WWII Memorial Becomes Huge Media Circus As Protests Continue For Second Day

Seeing their comrades threatened by a government shut down, even more World War II vets showed up today at the memorial in D.C.

And more journalists. And more politicians. More people in general.

Rep. Michelle Bachmann particularly seemed to be capitalizing politically on the nation's focus on the memorial.

Here she is leaning in and apparently telling a veteran that the memorial was going to open soon. She was later quoted telling another vet that security officials would have to "go through her first" to make any arrests.

This photo from Stars and Stripes reporter Leo Shane shows the massive circus in front of the memorial this morning:

Here's a park policewoman in the middle of a media scrum, Shane noted later that "reps" meant congressional representatives:

The statement from police was that the park was legally closed, they were "asking for cooperation, but not looking for confrontation."

But possibly the most telling image of all came as vets left the memorial yesterday, carrying with them the police tape: