stewart, Ga., was killed Friday when an explosive detonated near his tank in Baghdad. (AP Photo)

S.J. Soldier Killed

September 21, 2005 By GEORGE CLARK, Courier-Post Staff

Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Egan, 36, a 1987 graduate of Pennsauken High School, was one of four soldiers reported killed when their vehicle was blown up by a roadside bomb in Iraq, family members said.

Egan, who had a wife and 3-year-old daughter in New Castle, Del., was serving in an Army National Guard unit based in Philadelphia and had been deployed to Iraq for less than three months, his family said.

News of Egan's death came to Pennsauken shortly after 6 a.m. Tuesday, Krista Egan said. His mother, Irene, who lives on Walnut Avenue, was on the telephone when an Army sergeant walked up to the door.

"My mother-in-law was talking on the telephone to Mike's wife, Maria, when he came," Krista Egan said. "Maria had just got the news. The Army sergeant told my mother-in-law it was his first time notifying a family."

Krista Egan, who is married to Egan's brother Patrick, 28, said her brother-in-law served in the Marine Corps for nine years, was a civilian for a year, then joined the National Guard.

As a Marine, Egan had been deployed previously to the Persian Gulf and served in Afghanistan, said John Green of Collingswood, Krista Egan's father.

"He was well-liked by everyone," Patrick Egan said. "He was a very gentle person," said Anne Frentzen, an aunt from Beach Haven.

Egan worked for Alliance Electric, near Philadelphia International Airport, John Green said.

Egan and his wife and daughter lived in Pennsauken and Philadelphia until moving to New Castle, Del., less than a year ago, he said.

Egan is survived by his wife, Maria; a daughter, Samantha; his mother, Irene; and two brothers, Tony and Patrick.

9 Stryker Soldiers Wounded

September 20, 2005 By TATABOLINE BRANT, Anchorage Daily News

Nine Stryker brigade soldiers from Fort Richardson and Fort Wainwright were injured in two separate attacks in Iraq in recent days, Army officials said Tuesday.

The casualties bring to 13 the number of troops from the 172 Stryker Brigade Combat Team that have been wounded since the 3,800-person unit arrived in Iraq earlier this month.

The brigade, which has been conducting "high-intensity operations" in Northern Iraq over the past two weeks, has not had any fatalities.

Four of the soldiers in these most recent attacks suffered serious injuries but were listed in stable condition, officials said.

One of the attacks, involving six soldiers from Fort Rich's 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, occurred Saturday. Army officials said insurgents attacked the troops while they were on foot patrol in Mosul.

Two of the soldiers  one in serious condition and another not seriously injured  were flown to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany for treatment. The four others were treated and returned to duty.

Three other soldiers, from Fort Wainwright's 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, were shot at in a drive-by shooting in Mosul on Monday. All were seriously injured, officials said. Two were flown to Germany for treatment.

IOWAN TRUCK DRIVER KILLED

September 21, 2005 By LISA LIVERMORE, REGISTER AMES BUREAU

Keven Dagit, 42, of Jefferson has died in Iraq, where he was working as a contractor for Halliburton, his family confirmed today.

Lloyd Dagit, also of Jefferson, said his son drove semi-trailer trucks for the company and had worked in Iraq for a year.

Representatives from Halliburton came to the Dagit house at midnight last night to report the death of Keven Dagit, according to his father. Dagit said he was unsure whether his son died on Monday or Tuesday of this week.

He said his son was driving in a convoy of semis when they were hit by enemy fire. Three other men lost their lives and others were injured, Dagit said.

Keven Dagit is survived by two daughters who live in Jewell with Dagit's ex-wife.

Baghdad IED Hits U.S. Patrol;

Casualties Not Announced

9.21.05 Reuters

BAGHDAD - Police said a U.S. patrol was struck by a roadside bomb in the A'amil district, southern Baghdad.

Army Helicopter Down In Northwest Iraq

09/21/05 MNF Release A050921a

BAGHDAD, Iraq-- An AH-64 Apache helicopter conducted a precautionary landing due to mechanical failure approximately 50 kilometers south of Mosul.

RAN OUT OF FLOWERS:

SORRY ABOUT THAT

Iraqi protesters throw stones at British soldiers during clashes in Basra 9.19.05 (AFP/Essam Al-Sudani)

"A Complex Attack On A Combat Logistic Patrol"

09.21.2005 (AFX)

A US military statement said four civilian contractors were killed and two others, in addition to two soldiers, were wounded in 'a complex attack on a Combat Logistic Patrol' in Dhuluiyah yesterday.

One Iraqi police officer was detained during the incident for drawing his weapon on a US soldier, the statement added.

Up to 12 trucks marked Al-Khudairi, a Kuwaiti company, and escorted by three US army Humvees, were believed to have become lost in the area after taking a wrong turn.

By the time they turned back, rebels had prepared ambushes along a stretch of four km, resident Montazer al-Jabouri told AFP.

U.S. Raid Kills Kids;

Reporter Not Buying What Command Is Selling

Sep 21, 2005 (Reuters)

The U.S. military said in a statement on Wednesday that in a raid on a suspected insurgent safe house in Mosul on Tuesday, U.S. troops killed a child and wounded another while killing seven suspected insurgents.

After the raid, insurgents fled for a second safe house, the statement said, and then withdrew to a third as U.S. forces continued their pursuit.

"Unbeknownst to Coalition forces, one of the terrorists picked up a small child as he was fleeing the second safe house. During the firefight, the hostage-holding terrorist was shot. The same bullet that killed him also killed the child as it exited the terrorist's body," the statement said. [Maybe. Or maybe they killed some dad who picked up his kid and was trying to get the fuck away from all the madness. But command can't admit such things ever happen, so you get a story about a "hostage-holding terrorist." And who was the forensic pathologist that just happened to be along on this patrol to give his or her expert testimony about what bullet existed where in what order?? Laying it on way too thick to be anything but bullshit.]

"One child was killed and another injured when terrorists used them as human shields during Coalition forces raids of three terrorist safe houses September 20," the statement said.

It was not possible to verify the U.S. assertion that insurgents used the children as human shields. [Looks like the reporter isn't buying the bullshit either.]

Buhruz Quiet Without American Patrols:

Insurgents Refrain From Attacking Iraqi Forces So Long As U. S. Troops Keep Out

20-Sep-05 By Nasir Kadhim in Buhruz, IRAQI CRISIS REPORT No. 142

The shops, cafes and vegetable markets are crowded today. Children play in the streets and swim in the Khresan river, which runs through the town. People no longer stay indoors, as they did when violence and fighting were commonplace.

Well known as an insurgent stronghold and the site of attacks and bombings, this town 25 kilometres northeast of Baquba has enjoyed several months of calm. Police, residents and insurgents here all say the reason for this is clear: Iraqi security forces are patrolling the streets, not the Americans.

"Because there are no Americans, nothing will happen. But if they come in, the mujahedin will flow out to confront them and run them out of town," said Fahad al-Kabi, an elderly man sitting outside a cafi. "It's better that the people of the town and the Iraqi forces are in control."

Buhruz is a poor farming town. Most of the streets are unpaved and there are no supermarkets or internet cafes.

Policeman Kahlaf Zaidan said he is proud of his role manning a checkpoint at an entrance to Buhruz, where he keeps an eye out for suspect cars. "We work for the interest of the people of the town," he said.

But Zaidan said he still fears attacks, which are common in nearby Baquba, the site of heavy insurgent activity.

His concerns are echoed by the assistant police chief Colonel Muhsin al-Ubaidi who said that despite the current stability, his officers remain vigilant.

And there is reason to worry. On September 3, armed insurgents attacked a checkpoint on the outskirts of the town, manned by Iraqi army and police forces. In the gun-battle, nine soldiers and two police officers were killed.

For the moment, the situation here is relatively calm, with Iraqi troops and policemen patrolling the streets.

"Security in Buhruz is fine," said al-Ubaidi. "The people of Buhruz are nice and cooperative. They belong to well-known Iraqi tribes and we are optimistic about them helping us."

Falah Rashid, a farmer, said the townspeople support the security forces, so long as the Americans aren't involved.

"It's fine for Iraqi forces to restore stability in our town. They are our children and relatives and we help them by offering them what they need," said Rashid.

"We like peace, but we don't want the occupier to come, arresting our women and children. We are a conservative people. We have our tribal traditions and we don't like the Americans."

"We, the mujahadin of Buhruz, don't confront the Iraqi forces in town, but if they aid the Americans, the penalty will be high," said a masked insurgent, who introduced himself as Abu Sufyan.

Sufyan, who was a member of Saddam Hussein's security forces, said he has participated in several operations in Buhruz and Baquba. "Some of our comrades have been killed, but we killed double the number of Americans, Iraqi National Guard and police," he said.

"We should fight the Americans so that they cannot rest in our country, otherwise they will desecrate us. We will keep fighting until we oust them."

REALLY BAD PLACE TO BE:

BRING THEM ALL HOME NOW.

A soldier from the Alfa Company 2/7 infantries patrols in Tikrit, 170 north of Baghdad. (AFP/Tauseef Mustafa)

TROOP NEWS

Bush Buddies Want To Fund Katrina Aid By Closing Base Schools & Cutting Troops Medical Benefits

September 21, 2005 By Rick Maze, Army Times staff writer

A group of House Republicans have proposed a plan to offset the costs of relief and rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina that includes trimming military quality-of-life programs, including health care.

Possible sources of funding cuts to free up money for Katrina relief include reduced health benefits, consolidation of the three military exchange systems and the closure of the military's stateside school system.

They call their effort "Operation Offset," and hope to get spending cuts considered before Congress approves any more money devoted to Katrina relief and recovery operations. [How boring. Why not "Operation Billionaire Freedom"? The medal can show a guy in a three-piece business suit stabbing a soldier in the back with one hand and stuffing campaign contributions in his pocket with the other.]

Their offset list includes three provisions aimed at military quality-of-life programs:

Service members would be offered cash if they are willing to accept reduced health care benefits for their families. . Reduced health care benefits could save $2.4 billion over 10 years. [Meaning you get chump change for losing health care benefits.]

The stateside system of elementary and secondary schools for military family members could be closed, saving $788 million over 10 years, the study says.

"This provision would phase out these domestic schools over time and shift these military children into the local public school systems," the study group says. [A: Over time" means anything over 30 days to these assholes. And B: they have no problem whatever spending $5 billion a month on their dishonorable Imperial war in Iraq.]

800 More For Bush's Imperial Slaughterhouse

September 21, 2005 U.S. Department of Defense News Release No. 953-05

This week, the Army announced an increase in the number of reservists on active duty in support of the partial mobilization.

The net collective result is 801 more reservists mobilized than last week.

Rumsfeld Orders Cover-Up Of 9/11 Intelligence Findings:

Officer Barred From Telling Senate

September 21, 2005 By Kimberly Hefling, Associated Press

The Department of Defense forbade a military intelligence officer to testify Wednesday about the work of a secret military unit that identified four 9/11 hijackers more than a year before the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks, according to the man's attorney.

In written testimony prepared for the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, attorney Mark Zaid, who represents Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, said the Pentagon also refused to permit testimony there by a defense contractor that he also represents.

In his prepared remarks, Zaid was ready to say on behalf of Shaffer and contractor John Smith that Able Danger, using data mining techniques, identified four of the terrorists who struck on Sept. 11, 2001  including mastermind Mohamed Atta.

"At least one chart, and possibly more, featured a photograph of Mohamed Atta," Zaid said in his prepared remarks.

Veterans For Peace Hurricane Relief Effort On The Move

On September 2, 2005 the Veterans for Peace Bus from Mendocino County, CA took a detour to help the victims of hurricane Katrina. We arrived in Covington, LA with food and supplies that Camp Casey had sent from Crawford, Texas.

Volunteers:

We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and generosity in the wake of hurricane Katrina's devastation. Due to the influx of supplies and volunteers, we have outgrown our campsite and are currently searching for a larger location.

If you have gathered relief supplies for drop off at our facility, please do not depart until our new location is announced. For those already on the road, we will be at our current location until September 24th. Drive safely. We look forward to seeing you.

The Green Room, located at 521 East Boston Street in Covington, Louisiana will continue to have up to the minute information for those who arrive in town. We will post the new information to the Message Board as it reveals itself.

Thanks for all the good you have done for the people who need it most. We can not overstate how much you have helped to brighten people's days in this difficult time.

In Peace,

VFP, Chapter 116

Wish List:

Residents of the effected areas have requested the following items:

 Water

 Canned Goods

 Baby Supplies - Baby Food Formula, diapers #4, #5, Wipes, Pedialyte

 Hygiene Supplies

 Adult Depends

 Sterile Gloves

 Electrolytes

In addition, we are seeking:

 Food bank & delivery volunteers with trucks, vans or cars

 Self contained kitchens with generators, utensils, workers

 Office & media equipment

We DO NOT need clothes or stuffed animals at this time. Stuffed animals may accumulate black mold in damp conditions and may pose a health risk.

Donations of Supplies Can Be Sent Via

FedEx, UPS, or U.S. Postal Service to:

Veterans For Peace Chapter 116 C/O

645 Kimbro Drive

Baton Rouge, LA. 70808

Volunteer Check-In at:

The Green Room

521 Boston Street

Covington, LA 70433

CLICK FOR DRIVING DIRECTIONS

Checks Can Be Mailed to:

Redwood Credit Union

Veterans For Peace Chapter 116 account

195 S. Orchard Ave.

Ukiah, CA 95482

Cash donations are always needed and are Tax Deductible!

The Veterans for Peace is a 501c3.

We need to work together to send hurricane relief to the greater New Orleans area.

IRAQ RESISTANCE ROUNDUP

Assorted Resistance Action

21 September 2005 (AFP) & (Xinhuanet)

Two Iraqi police commandos were killed and three wounded when their patrol came under machine-gun fire in northern Baghdad.

Iraqi police discovered 19 bodies of Iraqi border guards north of Baghdad on Wednesday, police and medical sources said.

"All the 19 bodies were shot dead in the head and were blindfolded and their hands tied to their backs," a source in the morgue of Tikrit Hospital told Xinhua.

One of the guards managed to escape from his captors near Samarra, he said, adding that the fleeing guard informed the Iraqi authorities of the incident.

According to the guard, a group of armed fighters in two vehicles hijacked a bus carrying the border guards near Samarra, some 120km north of Baghdad, but he managed to run away by jumping from the window.

Troops attacked a house in the Mansur district in western Baghdad. In the five-hour firefight troops killed five insurgents and detained one, Jalil Kalaf, the area's military commander said. Two policemen and one soldier were killed and eight wounded.

Tienamin Square, Palestine, Iraq:

Unconquered. Unconquerable

An Iraqi boy uses a slingshot to throw stones at British forces in Basra Sept. 19, 2005. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)

Iraqis, Including Policemen In Uniform, Demonstrate Against British Troops In Basra:

"No, No To The Occupier"

Iraqi police and civilians demonstrate against a British raid which freed two undercover soldiers, in the southern city of Basra September 21, 2005. (Atef Hassan/Reuters)

21 September 2005 (AFP) & By THOMAS WAGNER, Associated Press Writer

BASRA, Iraq - Hundreds of Iraqis, including policemen in uniform, some waving pistols and AK-47s, protested on Wednesday against the presence of British troops in the southern city of Basra after a police station was stormed to free two British soldiers.

"We condemn the illegal acts of British troops," read a banner carried by the demonstrators, who numbered around 300, gathered outside Basra's main police headquarters.

"No, no to the occupier," they chanted, carrying banners which called for the return of the two soldiers to face Iraqi justice, while British troops who patrol the port city kept out of sight.

US-led coalition troops are not subject to Iraqi law.

The demonstrators handed in a list of demands to the police headquarters, including the resignation of the provincial police chief, accusing him of being "an agent" of the British.

"The British promised us sovereignty. So where is this sovereignty if they destroy a police station?" asked one demonstrator.

The demonstration ended peacefully after their demands were delivered for British troops to hand back the two soldiers to be tried in an Iraqi court, along with compensation for the damaged police station.

According to Iraqi MP Ali Dabagh, Shia militiamen from the outlawed Medhi Army of firebrand cleric Moqtada Sadr wanted to hold the soldiers hostage and exchange them for two of their leaders arrested Sunday by British forces.

With British newspapers reflecting public disquiet over the dangers faced by Britain's troops in Iraq, Reid has said the troops would remain as long "as they are needed and requested by the Iraqis".

The Basra governor threatened to end all cooperation with British forces unless Prime Minister Tony Blair's government apologizes for the deadly clash with Iraqi police.

On Wednesday, about 500 civilians and policemen held a protest in downtown Basra denouncing "British aggression."

Some protesters met with the Basra police chief, Gen. Hassan Sawadi, to demand a British apology, said police spokesman Col. Karim al-Zaidi. Heavily armed soldiers and police watched the protest but didn't intervene.

Al-Zaidi said the demonstration was arranged spontaneously by some policemen, not by the force or its commander.

Several hours after the protest, Basra's provincial council held an emergency meeting and voted unanimously "to stop dealing with the British forces working in Basra and not to cooperate with them because of their irresponsible aggression on a government facility."

In a statement, the council demanded Britain apologize to Basra's citizens and police and provide compensation for the families of people killed or wounded in the violence.

The council also said it would punish employees who had not tried to defend the Basra police station from the British military attack.

Five Iraqi civilians were killed in the fighting, including two who died of their injuries Wednesday in a hospital, and other people wounded, Iraqi authorities said.

"The British troops should stop these barbarian and illegal actions," al-Waili said in a telephone interview. "I am one of the 41 members of the provincial council, and I support boycotting the British troops and stopping all the cooperation with them until our demands are met."

WELCOME TO BASRA AMATEUR HOUR:

SAS KILLERS COME COMPLETE WITH WIGS AND WEAPONS

Pictures show two British "undercover" soldiers detained by Iraqi police sitting in a police station in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. They were captured after opening fire on Iraqi police who found their odd appearance, dressed in Iraqi tribal consumes, and wearing wigs, highly suspicious, and challenged them while they were hiding in an auto.

They killed one of the officers. Photo: AFP/Essam al-Sudani

British Army Kills Five More Iraqi Civilians To Rescue Two SAS Killers

21/09/2005 Telegraph Group Limited

Five Iraqi civilians died in clashes surrounding the controversial operation to free two British SAS men captured in Basra.

Iraqi police said the latest two died in hospital today after being wounded as British troops stormed a police station jail on Monday.

OCCUPATION REPORT

Mystery Solved:

How Did U.S. Come Up With Body Count Of "Insurgents" At Tal Afar?

Simple:

Every Dead Man, Woman And Child Classed As An Insurgent

21 Sep 2005 (IRIN)

Nearly 1,500 displaced Iraqi families have returned to the northern city of Talafar after Coalition forces ended an operation to rout insurgents hiding there, but the returnees said dozens of their homes had been totally destroyed.

Up to 3,800 United States forces and 5,000 Iraqi troops took part in the operation in which 153 terrorists have been killed and 187 captured, US officials said, denying there were civilian casualties. [Meaning every single dead Iraqi is an insurgent.]

However, Surkassi Ahmed, a doctor at the local hospital, said there had been civilian casualties. "We have received cases of deaths of women, children and the elderly in our hospital," he noted. [The Doctor doesn't get it. They're some of the 153 terrorists, since U.S. Command says no civilians were killed. Gee, it's really simple if you're a lying Pentagon piece of shit.]

MORE SUCCESS IN IRAQ:

RECRUITING FOR THE ARMED RESISTANCE, THAT IS

US soldiers from Charlie Company 2/7 infantry division search a house during a raid in Tikrit. (AFP/Tauseef Mustafa)

There's nothing quite like invading somebody else's country, lying about the reasons for doing it, refusing to leave it and go home, kicking in people's doors, complete with a dog, and pawing through all their most personal possessions, to make every self-respecting, patriotic citizen who lives there want to kill you, and take the necessary action to make that happen.

But then the commanding officers who make you do this shit know that, don't they? Don't they?

Insurgents 'Infiltrate Iraq Police'

September 21, 2005 Guardian Unlimited

Iraq's government has admitted insurgents have infiltrated its security forces.

Mr al-Rubaie added: "I can't give you a percentage of the extent of the penetration, but I have to admit that the Iraqi security forces are penetrated, to what extent I don't know."

DANGER: POLITICIANS AT WORK

CLASS WAR REPORTS

New From Occupied New York City:

Students On Lockdown Decide To Fight Back

Josi David, second from the left, and fellow students after school yesterday. Mr. David, a senior, organized the protest against the lunchtime confinement and the metal detectors at DeWitt Clinton High School. George M. Gutierrez for The New York Times

September 21, 2005 By FERNANDA SANTOS, The New York Times Company

The first rumors started swirling last spring, in hushed talks in the classroom, amid hallway banter, in lunchtime chats at pizza parlors along Jerome Avenue. Metal detectors were coming to DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx.

By the time the summer school term began, students were noticing the newly installed surveillance cameras along DeWitt Clinton's stairwells and the shell of a metal detector perched beyond a side door. "The school is on lockdown," one student wrote on an Internet message board, Sconex.com.

Soon, instead of their usual postings about classmates turned couples, prom king contenders and unbearably hot days of boredom at home, students were complaining about the changes that awaited them - and, eventually, organizing a protest.

Two days ago, all the planning became a reality. For the first time in recent memory, 1,500 New York City high school students skipped classes, marched for two miles and got what they wanted: a sit-down meeting with school administrators, who have agreed to meet with students again and listen to their demands.

How they got to this point is a lesson in modern-day democracy that blends teenage angst and the Internet; a show of force borne out of disagreement and frustration among the students of one of the city's most traditional and toughest high schools.

The Education Department installed the metal detectors because of DeWitt Clinton's high crime rate, one that is 60 percent higher than the citywide average for schools of the same size. But the protest was not violent, said Edward Jackson, 17, a senior and a tight end on the high school's football team.

"It was a good protest, the way protests should be," he said. "We got a chance to show that we care about what goes on in our school. We were able to express our point of view."

The DeWitt Clinton of today, which had 13 major crimes during the 2003-4 school year, counts many celebrities among its graduates. It is the alma mater of the actor Burt Lancaster, the fashion designer Ralph Lauren and the cartoonist Stan Lee. It opened its doors in 1935 as an all-boys' school and stayed that way until the mid-1980's, when it began to enroll girls.

It did not sit well with Josi David, 17, a senior. Last Thursday, he circulated a petition against the lunchtime confinement and the metal detectors.

"In 46 minutes, I got 266 signatures," he said.

On Friday, Mr. David posted a message on the Sconex.com site and invited students to join him in a protest on Monday. The plan was to gather south of the school and stand there, silently, until the end of the first period of classes. At 7 a.m., Mr. David said, he found himself standing alone on the lawn outside the high school while other students queued up around the block, waiting for the security clearance to get in.

"Nobody stood with me, not even my friends at first," Mr. David said. "A lot of people were like, 'Don't even waste your time.' I felt like an idiot."

A cameraman and reporter for a local cable news station arrived (Mr. David had sent them an e-mail message last Friday). But as the time passed and the line into the school grew, clusters of frustrated students decided to join Mr. David. By 11:30 a.m., they numbered 1,500, said Mr. David and other students outside the school yesterday.

"People got so excited that we were all coming together," said Hictor Garcia, 18, a senior. "I honestly didn't think that we would get that many people marching for one cause."

Three hours later, the protesters arrived at the Department of Education's office at Fordham Plaza, two miles away, carrying banners and demanding to be heard. Four students were eventua