 |
| The largest protest march at the Republican National Convention Thursday, in context. |
I also just enjoyed walking across the bridge, right down the yellow line—how often to you get the chance?—and seeing the "Guardians of Traffic" protectively clutching their various modes of conveyance. CLEVELAND—The protesters were there, about 200 meeting at the historic Hope Memorial Bridge, just west of downtown Thursday, the last day of the Republican National Convention.
The signs were there, “Don’t Trump America” and “Stop Trump” and “Our Political System is Sick”— the protest was organized by Stand Together Against Trump, or “STAT,” formed by medical personnel.
There were medics and Amnesty International observers and volunteers from Seeds for Peace handing out water and chunks of homemade banana bread.
There were megaphones, used to shout chants, such as the classic, oddly syncopated, “The people, united, will never be defeated! The people, united, will never be defeated.”
Many media, even more police, everything you’d expect at a protest. Except for one thing:
There were no bystanders; nobody there to see it.
The march proceeded across the mile-long bridge, past a pair of art deco stone pylons with their "Guardians of Traffic" scowling indifferently, across the uninterested Cuyahoga River, and beyond apathetic mills and industrial wasteland, past the east guardians, also blasé, and then through the ubiquitous eight-foot tall metal fencing found anywhere near the Quicken Loans Arena, where the convention itself is taking place.
There were megaphones, used to shout chants, such as the classic, oddly syncopated, “The people, united, will never be defeated! The people, united, will never be defeated.”
Many media, even more police, everything you’d expect at a protest. Except for one thing:
There were no bystanders; nobody there to see it.
The march proceeded across the mile-long bridge, past a pair of art deco stone pylons with their "Guardians of Traffic" scowling indifferently, across the uninterested Cuyahoga River, and beyond apathetic mills and industrial wasteland, past the east guardians, also blasé, and then through the ubiquitous eight-foot tall metal fencing found anywhere near the Quicken Loans Arena, where the convention itself is taking place.
Neil's decision to report on positive things going on outside the convention hall yielded some interesting insights, but one hopes for some of his inimitable observations about the convention itself. On the other hand what more is there to say about such as Melania's revelation of her crush on Michelle, mild mannered Mike Pence being upstaged by Ted Cruz acting, uncharacteristically, on principle, the portly governor of New Jersey doing a Sarah Palin, etc., etc.
ReplyDeleteI note the Democrats have not commented much on the farrago, evidently abiding by Napoléon's sound advice that when your enemy is committing blunders you should not interfere.
I did notice that the evocation of Bishop Berkeley has disappeared from the original text, and was going to suggest another historical reference, to the Children's Crusade.
Tom Evans
I'm not sure I decided to report on positive things—I did hang out with the hate group, Bible Believers. It's just it was a fairly relaxed protest situation. The Trump supporters were not, in the main, protesting, so I didn't talk to them much.
DeleteNot sure that the protests made any sense, given that Trump and his supporters seem to relish the criticism, savor the invective and thrive in the pollution. Not to evoke Greek myth, but they seem to grow stronger with every lie uncovered, every gaucherie exposed, every flaw magnified. I don't think we'll be talking about hanging chads in January -- it's a landslide for sure. Which way? I don't know.
ReplyDeletejohn
Breaking news. David Duke announced he will run for the Louisiana Senate seat. If he had done it a week earlier he might have been a keynote speaker.
DeleteTE
Heard his statement on NPR that he's all for equal rights for everybody, but differs in insisting that European Americans [sic] get their rights. Which I would suppose would be equaller rights than for the rest of us, whoever we may be.
DeleteGreat series of articles on the activities surrounding the convention! They were much more interesting and entertaining compared to what was going on inside the event, which I abstained from watching.
ReplyDeleteThanks Wendy. I just looked for stuff that was interesting to me.
Delete