WASHINGTON “”mdash; Cab drivers chain-smoking Marlboros called out in thick, deep accents toward sprinting spectators to give free rides to the White House.
A college student scurried up a lightpole and hung a U.S. flag that was instantly greeted by a wild delirium from the masses below.
Car horns erupted. Spontaneous renditions of the Star Spangled Banner broke out. And Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” rang out from a boombox, becoming the night’s theme song.
It was a party. It was patriotism. And somehow, it all made sense.
What started with only a small group of tourists turned into a rally of thousands as people gathered Sunday night outside of the White House to celebrate the announcement of Osama Bin Laden’s death. President Barack Obama told the Americans in a video address Sunday night that the al Qaeda leader was killed in a CIA operation in Pakistan.
Bin Laden is held responsible for the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Many in attendance were college students from schools including George Mason, Georgetown and George Washington, who decided to hold off on studying for finals to take part in the jubilation.
UCLA students were also in the mix.
“This is incredible. We were finally able to get him,” said David Goldberg, a third-year political science student who is in Washington, DC through the UCLA CAPPP program.
Sarah Phelps, 32, a UCLA alumna now taking graduate courses at American University, looked on toward the crowd.
“It’s like people have just won the Superbowl,” Phelps said. “His death is very symbolic and important, but it doesn’t mean everything is going to end now.”
Nabil Ahmad, a 27-year-old UCLA alumnus, said the death gave the United States credibility.
“A lot of people were thinking, “˜Ten years? And we still haven’t caught this guy?'” said Ahmad, who participated in the summer 2009 CAPPP program and now works in IT.
The event was surreal. For the participants, the night took on the feel of a rock concert. The colossal energy grabbing the people behind the “U-S-A” and “Obama killed Osama” chants closer and closer together until there was no where else to move.
For the lucky few who managed to get right up to the gate surrounding the White House, their arms sticking out from the grating were the only things that could reach out to the celebrated rock star of the night. The man inside the house.
“Four more years!” the crowd said.
Their voices continuing to ring out into the night.