(no subject)
For a protest, this one brought the lulz. Lots of funny signs I wasn't able to take photos off, but parlance might. One I remember clearly was 'So many Christians, so little lions'. Oooh.
I arrived around 4pm, knowing full well traffic would make the hunt for parking spaces more difficult. There were protesters and media vans already at the site, and nothing to do but wait with the latest issue of Justice Society of America.
Things eventually began to build up half an hour before six. Out of nowhere, people poured into the space allocated. The saying 'shoulder to shoulder'? That's what it was like. And we endured an hour or so of dry, boring speeches including one by a soap opera actor. MARCH MARCH MARCH! hurled the protesters at the organisers. Mob's got a point, I yelled.
When it came to the actual march, the mood was exhilarating. Despite passing by closed down and empty businesses, we were pumped to shout 'CIVIL RIGHTS! NOW!' at the darkened shadows. Halfway through the march, we even came across the old gang from last Sunday's rally. The route passed by the Children's Hospital, prompting chants of 'GET WELL SOON!' As parlance noted, it's not like those inside would hear the words but nice gesture nonetheless.
Unfortunately the cops had the rally cornered and with protesters shouting 'LET US THROUGH', we decided to double-back and get dinner. At first I was really reluctant, seeing as how I wanted to soldier on no matter what may happen with the cops, but as I passed a bike-riding police officer whose intercom was relaying orders not to let the marchers go back down Vermont I was glad to be on the safe side. In the end nothing happened with the protesters and the cops wearing black cowboy hats on horseback (!), and no one was arrested.
Though I was pretty irked to learn the march had gone down to Hollywood and Highland, a couple of miles away. For some reason that gave the 20 patrol cars carte blanche to park in the right lanes and block the street, without doing anything. LAME, coppers.
And it wouldn't be LA if after the rally a group of protestors weren't outside the club Akbar trying to get in. Or that I passed that guy on Heroes, you know, the one who looks like he needs a shave?