The Moth's Chronicle of NYC Protests
My anti-war experience started at 4 a.m., when I rolled groggily out of bed to the sounds of Loreena McKennit and began to make ready for my day.
In my bag: -snacks, because who knew when we'd be able to eat again
-a book- surely, if I was arrested, they'd let me read, right?
-two forms of photo ID, proof of U.S. citizenship, and a credit card, just in case
-a blanket- for sleeping on the bus, and, hey, jail cells are cold . . .
-bandannas- soaked with vinegar, they're supposed to be good against tear gas.
-a home-made banner, patched together with scraps out of the free box, that read "Let U.S. Sow Peace".
Me and a number of companions bundled up in layers upon layers of clothing and headed out into the cold to take a bus down to New York City.
I've heard lots of accounts of how bitterly cold NYC was at 25 degrees, but I think all those folks had no business complaining. As we stood waiting for our bus at 5:45 in the morning, tempetatures were at -5, not including windchill.
The bus ride from Brattleboro to NYC is about three and a half hours, and the time that wasn't spent in heated political discussion or in putting the finishing touches on our banner, was spent sacked out. However, we arrived at Shea Stadium at about 10:30, grabbed a train into Grand Central, and took to the streets.
The atmosphere was incredible. Grand Central is, as I recall, at 3rd and 42nd, and even there, blocks removed from the rally (which was planned for 1st and 49th), there were throngs of protesters filling the streets, carrying signs mounted on cardboard tubing (wooden sticks were prohibited by the police as being possibly dangerous). Despite the crowds of people, everyone was extremely good natured. There was no jostling and shoving as we moved along Third Avenue- in fact, there was more eye contact, smiling, and good citizenship in evidence than I've seen in all my prior trips to NYC combined. There was singing (we shall not be moved), and chanting (What do we want? Peace! When do we want it? Now!).
Unfortunately, the police didn't seem to realize that the mood of the crowd was peaceful, not violent. The police presence was overwhelming. Police in full riot gear, police with drawn batons, and police mounted on horses lined almost every street. As we tried to cross from 3rd to 2nd, we were prevented again and again by police barricades. At 60th street they finally let us cross, much to our delight, but then we were forced on an hours long, fruitless detour through what the New York Times (accurately and evocatively) described as "a maze of barricades" that prevented us from getting anywhere near the rallying point.
Time and time again, we were prevented from crossing streets, even at crosswalks. Time and time again, police tried to pen us into squares with barricades. Suddenly the crown would stop moving, and we'd all struggle to see what was going on up ahead. My two companions repeatedly hoisted me up to their shoulders (as the lightest one, I was the likely candidate) to be the lookout. Almost every time, all I could see were lines of policemen facing off with protestors, keeping us from moving. As the hours drew by and we were still forced away from the rallying point, the crowd's frustration grew.
I've been reading news articles about the protest, and all of them seem to cite 53rd and 2nd as the focal point of conflict- where protesters had to be wrestled to the ground after setting off firecrackers and causing a policeman to be thrown from his horse. As that was going on, I was at 52nd and 2nd, where the action was just as . . . interesting.
At several points the frustrated crowd took over the streets, overturning and smashing blue police barricades in the process, chanting "Whose streets? Our streets!" The police, equally frustrated, began forcing protesters back with horses and batons. We, making an expeditious retreat to the sidewalk, saw wisps of smoke starting along the line where police and protesters were facing off. Looking at each other nervously, we retired to a nearby pizza joint, where we ate lunch. Emerging approximately fifteen minutes later, we were shocked to find the crowd much reduced. The sight of numbers of truculent protesters being shoved into detention wagons explained this apparent phenomenon. The ground was also covered in some sort of powdery substance, which we deduced might have been the byproduct of some sort of smoke-bomb type mechanism.
Fascinating.
After this incident, and a few more like it, we were sufficiently discouraged to make our way back to Grand Central Station. It was, at this point, around 3:00, about the time the rally was scheduled to wind down anyway. As we left the protest point, we couldn't help but notice the fact that once protesters left the area, they were not being let back in, even though there was increasingly more room inside.
Back on the bus at the end of the day, we compared notes with people who had made it all the way to the central rallying point. First Avenue, they said, consisted of a long string of metal holding pens that protesters were forced into as they arrived. Even though most of the pens were, by all accounts, only about half full, police prevented protesters from moving into or out of them, ostensibly for security reasons. Apparently protesters could not be trusted not to trample each other if they got too close together.
Police estimate that approximately 100,000 people showed up to the protests, but it seems they were only counting those lucky (lucky?) few that made it into the cages along 1st Avenue. If the crowds on the much more tightly packed 2nd and 3rd avenues are taken into account, the organizers' estimate of 400,000 seems much more accurate.
It scarcely seems believeable that 1st Avenue had to be held to half its capacity for security reasons. After all, the demonstrations on jam-packed 2nd and 3rd were equally peaceful and secure, except when the police prevented us from moving onto 1st! A political reason seems more likely than this.
Just to make it clear, though- I harbor no animosity toward the police. They were just doing their job, and doing it rather well. I felt sorry for the police at many points, especially in the (very few) instances when protesters took their anger out on them.
I do, however, regret that the organizers of the rally and the organizers of the police were not able to negotiate a solution that would effectively get as many people to the rallying point as possible, as well as a solution that would be orderly and could be explained to the protesters ahead of time to prevent frustration.
All in all, I found the protests to be an amazing and eye-opening experience- I have never been in the company of so many people that agrere with me.
Unfortunately, Condaleeza Rice has already stated that the protests have not changed Bush's mind in the slightest, and the plans for action against Iraq will go on as before. I suppose that means that I'll be going to more protests. Hope you come, too.
Love always,
-The Moth
In my bag: -snacks, because who knew when we'd be able to eat again
-a book- surely, if I was arrested, they'd let me read, right?
-two forms of photo ID, proof of U.S. citizenship, and a credit card, just in case
-a blanket- for sleeping on the bus, and, hey, jail cells are cold . . .
-bandannas- soaked with vinegar, they're supposed to be good against tear gas.
-a home-made banner, patched together with scraps out of the free box, that read "Let U.S. Sow Peace".
Me and a number of companions bundled up in layers upon layers of clothing and headed out into the cold to take a bus down to New York City.
I've heard lots of accounts of how bitterly cold NYC was at 25 degrees, but I think all those folks had no business complaining. As we stood waiting for our bus at 5:45 in the morning, tempetatures were at -5, not including windchill.
The bus ride from Brattleboro to NYC is about three and a half hours, and the time that wasn't spent in heated political discussion or in putting the finishing touches on our banner, was spent sacked out. However, we arrived at Shea Stadium at about 10:30, grabbed a train into Grand Central, and took to the streets.
The atmosphere was incredible. Grand Central is, as I recall, at 3rd and 42nd, and even there, blocks removed from the rally (which was planned for 1st and 49th), there were throngs of protesters filling the streets, carrying signs mounted on cardboard tubing (wooden sticks were prohibited by the police as being possibly dangerous). Despite the crowds of people, everyone was extremely good natured. There was no jostling and shoving as we moved along Third Avenue- in fact, there was more eye contact, smiling, and good citizenship in evidence than I've seen in all my prior trips to NYC combined. There was singing (we shall not be moved), and chanting (What do we want? Peace! When do we want it? Now!).
Unfortunately, the police didn't seem to realize that the mood of the crowd was peaceful, not violent. The police presence was overwhelming. Police in full riot gear, police with drawn batons, and police mounted on horses lined almost every street. As we tried to cross from 3rd to 2nd, we were prevented again and again by police barricades. At 60th street they finally let us cross, much to our delight, but then we were forced on an hours long, fruitless detour through what the New York Times (accurately and evocatively) described as "a maze of barricades" that prevented us from getting anywhere near the rallying point.
Time and time again, we were prevented from crossing streets, even at crosswalks. Time and time again, police tried to pen us into squares with barricades. Suddenly the crown would stop moving, and we'd all struggle to see what was going on up ahead. My two companions repeatedly hoisted me up to their shoulders (as the lightest one, I was the likely candidate) to be the lookout. Almost every time, all I could see were lines of policemen facing off with protestors, keeping us from moving. As the hours drew by and we were still forced away from the rallying point, the crowd's frustration grew.
I've been reading news articles about the protest, and all of them seem to cite 53rd and 2nd as the focal point of conflict- where protesters had to be wrestled to the ground after setting off firecrackers and causing a policeman to be thrown from his horse. As that was going on, I was at 52nd and 2nd, where the action was just as . . . interesting.
At several points the frustrated crowd took over the streets, overturning and smashing blue police barricades in the process, chanting "Whose streets? Our streets!" The police, equally frustrated, began forcing protesters back with horses and batons. We, making an expeditious retreat to the sidewalk, saw wisps of smoke starting along the line where police and protesters were facing off. Looking at each other nervously, we retired to a nearby pizza joint, where we ate lunch. Emerging approximately fifteen minutes later, we were shocked to find the crowd much reduced. The sight of numbers of truculent protesters being shoved into detention wagons explained this apparent phenomenon. The ground was also covered in some sort of powdery substance, which we deduced might have been the byproduct of some sort of smoke-bomb type mechanism.
Fascinating.
After this incident, and a few more like it, we were sufficiently discouraged to make our way back to Grand Central Station. It was, at this point, around 3:00, about the time the rally was scheduled to wind down anyway. As we left the protest point, we couldn't help but notice the fact that once protesters left the area, they were not being let back in, even though there was increasingly more room inside.
Back on the bus at the end of the day, we compared notes with people who had made it all the way to the central rallying point. First Avenue, they said, consisted of a long string of metal holding pens that protesters were forced into as they arrived. Even though most of the pens were, by all accounts, only about half full, police prevented protesters from moving into or out of them, ostensibly for security reasons. Apparently protesters could not be trusted not to trample each other if they got too close together.
Police estimate that approximately 100,000 people showed up to the protests, but it seems they were only counting those lucky (lucky?) few that made it into the cages along 1st Avenue. If the crowds on the much more tightly packed 2nd and 3rd avenues are taken into account, the organizers' estimate of 400,000 seems much more accurate.
It scarcely seems believeable that 1st Avenue had to be held to half its capacity for security reasons. After all, the demonstrations on jam-packed 2nd and 3rd were equally peaceful and secure, except when the police prevented us from moving onto 1st! A political reason seems more likely than this.
Just to make it clear, though- I harbor no animosity toward the police. They were just doing their job, and doing it rather well. I felt sorry for the police at many points, especially in the (very few) instances when protesters took their anger out on them.
I do, however, regret that the organizers of the rally and the organizers of the police were not able to negotiate a solution that would effectively get as many people to the rallying point as possible, as well as a solution that would be orderly and could be explained to the protesters ahead of time to prevent frustration.
All in all, I found the protests to be an amazing and eye-opening experience- I have never been in the company of so many people that agrere with me.
Unfortunately, Condaleeza Rice has already stated that the protests have not changed Bush's mind in the slightest, and the plans for action against Iraq will go on as before. I suppose that means that I'll be going to more protests. Hope you come, too.
Love always,
-The Moth