Quote:
Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
However, failure by government to grant a permit or allow reasonable latitude to protesters, is something we should all be concerned about. Nobody screws that up more than the Democrats in Chicago and DC. Nobody.
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I dunno about DC or Chi, but I've actually been very impressed with the crowd/protest control I've seen here in NYC. Big (impropomptu march to the UN the night Bush I started bombing in Gulf War I - closed Broadway through most of Manhattan for hours - definitely no permits) or small (your 5 local grocers in a union picketing your deli), I've never seen anything but mutual cooperation and respect between protestors and police. Maybe it's just being in NYC - too big and crowded and ornery for anyone to think it is in their interests for anything to get out of hand. I didn't check out the anti-globalization protests that were here not long ago first hand, but my understanding was it was much the same, and a world of difference from Seattle/Italy/etc.
Gotta say, I'm pretty iffy on letting protestors block roads or otherwise disrupting normal-traffic/life/access, it's just not necessary to make people aware of your message. But I also get extremely pissed when I hear of protests being shunted off to distant places so no one can see them. I also acknowledge I get very, very pissy about the uncivil exercise of civil rights (PETA rants passim).
BR("Lady, I'm gonna have to ask you to chant "Death to the Fascist Police Pigs!" over on that other corner behind the blockade, thanks")C
