This will be a short diary, with as many pictures as I can fit in. I'm on my very cheap, very weak netbook, and even getting the DKos page to load was a rather excruciating process. I'm here right now, but after I post this diary, I'll be leaving, as I have a few things to take care of tonight, but I'm hoping to get back later tonight (I'm doubtful, but who knows)
Sorry if the pictures are bad and/or the formatting of this diary is weird, as I said, I am on an incredibly primitive, craptastic netbook and what I can do is quite limited, and the pictures were taken from my phone.
Also, during the 30 mins it took me to do this diary, about 100 people (or more) are doing laps around Atlantic Avenue on bicycles, causing huge cheers, and during the 30 minutes I've been getting this done, I'd guess the crowd has doubled to probably 700 or more people (just my guess, NOT scientific in any way, shape or form) and more cops have shown up too. Dewey Square is now packed as I finish this diary. I'd take more pictures, but my camera isn't very good at night (doesn't mean I won't try!)
I won't be updating this until I get home, but hopefully I will have more pictures! Power to the people!
Update: After finishing the diary, I hung around for about 25 more minutes, as the crowd was irresistible. I took some more pictures, both with my phone, and my slightly better digital camera, and while about half were either just darkness or very blurry, quite a few came out alright, and I'll be posting them below. Also, the guys on the bikes? None other than the folks from Bikes not Bombs, from the Boston neighborhood of Jamaica Plain. They do great stuff, check them out here: http://bikesnotbombs.org/
Also, the guy in the red shirt in my last picture is from Urban Life, who marched on Bank of America today, and many of their supporters stayed around as well. Read about it here: http://www.boston.com/...
As I left, there were passionate speeches, people setting up their areas, including the IWW! The ACLU was there as well, giving out advice on what to do if you are stopped by the police. As I journeyed home, there were MBTA transit police at nearly every station, but only 1 or 2 cops, and no drawn weapons. Chances are I won't be heading back tonight, I don't feel particularly well, but if I do get an upswing in the next hour or so, I could head back for another hour or two. I will definitely be there tomorrow and hope to get some more pictures and hear some great stuff from the folks gathered there. Thanks for the great reception to this diary and my pictures, everyone! We are the majority!
Update pictures!
Lots of speeches happening here, for those who don't know, that is just an air ventilation building for Interstate 93.
Original Pictures:
Yep, reporters are here. That's a reporter from the ABC affiliate, I also saw reporters and cameras from the CBS and NBC stations as well.
That building in the back is the Federal Reserve building of Boston itself.
Don't worry, those aren't tea partiers ;D
9:35 PM PT: Quick factual update just in case anyone else checks this diary out: the bicycle group it turns out was the Critical Mass bike group, not Bikes not Bombs, though Bikes not Bombs was there. My mistake!