Little George in the big city

by emptypockets

Next Tuesday, President Bush will swing into town to address the United Nations. I'm thinking of going over to join the protests outside. I have a few questions.

First, what should my sign say?

Second, who is the major organizer and how well-organized are they likely to be? The groups I've found so far are Stop Bush Sept 25 and The World Can't Wait. Any experience with either of these groups?

And finally -- and most importantly -- do these protests still do anything? Surely, I'm not hoping to affect Bush's decisions. I've never attended a protest before, partly because I only recently felt any need to engage politics, and partly because I've mostly lived in places where most everyone else thought about like I did -- Democratic strongholds -- so I didn't feel a strong need to try to sway the opinions of my neighbors, either. Yet somehow this year things feel different. It feels more important. Maybe it's because Democrats have some power, so progress is possible -- yet we're not seeing much progress. Maybe it makes me feel like speaking out is more important now than it felt to me in the past.

In an age where we have more democracy of opinions -- where anyone with an internet connection can express their opinion more easily, to a wider audience, than ever before -- is standing in the street still relevant?

Comments

[nolo]

i think it matters, e-pockets.

and i think what you write here
matters, too -- perhaps more, because
you equal the circulation of several
smaller-cities' newspapers here, daily.

[o/t: i dug the iBio stuff -- my home court.]

but what's not to like about manhattan
in september -- fabulous!

me? tonight, i think i may
be the first one to notice
that dick cheney's opinion
piece -- in today's wsj -- in
reply to greenspan's book,
makes absolutely no attempt
to refute greenspan's equating
all of what is happening in iraq
with. . . wait for it. . .

w a i t:

oil.

yeh -- i know. master of the
obvious, right? not so for
bushco. but now the former
oracle of wall street has
said it is so -- so it is so.

curious that dick didn't
type a single word of counter-
punch to this one. . .

very curious. [i love your
choice of graphic, above, btw.]

p e a c e

[Compound F]

I went to a World Can't Wait rally in SF's Union Square. It had a good spectrum of folks, and the energy was palpable. Some of the speakers were quite spirited and angry. There was a decent range of speakers. Music, drums, chants. It ended with an effigy of Bush being pulled down from the stage a la Saddam's statue. Overall, I liked the energy. It was peaceful, if angry protest. I'd like to see more of it.

[david]

You're sign should say something like, "George W. Bush, I want to have your babies." I'm pretty sure that idea could make you famous (or arrested...).

[neokneme]

Your name is your message.

[Rich]

Not familiar with "Stop Bush..." but World Can't Wait has carried out a few actions in Philly. Here's one of their actions. One of our PRAWN members (Local Philly group) is a very enthusiastic member of theirs.

[peter miller]

In my experience, the chief value of such a demonstration is the sense of power and liberation the demonstration gives to those who participate in it. To be part of a large group of people who are taking a stand together with you on an important issue, is really thrilling and invigorating. And what qualifies as a 'large group' depends on many things--the particular issue and how conscious the population in general is about it, the effectiveness of the organizing, etc etc.

So yes, I fully support your desire to participate in this demonstration!

[zgveritas]

Sometimes I wish I lived in the Big Apple instead of Aspen so I could attend protests in a MAJOR media center.

You better believe your attendance will make a difference. I look forward to the reports on how things went.

[ManagedChaos]

Since I live a few blocks away from the UN, what made me feel empowered was when I was able to walk up to a Secret Service agent(there are tons of them stationed around the UN) and grill him about 9/11; specifically if the President has an open line with the FAA and what types of communication his Secret Service detail might have. Although he wouldn't answer my questions, I assured him that "we" know the truth and it will all come out in due time.

[prostratedragon]

"Enough!"

Looks good in black.

[lemondloulou]

I went to a demonstration several years ago when Bush came to the Coast Guard Academy to deliver a graduation speech. This was right after the invasion of Iraq. I had a sign that said: More Halle Berry, Less Halliburton.

The problem is that when Georgie Bubble goes anywhere, he doesn't see any demonstrators. The Secret Service will have whichever group is organizing a demonstration so far away in a "free speech zone" that they'll be totally irrelevant.

[alexmom]

Emptypockets-like you I don't have a lot of protest experience, but my husband and I have attended two this year in DC...the March 2007 and the recent Sept Anti-War protests and they were inspirational for us both-GO!!!!!! You will be glad you did. We did not take a sign but took one from folks handing out signs when we arrived and brought them home for the next time. Part of the inspiration was feeling the connection to people from so many different age groups, ethnicities, coming together to make a statement about something so tragic and important. I knew going that it was not going to change Bush-it was changing ME and energizing those around me. Vickie

[benjoya]

emptypockets, i'll see you there. somewhere near the "Impeach. Duh." Banner.

[radiofreewill]

"Make Cheney Kiss Your Ring!"

(draw a picture of a hand with a Big Ring on the Middle Finger)

[Mr. Natural]

support the troops:
IMPEACH THE LIARS

[Jodi]

DOOM!! DOOM!!

[Paul J]

Empty:

I'm at a loss as to your questions, but feel compelled to chime in even so.

I'm an introverted sort and hence possibly pretty sympatico with your position. I did inadvertently whiff a little teargas in DC back in the days, enough to claim some limited membership in the DFH clan. But that was out of character really. Crowds are definitely not my thing, though I make exception for John Hiatt performances.

But I strongly applaud your participation in demonstrating on the score of what we all know of this criminal war. You go!

Indeed these things do make a difference. I have reluctantly squeezed into crowds several times in the last few years on the belief that despite MSM denial/avoidance, the numbers count. The people around you will appreciate your presence, even if you were mute. And I can't imagine you, based on my admittedly limited insight, being anything like mute.

Please get out there and whatever you were going to do, do it twice as strong on behalf of me here in Seattle.

[Waiting for Truth]

How 'bout something like: "Bush Supports Troops??
Starting WHEN?
And HOW?"

or: "Bush Supports Troops . . .
. . . To Their Death."

[Patrick]

For the freezing prewar 2003 protest in D.C. my sign was a large red and silver axe lettered "Axes turn evil when the U.S.
splits from the world community" and after that freezing day I started to stuff it in a trashcan but it now hangs on my bedroom
wall as a wakeup reminder of the strength I felt in commune with the marchers who faced the rightrous mob anger of those
prewar months. I remember the march being stalled until a large contingent of late arriving buses from NYC arrived and the
chill of pride I felt as they flooded onto the mall with loud drums and mixed among us. That communal spirit is gift of the march especially in this era of media invisiblity and inconsequence. The all-weekend effort of travel and sacrifice is never appreciated until you march. I hope you march (the organizing group won't matter on speech and march day, but be careful about protesting in NYC as their cops take special pride among the law industry in 'showing how its done' with especially harsh tactics) and I agree with previous comments that this blog is a surrogate, its daily marchers being us all.

[Sagacity]

For a sign, how about "why do we have to be an empire?" It's just a thought that keeps going through my mind these days, but I never hear anyone in chatting classes even consider their basic assumption that of course, America must the great empire.

[rapt]

You GO Pockets...because you are a member of that community.

I went alone to a big one in DC before the 2003 invasion; drove right in and parked in a legal spot 3 blocks from Lincoln Memorial. The spirit was palpable from the second I got out of the car. ALL kinds of folks from everywhere - as far away as Nebraska - busing in all day. Some families wore matching outfits.

It was a perfect day in October; all were high on that; wandering drum groups created the right background music. Later the march to the White House was very well managed.

The important thing is to see and be seen. A few helicopters buzzed over but...this was the demonstration famous for NO TV or other media coverage, as big and important as it in fact was. Then after the networks were shamed into saying something they undercounted the crowd size by a factor of ten. Zero press on the ground that day.

My second was in DC much later after the invasion in January - cold. Huge crowd all over the mall. We took the Metro in from Falls Church, with thousands of others.

Worth it for sure - great memories.

Carry a cute sign to amuse the others.

[janinsanfran]

Thoughts: from one who has occasionally organized these things. Unless they are unusual, or huge, or very disruptive (peacefully), protests are no longer about directly influencing politicians or the media. They are usually about creating and reinforcing a culture of speaking out for redress of grievances in the old phrase. And that is very necessary in the age of Bush. (Probably most ages, but all here except Jodi presumably agree we've sunk to new depths.) Good protests let their participants know they are not alone against the beast, which they might think if they watch the MSM, and that the other folks along with them are not so odd after all.

World Can't Wait is a somewhat anarchistically inclined pro-impeachment outfit. If you want to fit in, wear bright orange. They are trying to brand that color as meaning impeachment.

Do go; wave a sign that says whatever you mean (heartfelt ones ensure you meet folks with similar hearts) and report on the experience.

Anyone interested in what a largish, cultural protest might look like, can take a look at this. I'm still recovering from the sunburn I got that day. Take water!

[Albert]

How about a sign that says
"Asses of evil vs. Axis of evil"
impeach Bush now!

[William Ockham]

How 'bout a drawing of Cheney in a big yellow hat? Nah, that's too insulting to the Reys.

[Warren]

First, what should my sign say?

It doesn't matter, since you'll be cordoned off in a "free speech zone" many blocks from that Texan retard. He'll never see the sign, nor will anyone in his clueless, cloistered administration.

[Redshift]

I agree that the purpose of protests is community and solidarity, and also getting word out to the country and the world through that all-too-brief mention on the news that Bush does not speak for the American people. It is about influencing the opinions of leaders in the sense that it is another drop of water wearing down resistance, not a bolt of revelation that changes their minds instantly.

And on a practical note, if you're making a sign, either make it wearable or mount it on a cardboard tube, rather than handheld or on a wooden stick. Your arms will be happier afterwards.

[Comrade Rutherford]

It is your duty as an American Citizen to go to that demonstration:

"the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

The demo area at the UN is at the top end of the Dip entrance, so Bush will have already been hustled out of his limo before he gets to you. The subversive way to do it is to linger aroung the Isiah Wall area (43rd St.) without looking like you are a protester, and then whip out your sign only when the Acting-President motorcade approaches.

I went to a demo at the UN back at the begining of Bush's undending war on the people of Iraq in 1991. It was an 'illegal' demo and a huge crowd of people (about 2000) shut down all traffic on 2nd Ave. The riot cops were called out to prevent us from getting down any side streets to 1st Ave, but it all good fun.

[litigatormom]

"January 20, 2009: End of An Error."

[Nell]

@rapt: I was one of the hundreds of thousands with you that day, including taking the metro in from Vienna, but one quibble: It was two months before the invasion.

Which helped with turnout: it was a last-ditch hope (though most of us knew the invasion was coming no matter what). It was three weeks before the massive worldwide demos of Feb. 15 -- same feeling. No one was under the illusion it would actually stop the war, but we did carve out a massive legitimate political space for opposition by speaking up in our millions.

[Nell]

@emptypockets: Your sign should say what's in your heart (in large, solid, readable dark ink on light color).

But since you asked for suggestions, and since Bush's visit to the UN is about ramping up the climate for hostility to and possible war on Iran, if I were in your place my sign would say what it's said for the last several years at our local demos: No Wider War.

[john norquist]

"No 2nd Regime Change in Iran". This will remind whoever reads it (maybe by some miracle Michael Gordon of the NYT will) that the US already removed democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh in 1953. His sin was not signing an oil deal with the UK and the US. He really pissed off Sec. of State John Foster Dulles and his brother Allen who was CIA director.

[Palli Davis Holubar]

Make the letters large & clear with minimum wording. Give the sign support so it won't buckle in wind or curl in rain; make it light so you can always have in the air...you don't know when cameras turn your way. Front and back wording is great for the same reason. People are reading it on television across the world, especially the Americans who could not go, who cry with happiness when they see the spirit, the hope, of fellow Americans standing together calling out the criminal actions of their country. Hold your sign tall for my father, who took his walker and stood at his last demonstration in DC for 6 hours, and then was grateful for the organizers' van so he could go the distance too. Thank you, Marcy.

[nusquam]

No, different front and back. Start a theme. On the front a math question: 'What's 41+2?' On the back an answer such as 'An absolute f**king catastrophe.' (Professor Simon Schama in the London Independent) Ingenuity and venom can add other answers, and the press might just take an interest in tracking the series.

[nusquam]

No, different front and back. Start a theme. On the front a math question: 'What's 41+2?' On the back an answer such as 'An absolute f**king catastrophe.' (Professor Simon Schama in the London Independent) Ingenuity and venom can add other answers, and the press might just take an interest in tracking the series.