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The Not Quite Peaceful Protest in New York City

by Marinka Peschmann, Special to Canada Free Press

August 31, 2004

President Bush’s face superimposed on Osama Bin Laden’s was one of the many signs waving among the throng of protesters of all ages and nationalities who converged Sunday in New York City in what has been described as the largest protest ever during a political convention.

Organized by the group, ‘United for Peace and Justice,’ under the blazing hot sun a hullabaloo of noise and visuals ringed through the streets. Competing complaints fought to be heard over marching bands with tubas, bongo drums, upside-down buckets drums, bells, whistles, and make shift noisemakers of soda cans filled with sand or rocks.

Self-described anarchists carried black and red flags, protested both the Republicans and Democrats. There were socialists, communists, Cuban flags, rainbow flags and a group who carried giant cutout doves on poles. A unisex cluster of ‘cheerleaders’ in black and pink short skirts and ripped fishnet stockings broke into some incoherent cheer while one man with a huge American flag, walked around them saying, ‘God Bless America.’

The signs, prominently anti-Bush, were mainly homemade featuring a wide range of messages; "No One Died When Clinton Lied,’ ‘George Bush Hijacked Our Grief and Flew it to Iraq,’ ‘Kerry Approves of Baby Killing,’ and ‘Bring the Troops Home.’ The more comical, ‘My Dog Hates George Bush,’ ‘Help the environment, Plant a Bush in Texas,’ and ‘More Football--Less War,’ lightened the mood and battled against the unprintable messages with swastikas and salacious messages including, ‘The Only Bush I Trust is My Own.’ Some protesters showed their displeasure marching clad in Halloween like skull faces while others wore T-shirts that read, ‘We Want Jobs Not War.’

Two local New Yorkers, ‘Kalin’ and Gloria Mills came out ‘inspired’ by the Plaza Hotel demonstration on Friday that made headlines and resulted in several arrests and injured one police officer, mimicked their message with smaller versions of the sign ‘Truth’ and ‘Bush’ with opposing arrows.

In front of the Hotel Pennsylvania, the temporary home to several delegates and members of the media right across from Madison Square Gardens, Randall Terry, ‘President For Truth and Justice,’ coordinated ‘Operation Witness’, comprised of RNC volunteers to counter the protesters and defend the Bush Administration. "If we pull out of Iraq there will be massive bloodshed," said Terry, ‘Women will be oppressed and they will curse these women who are marching here.’ Over the NYPD guarded blockades dueling arguments flew, with protesters giving ‘Operation Witness’ the finger, chanting ‘Shame’ and ‘Four More Months’ at volunteer Dubaldi who was there to ‘show support for my country and party,’ and clashed with the protesters, "Keep walking…" Dubaldi said, ‘Walk like the French…’ was called an ‘imbecile’ and a ‘Terrorist.’

At the corner of West 33^rd and 7 Avenue a dragon shaped float made out of what appeared to be paper-mache accompanied by a giant sign, ‘Don't Just Vote Take Action,’ suddenly is sent ablaze. A thick cloud of smoke billows upwards momentarily throwing the parade into gridlock, a total standstill. Swiftly the parade is diverted around the corner, just a few feet away from the Gardens. Several firefighters emerge quickly extinguishing the flames, followed by phalanx of NYPD in riot gear with plastic handcuffs who quell what could have turned into utter mayhem. Overhead, helicopters hover. Over the course of four hours a couple of stink bombs are tossed out from within the crowd.

Thirty-eight year old William Cooke a father of three and 37-year-old Steve Ryan stop in front of the RNC volunteers and lip-locked showing their message that ‘Intolerance is a beautiful thing.’

Twenty-five year-old Bryan Martin from New York carrying a professional sign, 'No Draft. No Way…’ couldn’t explain why he was voting for John Kerry when confronted with the fact that the Democrats had brought up the draft, not the Republicans; then he admitted that he was given this sign to carry when he checked in.

At the end, protesters solemnly carried make-ship coffins of cardboard draped in black fabric and the American flag to symbolize the death of each American soldier who has died in Iraq. This correspondent couldn't find any coffins carried in memory of the Iraqis found murdered in the mass graves at the hands of Saddam Hussein. Over one hundred arrests were made.