NYC protests in September?

The GOP convention is in September in NYC, in case you hadn't heard. Is there anything being planned in the way of a demonstration? Numbers will be particularly important, it seems to me, given that the convention will probably be granted an unusually wide "no protest zone" due to security concerns. What about Central Park?

Or, on the other hand, does anyone think such a demonstration would be a bad idea?

•  There will be large protests

  all over the city.  

  by wells on Mon Feb 02, 2004 at 04:11:37 PM PDT

•  Gee.

  I don't know what's organized but a friend of mine is letting me use the couch over that weekend so I'll be out there at least :).

  by Demise on Mon Feb 02, 2004 at 04:12:48 PM PDT

•  If the protests are peaceful and informative

  ...the it'll be a success. I'm planning on going and participating. I'll be in Boston for the convention, and I'll head on down to New York for the protests. Get to sight-see too!

  by sane democrat on Mon Feb 02, 2004 at 04:13:49 PM PDT

•  The World Says No To Bush

  i did a quick google and came up with the following 3.

  United for Peace and Justice

  Counter Convention

  RNC Not Welcome
  

  by Ekim on Mon Feb 02, 2004 at 04:13:54 PM PDT

•  The whole world is watching!

  Yippee!  I'll be there.

  by al Qidder on Mon Feb 02, 2004 at 04:13:57 PM PDT

•  Chicago '68

  it won't... can't... be that. That was a police riot, and the NYC police under Bloomberg are not the Chicago police under Daley.

  Peaceful protest would be great, but we've got to do it in a way that does not give ammo to the GOoPers.

  by DemFromCT on Mon Feb 02, 2004 at 04:15:46 PM PDT

  •  it don't matter.

    the police will be instigating violence a la Seattle/FTAA

    it's going to be a mess, no matter how well-intentioned.  The media'll give it a good spin, watch the backlash.

    by Randomtask on Mon Feb 02, 2004 at 04:21:30 PM PDT

    •  I don't assume the police...

      ...will instigate violence. I do assume all your other points.

      The anarchists will not be welcome. This can't be like the globalization protests in Seattle a few years ago.

      We'd be creamed by the media.

      Chicago '68. If anyone doesn't know what that means, learn it now so we don't usher in the GOoPers on a red carpet.

      by DemFromCT on Mon Feb 02, 2004 at 04:28:28 PM PDT

      •  ok well

        you'd do well to assume the worst in this case.

        by Randomtask on Mon Feb 02, 2004 at 04:37:18 PM PDT

        •  please don't be correct...

          ...because I fear that you are.

          by DemFromCT on Mon Feb 02, 2004 at 04:42:35 PM PDT

•  I've wanted the "Super-Meetup"

  Imagine, DFA rents out Giants Stadium or Yankee Stadium or whatever for a night and does The Mother of All Meetups.  

  But that was a Trippi-era thought.  Gotta think smaller.  Howzabout we get Joan Jett to do a concert in Central Park?

  by IrishAlum on Mon Feb 02, 2004 at 04:16:53 PM PDT

  •  I can't really speak for her

    
    But I did met her in New Hampshire while she was campaigining for Dean as a surrogate and she really does believe in Dean.  She'd probably love to do it.

    by mr northstar on Mon Feb 02, 2004 at 04:46:07 PM PDT

•  A few links

  Here are a few organizational-type things with information for protests in NYC:

  The counter convention"

  RNC Not Welcome

  ZNet

  United for Peace and Justice

  I'm planning on heading down there from Boston.  It's kinda funny, though, as my Bush-fan uncle was mighty confused when I said I was heading to NYC for the Republican Convention.  When I said I'd be protesting, things started to make more sense.

  by MAJeff on Mon Feb 02, 2004 at 04:17:15 PM PDT

•  Thanks

  
  For the links.

  As an independent-minded Democrat-leaner, I have to say that Communist and Anarchist protests do not thrill me. I hope there's a large, peaceful, "radical middle"-type gathering.

  by jimrice on Mon Feb 02, 2004 at 04:37:55 PM PDT

•  Awful

  I hope you all stay home and don't come up here.  If you want to rally somewhere, go to the Democratic convention and give our guy a rally of support.

  by Aaron Gillies on Mon Feb 02, 2004 at 05:05:20 PM PDT

•  the protests

  I went to an noRNC (I think--there are many different, somewhat interlocking groups)organizing meeting last summer--I have been obsessed about this ever since the theoligarch militarist party announced they would site their convention on the bodies of our city's dead. Of all the low, base, hateful things the Republicans have done, this is the worst, and they deserve one million Americans out in force to call them on it.

  But the meeting last August was a big disappointment to me. The organizers all seemed to be living in some mental ultra-lefty fantasyland. Their first act was to expel a New York Times reporter... not the best way to get the media on our side. Then they went on to have "votes" on whether the organizing group would be anti-racist, -sexist, homophobic, etc... a nice sentiment, but it wasn't exactly like the Klan was there anyway.

  I tried to bring up political and communications aspects--how to make the protests media-friendly and more likely to point up Republican evil than to annoy otherwise uninterested New Yorkers or play into the hands of those who'd prefer to write off opposition as "America-haters" or "left-wing weirdos." They were more interested in creating "places of safety and creativity" for their demonstrations and figuring out how this could help their own little groups and collectives.

  Don't get me wrong. I have very little organizing experience and I fully appreciate the need to figure out logistics, do outreach and take care of everything from accommodating out of towners to getting permits to making sure there are places to (legally) go to the bathroom. But the stakes are too friggin' high this year to make the whole thing just an exercise in self-indulgence. We need a counter-movement that points up how Bush policies are damaging America, and NYC in particular. (a DfA mindset would actually be the perfect approach here.) I'll be out there no matter what, but I hope the final result is a lot smarter and politically relevant than what the noRNC people were talking about when I sat in last summer.

  by dajafi on Mon Feb 02, 2004 at 05:10:08 PM PDT

•  nyc is such a total crossroads.

  nyc is such a total crossroads.
  ive been subletting my apt there for 2 years (laid off from 6 jobs since 9-11, i had to get out of the city).
   now its time to decide, do i want to come back & re-build a nyc life?

  i feel like i lost balance with florida 2000, lost sense of "reality" with 9-11, & have been hiding/burying myself in researching history & politics (thank the goddess for c-span).

   to tell the truth, knowing what i've learned, i dont feel safe going back to nyc, & the threat is from bush & the radical republican PNACers, not from other nations.

   i feel that the PNAC place very little value on human life & 9-11 was exactly what they wanted & they would not hesitate to invoke another.

  on the other hand, i could come back & i could use the protests as a way to reclaim nyc, the city where i used to have fun adventures living my artist life.

  i still dont think theres any jobs there tho.

  www.nornsisland.com

  by n69n on Mon Feb 02, 2004 at 05:25:11 PM PDT

  •  You need to come back to New York

    There is no question about it.  I love this city.  You should consider it.  NYC has problems, but I feel comfortable here.

    by wells on Tue Feb 03, 2004 at 02:33:57 AM PDT