So there seems to be a protest just about everywhere…
November 14, 2008, 10:27 PM
This weekend will be fun, let me tell you. First of all, there is a protest against the meeting of the World Economic Forum, where the G20 will be looking to figure out how to handle the financial crisis. The main demonstration starts at 10 AM at Murrow Park, in front of the World Bank building at Pennsylvania Avenue, 18th Street, and H Street NW. We march to Luther Place near Thomas Circle. There, a people’s forum will be held.
For this event, I will be in radical cheerleader configuration, and cheering. After all, this will be our last opportunity to do the multitude of Bush cheers prior to George W. Bush’s leaving office (and counting the days). My cheer outfit this time around will be nearly identical to the one I wore for October Rebellion, minus the tights. It will be a shade too cold for tights, so I’m substituting jeans. If they weren’t calling for a 90% chance of rain, I might have done the tights, but not with rain in the forecast. As it is, with the foul weather planned, Duckie is being seriously prepped along with the Kodak, since it sounds like it might just get its day in the rain (which is what it was designed for). On days when Duckie is not expected to see use, I just take it along with no special preparations.
Otherwise, though, one of our cheers is going to take a cue from the great Randi Rhodes, who has been talking about how these businesses getting bailed out are privatizing their profits and socializing their losses. Thus one of our cheers goes like this:
Disease and starvation,
Won’t be solved by corporations,
That’s bulls—,
Get off it,
The enemy is profit!
Foreclosures and gentrification,
Won’t be solved by wealthy nations,
That’s bulls—,
Get off it,
Don’t socialize your losses!
“Priceless, Johann!” Isn’t that a great cheer? It was my idea to include that part about socializing the losses, and I have Randi Rhodes to thank for the idea. So, thanks, Randi. (Insert applause sound effect)
Then once the people’s forum gets going, I’m going to probably duck out, since there’s yet another march the same day. It actually requires going all the way back home, since (A) there’s a big time gap, and (B) the other march is late-night. So the second march meets at 11:55 PM on Saturday night in Dupont Circle, and this will be a “rowdy” march to send the G20 off in style. Hopefully, we’ll have enough in numbers this time around to tell the cops to go take a walk, unlike the World Bank march from a month ago, where we got shoved around by the cops, so to speak, due to our lack of numbers. This time will be better. But just like the World Bank march, there is a distinct possibility that it will go past 3:00 AM, when Metro closes. And so to accommodate for that, I’m driving into DC and parking near my office. The idea of having to take two buses home in the wee hours of the morning (the “S” to Silver Spring, and then the “Y” from there) is not too appealing when I have a car.
And then the last protest is actually on Monday, and totally unrelated to the other two. Food & Water Watch is sponsoring a demonstration from 12 noon to 1:30 PM outside the Savoy Suites Hotel on Wisconsin Avenue, to tell the National Organic Standards Board not to put the “organic” label on farm-raised seafood, which are raised in a way that is anything but organic. For more information on organic standards for seafood, see Organic Seafood: Fact or Fiction on Food & Water Watch’s Web site.
So let’s recap for a moment. Saturday, 10 AM, Murrow Park across the street from the World Bank: G20 protest. Saturday, 11:55 PM, Dupont Circle: “Rowdy” march protesting the G20. Monday, noon, Savoy Suites Hotel: Organic seafood protest. Hope to see you at all three! I plan to be there.
Web site: Global Justice Action blog entry about Saturday morning's rally and march
Song: Believe it or not, I've got that 1980s "Saturday Rocks" jingle from CBS stuck in my head right now.
Quote: Meanwhile, I've got my bag all packed for tomorrow. Cheer hat, hoodie, bandannas, arm things (for cheer outfit), cheer shirt, stainless steel water bottles, glasses case, and two flavors of camera depending on the weather. So I'd say I'm set!
Categories: Activism, Black bloc