(no subject)

[ceebeegee]

Doug and I did the protest march thing yesterday. We left my apartment around 2:30 and got to 34th and 6th around 3:00, where we saw some sort of nerve-wracking stuff. We could see a bunch (like maybe 10-15) anti-protesters across the way, holding up pro-Bush signs, and then apparently there was some sort of skirmish, and a couple of paddy-wagons pulled up. At one point the police ordered everyone standing inside the barricades onto the sidewalk, which meant that suddenly a lot of people were rushing toward us. That was--yeah--a little nerve-wracking. The crowd was saying things like "the whole world is watching you" and "there are children in there!" which made my eyes roll. I gotta say, I hate it when people play the "think of the children!" card. I was also irritated when some protesters were yelling at the cops "WE pay YOUR salary." That really rubbed me the wrong way. If you actually see some police brutality, then fight it, but until then the cops get a lot of sympathy from me. They're paid shit wages, half of them were murdered on Sept. 11, and no, since you probably don't work, you don't pay anyone's salary. Apparently though the march was generally quite peaceful, and we saw almost the only dust-up (there was a float set afire, or that caught fire, in front of Madison Square Garden).

There were some great slogans, though. My favorite was the tall, skinny, languid guy in a sheer dress and a g-string, holding up a sign saying "Anti-Bush, Pro-cock." In fact there were many clever plays on the name Bush. Another great one was a little doggy, to whose leash was attached a button that read "I pee on the Bushes." It's nice to see a politically aware doggy--so many of them are apathetic and disaffected these days.

Comments

[ceebeegee.livejournal.com]

Dug and I weren't sure which march we were going to join, or when we'd get there. I think there ended up being close to half a million people (and at least one doggy).

[minstrel70.livejournal.com]

The organizers came up with the 500,000 number, and most of the media have been repeating it as fact. Officially, the NYPD doesn't release crowd estimates. However, the AP spoke with an NYPD source who gave a figure of 120,000, a number that has been largely buried in the media. I found it in an article in the NY Post.

Believe whichever number you like. Either way, it was huge.

And no one reported the canine participation :)

[ceebeegee.livejournal.com]

The New York Times, here (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/30/politics/campaign/30protest.html), quoted an officer as confirming the half a million tally.

The Police Department, as is customary, offered no official estimate, but one officer in touch with the police command center at Madison Square Garden agreed that the crowd appeared to be close to a half-million.

I would've brought Tatiana but she hates crowds even more than I do. I don't think she would've trotted obediently on a leash.

[minstrel70.livejournal.com]

So we have two NYPD sources giving different numbers. Interesting.

They'll probably never sort it out, and it'll never matter. Neither the Million Man March nor the Million Mom March came close to a million people, but the organizers claimed success and the media reported their claim, and the issue was dropped.

As I said, either number represents a lot of people.

[ceebeegee.livejournal.com]

It's a shame no one counted the doggies. Yet another example of how our nation's horrible beasts are shut out of the political process! Take back the night! One paw (okay, four), one vote!

[minstrel70.livejournal.com]

Keep in mind when you argue for voting rights for dogs that mine will be watching Fox News Channel all day while I'm away :P

[jayspec.livejournal.com]

I don't think that any mainstream political party will be fewocious enough for HRH Tatianna anyway.

[ceebeegee.livejournal.com]

HIH. Her Imperial Highness--she is a Grand Duchess, from the Imperial Family.

No, I think HIH Tatiana prefers the old days, before the 1905/6 (depending on which calendar used) revolution, when the Tsar's word was law, and Horrible Kitties were the real power behind the throne. Le chat, c'est moi.

[darksheik.livejournal.com]

Yes - HRH Tatiana would be the Tatiana from the mirror universe with the beard.