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J20 Wrap-Up Reports
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National Reports "Let a thousand CounterCoup's bloom." —Mousey Young
NEWS - NOT BLUES REPORT FROM J20 SECURITY ROVING TEAM (MARIPOSAS) Yesterday, JANUARY 20, 2001, the Los Angeles Counter Inauguration Coalition hosted its RALLY FOR DEMOCRACY in Pershing Square. 5,000+ people assembled at 11:00 with an opening ceremonial performance of Indigenous cultural blessings by the Danza Azteca Cuauhtemoc. For the next two hours they enjoyed the beautiful day and celebrated the Inauguration of a "New Generation of Activism" to Stop Right Wing Attacks on our lives and world. A field of hand painted signs declared opposition to Ashcroft and Norton, rollback of Women's Rights, Civil Rights and opposition to Racism. The crowd was tightly packed and included spectacles like a giant puppet of King George, fists full of corporate dollars, surrounded by Black Robes with Death Masks. The crowd cheered speakers, MC'd by ED ASNER: (apologies to names ommited here, these are just notes from my impressions) REP MAXINE WATERS, At 1:30, the March began down Broadway to the Federal Building, led by a performance art piece in which Blind Lady Justice, gagged and bound, is tormented by Black Robed Supremes with Clown Masks who inflict wounds to Justice, next to a (real) casket filled to overflowing with butterfly ballots. Sandra Day O'Connor tearing ballots to shreds and cackling! Heading the throng issuing from the Square into 6th street was the Coalition banner. The banner, with the face of Martin Luther King, Jr., was carried by dignitaries and community leaders and declared our unity in nonviolent commitment to Justice. Behind that banner was the Coalition's next message, 25 feet wide - VOTE WITH A VENGENCE - 2002-2004! From my perspective and reports from my team captain, I can say that our March filled at least two and one half city blocks on Broadway from curb to curb. The scene was vibrant with signs declaring a diverse and wide rejection of false democracy. The movements represented were significant! African American Civil Rigts groups, Latino Civil Rights groups, Religious Leaders, Democrats, Greens, Socialists all united and ready to join forces for the coming work. After our March arrival at the Federal Building, we heard music and speakers from a sound truck powered with Solar Energy. The program included important statements from Religious, Labor, Political and Community Leaders issuing calls for increased organization and communication amongst the many interests represented in the gathering. The passing of honored Community Leader Bert Corona was observed with a silent respect, and we were brought to tears by the expressions of our musicians. SUBJECTIVE NOTE: Yesterday, I saw a crowd that seemed very much like crowds I saw as a boy at the beginning of the Anti-Vietnam War movement. The Civil Rights and Anti-War movements were coming together and their truth came to be recognized over the propaganda of the government in a few short years. The crowd yesterday was brought together in a completely grassroots effort, in just over one month, by persons with no previous experience with each other... It started as a Call issued by a handful of outraged ordinary Citizens from around LA. We were united in our understanding of the failure of our leadership to protect us, and resolved in our commitment to make a Demonstration of the community's rejection of this illegitimate president-select. Yesterday proved we were correct! We are in a moment, we have made a strong beginning! Now, what we do next becomes what's important - we've all met and celebrated our common resolve, now lets work to create a project in which each side pulls in its own way in cooperation with all others. Unity and Diversity. Resist together the Right Wing Coup! peace, elbop
The Fairbanks, Alaska Protest: Well, we had a pretty good turnout here. It was sunny and a bit chilly (around 10 above or so). All told, there were around fifty or sixty of us (I didn't get an exact head count), a fair number of Greenies/Naderites among them. Basically it was the usual liberal Fairbanks crowd that showed up plus a few disaffected types who came to add their voices. We had a good media contingent, including a reporter from the local NPR affiliate, KUAC, a television reporter from one of the local stations, and a reporter and a photographer from the News- Miner. We gathered at Bicentennial Park downtown, formed up, then marched over to the sidewalk on Cushman Street where we stood for a while, waving our signs on both sides of the street. The KUAC reporter set up a table and interviewed a number of us. The television reporter took his camera across the street and filmed us while the photographer walked out into the street to get some wide shots of the crowd. After a while, we formed up again and marched down to the bridge across the Chena. Then we went over to the parking lot across from the News-Miner building where we formed up our line and waved our signs at the window containing the Arctic Cam webcam. Anyone visiting the News-Miner's website and who happened to be checking out the webcam would have seen us in the lot for those few minutes we were there. The lady who owns the Miner's Restaurant came out and loudly demanded we get out of her lot. So we did. We went back across the bridge,up Cushman and once back at the park, we dispersed. We got a fairlyhigh number of wave, thumbs-up, horns honking at us, and such. There was not a whole lot of negative reaction. Then again, most people were speeding right on by and probably didn't even have time to read our signs. One of our guys was getting interviewed by the television reporter when some wingnut came up to them and harangued him for a bit. The reporter had to stop the interview until this idiot said his piece to Sean. Evidently, that was the extent of the really negative in-your-face reaction from the reactionaries. All in all, a pretty good show for basically being put together at the last minute and no advertising except sending out emails, phoning a few folks, a flyer up around campus, and being listed on the Countercoup.org site. That's my report from the Last Frontier
Americans In Paris Rage On!!!
Death of Liberty/Philadelphia Press coverage in the Philadelphia Inquirer stated that 250 people were present with costumes and banners, and had 2 pictures along with the story. 2 local t.v. stations, also, covered the event. Walking in an American Tradition: Report from a Denied Majority Democrats.com co-founder David Lytel's Speech at VoterMarch.org Rally Special Report: Live From the Inauguration Thousands protest Bush inauguration Interviews with protesters at Bush inauguration Anti-Bush Protesters Get Noticed, Despite Massive Police Presence Thousands protest Bush's Inauguration Protesters Make Mark on a Day of Causes Bush takes jabs from protesters Link to Real Video of the inaugural protesters Protests Amid the Pageantry BAY AREA: Inauguration day brings out angry anti-Bush crowds Seattle: Protesters raise voices, signs over election flaws See CounterCoup.org's News Linx section for constantly updated news. Also see CounterCoup.org's archived Actions Alerts page for specific cities' websites and discussion lists in regards to J20 reports and news. |
Minnesota Stories from the Inaugural Protests
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