August 30, 2004

400,000 march for peace in New York City according to the organizers. Meanwhile, NYC wisely recognizes that protestors + special offers = profit!

You may also choose to peruse the views of Norman Mailer, who thinks this sort of thing is tasteless and would likely frown on this and, oh yes, this too.

posted by spackle 20 years ago
  • The march was a rather mild mannered gathering, which may have been partially due to the oppressive heat and direct sun. And we were even marching with the Anarchist group for a while (there's a reason for the phrase "dirty hippies"). I am pretty sure that there were way more than 100,000 in attendance. There was even a mini Mofi meet-up when Forks and I ran into Captain Psycho. The crowds in Central Park were even more mellow, giving new meaning to "civil" disobedience. Anymore civil and we would have all been asleep. But I am glad I went. Now it's time for the real fun to start with the beginning of the actual convention tomorrow.
  • I'd have loved to see this group of people. Why doesn't MoFi allow <img>?
  • 1. John Buffalo Mailer is hot. 2. I *heart* capitalism.
  • Seeing the crowds on the news tonight made me feel a little better about the citizens of the US, perhaps there is hope. I still worry that Bush will somehow gain the presidency again. I dread it. This Saturday, while on a poker run with my local MRO, I was discussing the upcoming election with our State Safety Coordinator. During the conversation, I learned my friend plans to vote for Bush. I was so depressed, when I found out he couldn't name even one good reason to vote for Bush or one good reason to not to vote for Kerry. His responses: I asked: *what made you decide Bush is the right person to be president?* *Bush wasn't afraid to go after Saddam* I asked: *But why was there a need to go after Saddam?* HIs response: 9/11 I asked: *What made you decide Kerry was the wrong person to be president?* His response: *He wouldn't have the balls to defend our country* *He flip-flops* Needless to say, a heated discussion followed. In which, we discussed all aspects, health care, the deficit, the war, education, taxes, civil rights. He did not convince me that Bush is good for our country, and its sad to say, I did not convince him Kerry is the better choice. Sighs, I am surrounded, it seems, by people who have no clue. My friend is intelligent, but it seems he is blind when it comes to Bush. I protest Bush, always have, even before he became the president.
  • It was very cool to run into monkeys on the march. That should be a new group. Monkeys on the March!
  • he couldn't name even one good reason to vote for Bush Well, he does have a compelling position on tribal sovereignty.
  • As has been widely reported at boing boing, slashdot, and countless other places, there is the case of Joshua Kinberg, who was arrested while being interviewed by MSNBC for having a bike that sprays chalk that can easilly be washed away. This actually made me turn on MSNBC for the first time in ages and the showed the clip the interviewer tlaking to the police. The police claimed they saw him defacing property and the reporter says, "No you didn't. We were here before you were and even we didn't see him use it. The chalk was here when we got here." On a related note, despite the fact that they are on videotape saying it is chalk, some news sources are spreading the misinformation that it was paint. "That's nice fact checking there boys..."
  • I made the mistake of watching FOX News for two seconds tonight, and heard some chick reporter explain that the protesters were only some 10.000 and mostly anarchists. Fair and balanced!
  • Just wanted to give a shout-out to all the NY Monkeys who participated - I was there with you in spirit, and wish I could have been there with you in person. Joining the anti-war protests in SF last year inspired me to become politically active for the first time in years. My hope is that this protest will inspire others to become active and create positive change in this next election - and beyond.
  • To all the monkeys and other non-simians going to the protests: good luck. I'm sure you'll keep it clean, but who knows what the response of the 'peacekeepers' will be, at the sight of thousands of sentient beings, asking questions and daring to think for themselves...
  • So, were the New Yorkers just letting off some steam, or do they expect these protests to have any effect on the GOP? I marched in every single anti-war protest in my city, and nothing came of them. Yet, the anti-war protests had a greater chance of effecting change than this protest against... what exactly? Did they just not want the convention in New York? Hasn't Bush repeatedly said that he is immune to all these "focus groups"? It's funny reading all these liberal blogs where everyone who marched yesterday seems to think that they did something profound. Meanwhile the GOP is laughing at their silly antics as they ready their next smear campaign. Who're you going to believe, four hundred thousand dirty hippies or veterans who served in the same war aswith Kerry and are paid to sayknow that he's lying?
  • A protest is not so much about having an affect on Bush so much as it's a motivating force for us Tensor. I was working w/ a group distributing schedules for nearly 70 trainings around NYC over the next few days. if 1 % of the people that were at that protest yesterday get some training, and do something more than just protest - be it canvassing, media work, etc. etc., thats 5000 committed new activists doing something that WILL make a difference. These events give the movement the energy it needs to continue, and constantly are bringing new people into the fold - thats whatg the magic is.
  • Meanwhile, the International Jewish Conspiracy's inside report. [satire, for entertainment purposes only.]
  • I hate Republicans. I also hate protestors.
  • and protesters.
  • In honor of the protesters in NYC this week, I give you 14 albums upsetting to conservatives. Via Splendid.
  • It's quite simple to defend yourself against a man armed with a banana. First of all, you force him to drop the banana; then, second, you eat the banana, thus disarming him. You have now rendered him helpless.
  • what about a pointed stick?
  • We want to learn how to defend ourselves against pointed sticks, do we? Getting all high and mighty, eh? Fresh fruit not good enough for you, eh??
  • Treat the pointed stick the same way you'd treat the banana. Just chew more. I heard three different news sources yesterday give three different figures for the protest turnout: 10,000, 100k and 400k. So 400k was the most likely? Awesome.
  • God, pythonites. *shakes head helplessly*
  • Shut up. Come on, brandish that raspberry. Come at me with it. Give me hell!
  • A blade of grass can be used to cut a finger A pen a cellphone and a cat can all be used as projectiles Confetti a sack of uncooked rice a ditto of kitty litter can all kill if stuffed forcefully into your mouth and airway O it is a woeful wicked world! Now I am afraid of the paint on the walls emmitting toxic fumes But mostly, I am afraid of congregated Republican farts!
  • Is it just me, or did John McCain just frame the convention as George Bush vs. Michael Moore?
  • John "French" Kerry, Michael "Morlock" Moore, what is the difference?