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News :: Protest Activity |
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Outside the RNC In the streets of NYC |
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by Jan and Durl Kruse
Email: jandurl (nospam) insightbb.com (unverified!)
Phone: jandurl@insightbb.com |
02 Sep 2004
Modified: 07:34:46 AM |
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Observations and photographs of activities and events leading up to and during the RNC. |
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AWARE and the progressive Urbana Champaign community are being represented in New York City this week during the Republican National Convention. Local peace activists are outside Madison Square Garden on the sidewalks and in the streets protesting the Bush Agenda and proclaiming a different world is possible.
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Some brief and general impressions follow from Jan and Durl Kruse.
*Sunday, August 29, We joined in the “United for Peace and Justice March” with 400,000 to 500,000 fellow demonstrators to say “No to the Bush Agenda”. For the most part the largest protest in several decades in NY was peaceful, unifying, and inspiring. As a matter of fact, with a significant international presence it seemed: “The Whole World Was Saying No to Bush!”
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*Monday August 30, 10,000 to 15,000 folks walked in unity in “The Poor Peoples March” up to 32nd Street for a rally in front of the convention center. Just as lively and intense as the UFPJ march, but significantly smaller. The police presence seemed more noticeable and intimidating. For the first time we saw random filming of the marchers by police videotaping the crowd.
Before the start of the march we overheard a local businessman call those in The Poor Peoples March…nothing but the “Unwashed Masses.” Durl asked him what he meant by that statement and we stated that we, also, were participating in this march. Besides we made the point that we both did take a shower that morning!
*Tuesday, August 31, Viewing the film,“Baghdad in No Particular Order”, and discussion with Kathy Kelly and filmmaker Paul Chann from Voices in the Wilderness at the New School University. Kathy who was recently released from prison in Pekin, Illinois notes that she is convinced we are producing more terrorists than we are killing with the current occupation ofIraq. The occupation must end and the troops brought home now.
In our visit to Penn Station (under Madison Square Garden) we witnessed lots of security! NYC police with M-16’s, canine units, Swat teams, National Guard, and Secret Service personnel were everywhere. Barricades and inspections control flow and access of the public. It seemed like a frightening armed police state with more security personnel around than ordinary citizens. Quite a sight and hard to believe this is happening in “the land of the free”.
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*Wednesday, September 1, a trip to Pier 57: now known as “Guantanimo the Hudson” to observe protesters waiting word on hundreds of folks being held inside. Reports are that many innocent bystanders as well as those committing acts of nonviolence civil disobedience were caught in the police net. Thus far over a thousand people have been arrested. The protest pen area is located across the street from the large former Marine and Aviation Center. There is lots of cheering and support given to the detainees as police buses pull out to take them to be processed.
Trip to Ground Zero, Families of 9-11 victims were conducting a petition drive directed to Mayor Bloomberg. Many family members have no remains to bury since they were taken to the Fresh Kills dumpsite in New Jersey. They would like to have their ashes returned to Ground Zero. The family we spoke to lost family and friends and now questions US foreign policy and the war on Iraq.
Across from Ground Zero, at 114 Liberty, on the12th floor a series of windows say No to War! and Peace!. It was a surprise to notice this bold statement at this location. One lone protestor with a police observer walks the sidewalk carrying a sign pleading that the republicans not exploit the death and tragedy of 9-11!
Overall the Republicans seem far removed from the reality of the streets. We observed them being personally escorted from buses and whisked away with a very obvious police presence. People on the sidewalks were kept at a distance. We also noticed that the police stood next to us while we watched and photographed as the bus unload.
Mayor Bloomberg offered passes to Peaceful Protestors, but we are not sure if that meant only special passes to Pier 57 at 15th Street!
Welcome to the RNC in the Big Apple!
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This work is in the public domain |
