Pre-Convention Notes

You know, even though the fall is our favorite month, Gothamist never looked forward to the end of summer, and thanks to the hell on wheels production of the Republican National Convention, we're hoping that construction on our time-machine keeps progressing. There was yesterday's Daily News report that some extreme/fringe protest groups were devising ways to divert police and bomb-sniffing dogs with "anarchist" tactics, like lacing things with ammonium nitrate and forcing the evacuation of Madison Square Garden. Police Commissioner Kelly freaked out, "Where is the legitimate protest in trying to endanger the public?" Mayor Bloomberg responded to the news by saying, "If people want to come here and protest, we also want to accommodate them, but nobody is going to take away the rights of our citizens to go about their business, go to school, go to work." Gothamist agrees, but we find it funny, because a lot of businesses near Madison Square Garden are going to be closed, because there's so much chaos expected. The management company of Penn South, a co-op near MSG, is telling residents to stock up on food and water, making the comparison of the convention to a hurricane apt. Even though we don't live near MSG, should we assume our landlord doesn't love us, since he doesn't give us memos like that one?

The Daily News has even published an editorial that tells protestors, essentially, to get over themselves. Not that the DN doesn't stump for the good of its everyday readers, it seems a Post-ian move. And Expedia is telling Gothamist we should leave town - and there's no one who knows us better than Barry Diller!! But no worries - we'll be here to bitch and complain with the rest of you.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on July 13, 2004 9:26 AM

Comments [rss]

SP

as if the "legit plan to regain control of DC" was up to us gothamist readers. moron. the "plan" is simple, not voting for the liars, murderers and thieves of the GOP. As for inconveniencing the good people of NYC, the repuglies have done far worse in the last 4 years than just "inconveniencing" us, and them being here for the RNC will be no picnic for those of us who live and work here. They shoud have kept their circle jerk in Texas.

specialk

You people crack me up! Instead of trying to come up with a legit plan to regain control of D.C., all you can do is come up with baseless protest ideas and elementary school tactics to thwart the convention, all the while alienating the good people of NYC by inconveniencing them. Smart!!

Wouldn't your time be more well spent trying to get America turned on to a decent Democratic candidate? That is, if you could find one....

Not that you care, because you're so above caring, but mainstream America is laughing at you.

beavis

i was at the bush inauguration - which was a madhouse. i didn't see any violence or looting, but there was talk and there were some photos of black-masked people running around causing trouble. there was one guy who was cornered while climbing a flagpole to burn the flag who ended up jumping off from pretty high into a crowd of people...

King Hippo

gotta love that intelligent gothamist discourse. Does anyone have any firsthand large-scale protest experiences that they'd like to share? Not a general "anti-something" protest like the anti-war protests in New York, but an internationally attended protest targeting a particular assembly... sort of like the Seattle WTO protests? How bad was it? I remember articles mentioning violence and looting. Did that really happen, and is there the possibility that the same type of things might happen in ny?

me

Nola and James love their Dick Cheney dildos. Go fuck yourselves.

james

Yes, Jackson West, I'm sure the Republicans never figured they would face any protesters in New York. That's why they're coming here...for the loving embrace of fellow conservatives. Get over it. Quickly. Cuz your gonna have to deal with it for four more years. Or the Democrats are going to have to find a real candidate in the next 5 months.

nola

That's right JacksonWest, I'm sure the conventioners will be terrified by a bunch of pimple-faced skateboard punks from New Jersey. Why don't you come and try to scare us - too busy playing video games in your parents' basement?

nola

That's right JacksonWest, I'm sure the conventioners will be terrified by a bunch of pimple-faced skateboard punks from New Jersey. Why don't you come and try to scare us - too busy playing video games in your parents' basement?

nola

That's right JacksonWest, I'm sure the conventioners will be terrified by a bunch of pimple-faced skateboard punks from New Jersey. Why don't you come and try to scare us - too busy playing video games in your parent's basement?

jess

amen, mike. nice job talking to anyone but the NYPD, daily news, and playing on peoples' fears of the brutal assassins of president mckinley! now that's journalism.

Jackson West

Man I wish I could be there for the protests. Trust me, lefties like me are going to be coming from all over the country, tens if not hundreds of thousands of them. Add the frightened little Republicans ("Men holding hands! Run!") and you've got a crowd of out-of-towners something like the hicks outside the Today Show taping times a thousand.

At least the anarchists will spend their money at CBGBs instead of the Warner Brothers store.

-d-

Haha yeah my favorite month is spring.

beavis

fall is a month?

mike i

That whole "anarchy" article in the Daily News was just garbage. Sounded like an hysterical press release directly from Kelly. Of course, there were no sources given for this "information". Sloppy, divise "journalism" worthy of the Post. I think Kelly is just trying to frame the situtation to his advantage before any protests start.