Sorry for the lapse in updates...yesterday I was mostly packing and heading through the subway to my flight. Wahh! I want to be there tonight, the text reports keep flooding in about people disrupting BUsh's speech, staging impromptu rallies, etc. All very exciting.
Before we departed we spent the day out at the Pier 57 (some calling it "Guantanamo by the Hudson", but really, now, folks, that's dramatic). Then we left and went to Central Booking, 1000 Centre St. But were I to have been there today, I would've seen the mighty presence of André 3000, of Outkast fame. Alas! But no, instead I got to see my pal Sasha make it to the outside after an unpleasant stint. She was moved every 10 minutes or so to ensure proper sleeping conditions, kept in metal shackles on hand and feet, and given Frosted Flakes once in the morning. Before she had a chance to eat a Food not Bombs bagel, she was surrounded by reporters. Not optimal conditions for interviewing, but we take what we can get.
While going from the Pier 57 to the courthouse we walked past Ground Zero. There was a small gaggle of Arizona RNC delegates, and one of the New Yorkers in our group took the opportunity to give them a piece of his mind about their explotation of 9/11. They had their own media team, replete with tv camera, and the camera person argued that they just wanted a shot and a 'moment of silence'. Anyway, they were chased off. The squad of NYPD that watched the incident lackadaisically didn't move a muscle to defend the Arizonans.
After supporting Sasha and giving off-the-cuff interviews to local print media, it was time for Elly and I to pack up and head out. We were sad to go, and by now it was apparent that I was coming down with a cold. We just made our trains, and I got held in the interminable wait of the special security line due to my expired driver's license. During our check-in we met two wonderful ladies who had come out from Sonoma County to protest...dear to my heart, since I spent many formative years in Santa Rosa and Healdsburg. They were part of a group of mothers against the war, and affiliated with the SoCo Peace & Justice center. Yay!
Then, to the plane. The only media channels were MSNBC, Fox & CNN Headlines...yuck. A few decent reports of protest came through, I saw some of my Siafu comrades on camera (represent!) and we were even mentioned in passing on the O'Reilly Factor - as the infamous chanting, dancing people in red. Then on to coverage about good ol' Dick Cheney. No wonder I felt ill by the end of it.
By the time we were in bed, it was 4 am NYC time...a long day. The up and off to work, if a little late, this morning. Now that my nose is soundly stuffed up, I may exercise my sick time, even though my work is backed up. So if you ordered a DVD from AlterNet and are yet to get it, my apologies, but there's only one of me and 4,500 of you. And I have personal priorities...the RNC won in this particular case, as did my four days' vacation time.
¡Que viva disruption of the RNC!
Friday, September 03, 2004
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