Bush supporters react to protesters in Washington

WASHINGTON D.C. -- The cold rain that fell on the nation's capital Saturday could soak through your gloves and make your hands numb in less than 10 minutes. It was enough to make protesters think twice before leaving their hotel rooms.\nThe protesters gathered in front of the Supreme Court, shouting, "What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now." They carried signs; some were serious --"Hail to the Thief" -- some not so serious -- "Four years of hee-haw." \nPolice, equipped with helmets and nightsticks, lined the streets and the steps of the Supreme Court. \nThrough the chants could be heard the muffled sound of police dogs, locked in their cars, barking. One woman, stumbling upon the scene, said, "I have never seen so much ignorance in all my life." \nPenn State sophomore and Bush supporter Warren Matthews welcomed the bad weather.\n"I'm glad it's raining. It weeds out the phonies. Only the people that really cared showed up to protest; they left the people who run their mouth because it's vogue, at home," he said. "It's too late to bring about change. They won't stop the proceedings because of the protests. They're just here to mar something dignified."\nNot all Bush supporters felt so strongly about the protesters.\n"Without it it wouldn't be a democracy. What's the point of free speech if you can't exercise it?" asked Jen Janik, a senior at the University of Connecticut.\nWhile the military bands and the color guards marched down Pennsylvania Avenue, the protesters and Bush supporters mingled and tensions ran high. As the protesters chanted "Shame on you" to the legions of Bush fans, angered bystanders walked by shouting things such as, "Go meditate and get over it!" or "Go get a job!".\n When the media trucks drove through, the protesters lifted their signs as high as they could. The presidential motorcade followed. As President George W. Bush drove past, people cheered and shouted, a mixture of support and disgust. \n One protester hurled a potato and another set fire to a Confederate flag. Those responsible for the incidents were taken into police custody. \nThough the inaugural proceedings went by without a major disruption, many Bush supporters were angry that they even showed up. \n"It's time to accept reality; these people should go do something productive," said Philip Waina, an Old Dominion senior.