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The big protest group, United for Peace and Justice, has agreed to protest and rally at along Seventh Avenue and the West Side Highway during the Republican National Convention. This site, proposed by the NYPD in an ultimatum of sorts, is less than ideal as it's far from the convention, but UPJ said, "The clock is ticking; we need to move on. So, we decided to take the high road here." Because UPJ has agreed to this location, they want the city to "provide protesters with water and toilets; commit to not using metal barricades; give the group about $150,000 for a sound system; and provide free subway passes, as well as a shuttle from nearby stations" [via Newsday]. The NYPD says these amenities are usually not part of the deal with protests (which is what Gothamist wondered earlier) and Mayor Bloomberg's press secretary, Ed Skyler told the Times, "[If the protesters] want to find corporate sponsors for their protests, let them go ahead. New Yorkers shouldn't have to see their tax dollars spent on subsidizing protests."
United for Peace and Justice on the new site:
In a major victory for UFPJ, the march will go directly past Madison Square Garden, site of the Republican National Convention (RNC). Protesters will step off from 23rd Street, march north on 7th Avenue, then head west on 34th Street and south on West Side Highway for our rally, with the stage atNot quite a major victory, but they do have a place to protest. And Gothamist does agree with commenters that greg.org's protest idea is powerful.
Chambers Street.
Newsday also looked at the issue of protesting at the Central Park Great Lawn and how Mayor Bloomberg and the Central Park Conservancy, a private non-profit not affiliated with the city that raised money to restore the Great, opposed any sort of political demonstration there - even though Bloomberg allowed a Dave Matthews concert to go on. An anonymous Bloomberg staffer said, "If you allow people to destroy what the philanthropists restored, why would anybody want to pay you to fix it up again?" while the NYCLU says, "The conservancy and the mayor shouldn't be acting in a way that defies the Constitution."
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they want the city to "provide protesters with water and toilets; commit to not using metal barricades; give the group about $150,000 for a sound system; and provide free subway passes, as well as a shuttle from nearby stations"
AND THESE FOLKS RALLY AGAINST COORPORATE GREED???
Hilarious. Sounds like they're planning on BUYING a sound system, rather than renting one.
The UFP&J decision to cave into the city has prompted a big backlash from many NYC-ers who feel that the Central Park is a common area. Many local activists are promoting the idea of gathering in Central Park on the morning of August 29th in groups smaller than 20, and the neither staying the the park, marching through the park, or marching out of the park on the way to the larger protest on the WSH.
"Come to Central Park on the morning of August 29th, gather in affinity groups at a location of your choosing (see a preliminary menu below), and do your thing from there – a feeder march to the "official" protest, arts in action, a people's park picnic, whatever."
http://nyc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/97791/index.php
Its important to note that this call isn't advocating illegal action, nor is it saying that people shouldn't eventually go the rally if that's their deal. what it is saying is that Central Park belongs to us, the people of NYC, that we will be there in force on the monring of August 29th, and that we will then decide for OURSELVES what to do later in the day.
"affinity groups at a location of your choosing (see a preliminary menu below), and do your thing from there – a feeder march to the "official" protest, arts in action, a people's park picnic, whatever" is probably the lamest thing I have ever heard. Oooooooooh, an affinity group, that will change things. Art in action, a picnic...how goddamn lame. I would also like to point out that the Republicans are probably praying for some crazy protests. Nothing better than making their opposition seem crazy.
Affinity Groups, Hahahaha
I'm all for UPJ staging a protest. I'm glad they finally reached some sort of agreement with the NYPD.
But WTF is up with the stuff they're asking for: water, sound systems, Metrocards?!? It's just plain greedy and it makes UPJ look unreasonable.
"New Yorkers shouldn't have to see their tax dollars spent on subsidizing protests."
I don't really think the protesters should get water (bring your own bottle, folks) or even port-o-pottis from the city, but wait a minute. Aren't Republican delegates getting all kinds of perks and incentives from the city at New Yorkers' expsense? Aren't they handing out free MetroCards, and providing "free" security (in the form of overtime-working NYPD officers), and many other perks? Yeah, the RNC has to pony up some dough to pay for things, but aren't some of those perks coming from our tax dollars?
It seems a tad hypocritcal for Bloomberg, via his spokesperson, to chastise protesters for requesting some concessions when the RNC gets them as a matter of course. Does the city really have so much money that they can give free MetroCards to people who are unlikely to take the subway while they are here?
Well said, D.
last night CityRag posted a mini guide to RNC protests in New York City, with links to 2 great comprehensive calendars of protest events.
http://cityrag.blogs.com/main/2004/week30/index.html#a0001827355
The city is not paying for perks for the Republican National Convention, such as MetroCards, and niether is the RNC. Ammenities, and just about everything else for that matter, are being paid for through private donations. (See today's Times article)
Security is a cost, but the Federal government is kicking in more than $50 million for it. It's not like the City is throwing around a lot of money for the event, so I fail to see what's hypocritical about the City's reaction to the protesters' requests.
The last time I checked, the Federal Government's money came from taxpayer dollars which means the $50 million you cite is yours and mine. Since conventions are little more than giant PR events for the candidates and their parties - Democrats should have to pay 100% of their expenses, too, in my opinion - why should any tax dollars be used? Makes about as much sense as using tax dollars to pay for a stadium.
While Broadway show tickets, MetroCards, some hotel rooms, dinners and other events are being paid for by individual donations, the extra police presence in the city - not to mention other uniformed military because of terrorism concerns - is not. The money for that comes right out of city, state and federal coffers, or, to use the proper terminology, "your pocket."
Amen, D! That's our money. AND, even more so than the dem convention, the Repub convention IS just a PR event. Anhone with even 1/2 a brain knows DUH-bya is getting the nomination.
Amen, D! That's our money. AND, even more so than the dem convention, the Repub convention IS just a PR event. Anhone with even 1/2 a brain knows DUH-bya is getting the nomination.
I'm a Kerry supporter, but even I wouldn't go so far as to say that the Republican convention is any more or less a PR event than the Democratic convention. The GOP will use their event to highlight their more moderate representatives (Giuliani, Arnold, etc.) while winking to their right-wing base and the Dems will use their event to play up Kerry's war record and re-re-re-introduce him to potential voters.
Conventions used to actually be about nominating candidates: last minute delegate shifts and power plays were fairly common back in the day. But our current primary system has rendered conventions mostly obsolete and about the only thing that will change after next week's convention is that newspapers be able to stop calling Kerry the "presumptive Democratic nominee."
For another protest idea, link through to our site. We will be on the radio in Portland (hey, we'll take the opportunity where we get it) tomorrow (KBOO) to talk about Shut It Down.
I agree that money is coming out of my pocket but I still fail to see why it is hypocrtical for the City to reject requests for water and money for a sound system, bus service, and MetroCards... seeing as how the City isn't offereing those services to the RNC either. You asked if "republican delegates getting all kinds of perks and incentives from the city at New Yorkers' expsense?" And with the exception of security, the answer is no.
D - give it a break. Of course taxpayers finance both parties. We finance both the Bush and Kerry campaigns, too.
The bottom line is, your point was wrong. The city is not provided the RNC with the things you listed and it is fair not to provide it to the protestors. And the money for the police at the RNC - are you kidding? Are the protestors going to pay for their extra police? I think not.
And to say the DNC is not a PR event is so ridiculous it's defies logic. Hilary Clinton speaking is not PR? Ben Affleck speaking is not PR? Ben Affleck hosting a cocktail party is not PR?!?!?
I disagreed with comment that the DNC is not a PR event (or that it is at least less of one than the RNC). Both the DNC in Boston and the RNC in New York will be equally lacking in their substance.
Yeah, taxpayers pay for both campaigns but Bush sure gets a lot more, what with his incumbency and all: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,121322,00.html
And, yes, I'll concede that RNC are not getting Fun Passes or comped taxi rides care of the city, but, just like the stadium analogy I used before, most experts are skeptical of the economic benefit this convention will give to the city. There will be some - full hotel rooms, dinner reservations, busy airports - but it probably won't be as big as the planners are promoting.
Bloomberg a hypocrite? AYFK? If he could get his nose out of the RNC's butt he'd happily reply to that.
I wish Mike and Ray would just come out and say, "Look, guys, this is the deal. The RNC and the White House are calling the shots, they want you in a place where attendance will be low, they want your rally far, far away, and we agreed to have them here so we have no say in the matter. Oh, and BTW, they're telling us we have to close Penn Station, shut down the subway, and block of a zillion blocks of midtown. Sorry!"
I'm surprised the protester leeches haven't asked for free Giant Puppets or cardboard coffins. I think the city can solve the metal fence and water problems by having every hot dog and pretzel vendor in the city end-to-end, lining both sides of the route. You get searing hot metal barricades and overpriced water in one fell swoop. The choking cart smoke will be provided free for riot cops.
here's greg.org's protest idea:
y 13, 2004
How I Would Protest At The Republican Convention
Due to a work-related trip out of the country, I will miss the Republican Convention when it comes to town. If I were here, I would protest. I would not use signs, or puppets, or chants; I would protest by reenacting the shocked, dusty exodus from lower Manhattan on the morning of September 11th.
Here's how I would do it:
- start downtown, maybe even below Canal street
- wear expendable business attire.
- set up a step ladder on the street and,
- using a mesh tray like they use for goldpanning or a handsifter, even, I would have a friend cover me with dust.
- It would be chalk dust, or line chalk from a football field, rosin, baby powder, or some other fine, whitish, grayish non-toxic dust.
- I would cover my mouth with a handkerchief while doing this, snd keep it with me to wipe my sweaty, dusty face.
- I would offer to cover as many thousands of my fellow protestors in the same manner.
- Then, I would start walking north.
- Or I would start walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, en masse.
- I would let verisimilitude and photogenics dictate my route more than proximity to Madison Square Garden.
- I would be eerily, even unsettlingly, quiet and orderly.
I would take seriously my responsibility as a New Yorker who lived through that horrible day, and take its symbolism back from the politicians who ignored the warnings, did nothing to prepare, sat or flailed wildly when it happened, sowed fear with it ever since, used it to falsely justify a war of misplaced vengeance, put us all in even greater danger than we were before, and who are now coming to town to usurp the most widely shared monument to their failure.
But maybe that's just me.
I do like Greg's idea. Silence is powerful. In this country people are obsessed/addicted to shouting and loudness. Sometimes quietness is what is called for.
Greg's protest idea is brilliant. If they could actually pull that off, I would support their efforst for water, funding speakers, whatever. And I am a tax-cutting, free market, pro-Bush, pro-liberation Republican.
Please, please, please remind EVERYONE what happened that day. Please, please, please remind everyone that this was a conflict STARTED BY THE JIHADISTS but will be finished by us. Please, please, please never forget that day. I pray the protestors are "smart" enough to pull Greg's idea off.
But maybe that is just me.
Greg's protest idea is brilliant. If they could actually pull that off, I would support their efforts for water, funding, speakers, whatever. And I am a tax-cutting, free market, pro-Bush, pro-liberation Republican.
Please, please, please remind EVERYONE what happened that day. Please, please, please remind everyone that this was a conflict STARTED BY THE JIHADISTS but will be finished by us. Please, please, please never forget that day. I pray the protestors are "smart" enough to pull Greg's idea off.
But maybe that is just me.
i like the greg idea too.
I have to wonder, otherwise, what are they protesting? If it's Bush, then what's a better form of protest than working to get him out of office? Holding a big screaming rally with puppets and signs and yelling and speakers of dubious intellectual quality, is only going to serve to alienate viewers in the swing states that we need to help defeat him.
or at least that's my fear. i wish the rnc wasn't coming here.
i like jimbo's idea.
Yeah, the whole point is to vote Bush out of office. I wonder if all the yelling and screaming will contribute to that or not. It may divert some people's energies who would otherwise do something more effective, like vote-organizing.
wow, thanks for the kind comments. And here I was just going to be flippant and ask why organizers didn't demand the city extend the 7 train to the Javitz Center while they're at it. At least it'd have a lasting benefit. More than all the hookers-for-conventioneers dollars combined.
What if? The protesters are infiltrated by agent provacateurs (sp) The protests get out of hand .The police respond in kind, maybe even the military gets involved. The convention is cancelled.The elections are postponed. The government now has cover for a massive round up of domestic oposition. Could happen!
What if? The protesters are infiltrated by agent provacateurs (sp) The protests get out of hand .The police respond in kind, maybe even the military gets involved. The convention is cancelled.The elections are postponed. The government now has cover for a massive round up of domestic oposition. Could happen!
I haven't visited New York since 1988, when I moved after living there practically forever. I wish I could move again. Is New York a good place to live now? Do you think that the convention will bring prosperity and new modern improvements like it did in Philly, last time? I guess New York could always use that. When I lived in New York City, its economy was contracting at the rate of 4% per year. Imagine trying to get a job without any experience in those circumstances. I think it was nice of the Republicans to have the convention in NYC. I think they increase their risk of loosing by having the convention there. That's why GW went on that "Heart and Soul Tour" to the midewest immediately before the convention... To kind of appease those people, who are indeed to us coastals, like apples and pears.
I have come to understand that there are new things. And often these days, one's head is not really one's head, but just uniform programming for this or that group of people. While one enthusiastically thinks one is being one's iconoclastic, individualistic self, one is more often exactly what someone else wants one to be.