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January 24, 2005

What I Saw at the Coronation

I was right up against the barricade. Right on Pennsylvania Ave., and except for hundreds of police officers standing right in front of me, I had a clear view of the street. At one point, police from various outposts were four-deep in front of us. There were hundreds of them, as far as the eye could see. One woman standing near me asked the police if they didn't see how excessive their presence was. Most stood there expressionless. One said quietly, "We're just doing what we were told to do."

I held my spot by the avenue for several hours, despite the cold. I had a video camera, loaned by a local TV station, so I wanted to catch the procession going by, and show the crowd's reaction. Many interesting things happened while we all waited to express our feelings to King George.

One woman was relentless in her effort to reason with Bush supporters who had no choice but to walk through the ANSWER “free speech zone” to get to their worship zone or coronation party. A steady stream of fur coat clad women and well dressed, beefy men wandered through all day long. Our activist friend would follow them, matter-of-factly asking how they could support 'this guy', and didn't they care that so many people were dying every day in Iraq. For the most part, the Bush supporters looked scared, or confused. Few had retorts, under the circumstances. After awhile others joined in speaking truth to the power-worshippers.

Perhaps the defining moment was when a pouting, quivering, fur-coated woman was rescued from the hard questions and heckling of the people at the ANSWER rally. There were no tears running down her face, but she pretended to cry. She and her husband made it up to the front row, where she asked the police to get her out of this crowd and help them get to their destination. The crowd around her hollered "No!" The police helped her over the barricade and off she and her husband were led. The crowd jeered and booed at massive decibels, myself included. Afterward, one woman asked the police, "If I start crying because of all the kids being killed in Iraq every day, and I decide I have to leave, are you going to help me?” No reply.

At one point, a few cops integrated themselves among those of us in the front row. I had a very large officer standing right next to me. After awhile, another officer came up to the one I stood beside, and took 'his' picture with a digital camera. I'd say there's a good chance he was really taking my picture. I didn't care. I'm as open as can be about what I do and why I do it.

Finally the procession rolled by. I have never been in a crowd that expressed so much rage. There was an energy that pressed forward toward the motorcade as people yelled and booed. Stuff was thrown at the motorcade, and people flipped off “President George". And then there's the phrase that keeps ringing in my head, "Go back to Hell!" A few people kept yelling that. And knowing the policies of the Bush administration, and seeing the black cars, black-clad secret service with their shades covering their eyes, and blank expressions on their faces, the phrase really fit.

Other than that, I saw what I usually see in DC: Some people with colossal amounts of money, and the homeless--everywhere in DC, the most visible ones being older black men. The level of wealth at both ends of the poll seen in the city where our laws and programs of social uplift are supposed to be made never ceases to amaze me.

In hindsight, what I saw at the coronation served as strong reminders of some important things. I know lots of decent people, some of them activists, who probably would not approve of many of the acts I've written about herein. I am at a point where I must, with genuine heartfelt respect, disagree. I think anyone (fur-coated in DC, or living in a van down by the river in a "red state") who is still so ignorant and/or stupid enough-- or for that matter, just plain mean-spirited enough-- to follow the leadings of the Bush administration needs to be vigorously heckled-- and then some. Neocons are good at one-liner, snap-your-head-off comments. But when you give it to them first, many are so taken aback that they don't know how to justify their ways (because there IS no justifying their ways). Who knows, they might even stop and think.

Posted by Joe Public at January 24, 2005 04:10 PM

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