Here are a few photos I took from earlier this morning at the above referenced events, which ironically where side by side at 47th and Second Avenue here in New York City.

First up, the pro-Libya folks with a big banner proclaiming, “America Welcomes Qadhafi.”

I caught the tail-end of the festivities, but it seems like it was set up to watch Qaddafi live. A representative of the Nation of Islam, as seen above, was directing the supporters where to march next. He made a reference to the “Fruit of Islam” (the paramilitary wing of the N.O.I.) and said Fruit of Islam representatives, to paraphrase, would assist in directing participants to the next venue. Around midtown, there were people wearing these shirts, not all of them looked, shall we say, like die-hard Libya supporters. Libyan astroturf at work?

And a big “thumbs up” to you, too. As for the Nation of Islam representatives, to my casual eye it looked like they were there providing security. . .

. . .but I spoke to a NYPD lieutenant who told me that wasn’t the case and that they were just “part of the demonstration.” Right. . .at evenly spaced intervals and looking away from the speaker.

Next up, the Anti-A’Jad crowd, which I’d estimate in the hundreds. . .

And it was a definitely a family affair with lots of children in attendance. . .

. . .I ended up getting there just as former Rep. Tom Tancredo was taking the microphone:

A couple of quotes from Tancredo, paraphrased, as I was taking notes on an iPhone.

He called Ahmadinejad “the prince of darkness.” “…its time for the darkness in Iran to be invaded by the light.”

And this was his best line I thought, paraphrasing Thomas Jefferson:

The tree of liberty has been nourished by the blood of thousands. No more blood is needed. What Iran needs now is the protection of the civilized world.

Some of the signs. . .

And here’s me and my fellow New Yorkers, trapped at the corner of 50th and Third for 20 minutes, waiting for what we’re pretty sure was President Obama driving by.