Republican Convention a SET UP!

[annabanana]

The Central Park permit was rejected because it might "squash the grass". Evidently the huge crowds that gathered there to greet the Pope floated 6" above the ground!

This morning's local news is repeating (and repeating) the report that "violent anarchist groups" are getting ready to disrupt the convention.

It's a set up! I'm beginning to believe that it was a set up from the word "go". Why would they choose NYC, the one place where they were guaranteed to be despised. They are infuriating people who want to exercise their right to protest by denying permits. And they are stirring up the police with reports of wild eyed anarchists rioting in the streets.

If they get the chaos that they want... The footage will be used to characterize all who protest as dangerous and unAmerican. Democrat = Terrorist. This is their aim.

Having a Repub Governor and Mayor sealed the deal.

[Maddy McCall]

1. They haven't seen anarchic protests until they alter the...

Constitution to keep Bushbaby in office.

[rooboy]

2. Dems need to get their video cameras...

and prepare to tape footage of the "anarchists". My $50 says that the "anarchists" (Skip, Buffy, Skeeter and Biff) won't be turning up to wreak their havoc on the RNC convention.

[AdrianInOcala]

3. Either that, or they'll look a lot like

The anarchists that showed up in Palm Beach County to stop the recount....You remember those Bush Republican Youth members and republican congressional staffers that nearly started a riot in the halls of the building where the recount was supposed to take place.

[shraby]

5. Problem with protesters at

the Repub convention, is the brownshirts will probably start trouble and then Bush can declare martial law and cancel the election.

[Cats Against Frist]

4. I agree

It is a well-known ploy on the right that, to energize their base, they need to use divide and conquer tactics. Nothing would please them more than a violent protest. This whole Reagan, Neocon, Christaliban movement is a direct reaction to the civil rights era of the 1960s, which was able to hit white male privilege where it hurts.

To again be able to paint the left as "commie protesters," is their wet freaking dream -- and I CAUTION ANYONE who plans to go to the RNC convention to start shennanigans: DONT. It's what they want you to do.

It would be MUCH MUCH more effective, visually and politically, to follow the plan of bringing a lighted object: a flashlight, a glow rope, candles, whatever -- and MOURN for what has happened to this country. Take a lesson from Gandhi on this one. If there are enough people, and those people are completely passive, but strong with their numbers -- there is nothing they will be able to do. They will not be able to tear gas people who are standing quietly with flashlights. It will make THEM look terrible.

And if the Bushies plant people to stir up trouble (which I think they will) don't get caught up in any fights or riots.

MOURN. Get angry at the voting booth. Mourn at the protest.

[annabanana]

6. Mourn at the protest, but....

If everyone has cameras, it will be harder for them to mis-categorize the various incidents they incite.

[faithnotgreed]

14. im with you on this. when i suggested this before, some here said things

like - oh, you want us to just go there and sing kumbaya?

it seems some people dont understand that there is a whole range of options to express what were feeling that doesnt need to include violence

i agree with others here. they want us to act like the "wild eyed" that they are now calling us.

it doesnt take much to be smarter than these guys, so lets do it

[mikehiggins]

7. I've been saying this for months to anyone who would listen.

Nobody is listening. Everyone is happily marching right into the jaws of the dragon because, as one activist told me half in jest, "a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Our own Light Brigade.

Just stand on the street corner and wait. The sutomobile accident will take place on schedule.

[Kahuna]

8. I've been saying it for months now. They want us to get ugly...

They remember Chicago 1968. The funny thing is, the "anarchists" were'nt even Democrats. But they were associated with Democrats.

I beg everyone to keep your "Bush = Hitler" signs at home. It will turn voters against us. Do protest. But use common sense and restraint.

[Joe Fields]

13. I don't believe in censorship of any kind.

Neither do I believe in violence. Any protestor should not be cautioned or told what signs to bring or what to say. That, in and of itself is anti-democratic. But each protestor should be cautioned not to fall into the mob violence mentality. These protests are not designed as a free for all for total anarchistic chaos. These protests are organized to serve a purpose, and to give dissatisfied Americans a strong, clear voice. That voice will be drowned completely out with any violent outbursts.

As for the government, I do fear that the protestors are going to be severely tested and provoked. I can't help but get the feeling that I am about to witness a train wreck.

But I will promise this much. While I do not believe that violence is a way to resolve disputes, I will be among the first to take to the streets, should the Bush administration decide to pull a fast one and suspend the election for any number of lame reasons.


Joe Fields

[in_cog_ni_to]

9. I heard the other day

that they are blocking off 19 New York city blocks around the convention. That means the protesters won't even be near the the convention area.

If you do attend, HIDE your cameras and camcorders! Don't let the police see them. Someone on DU posted a list of things you need to do to prepare yourselves for the protests. I DO hope they are peaceful. The repukes would like nothing more than to have footage of a riot.

[Cats Against Frist]

10. Here's the deal

We don't have to get NEAR the convention. It depends on what your goals are, of course -- if your goal is to start a riot or shut down the convention -- which we've all discussed would be pretty stupid, then you might want to be close.

But if not, there's no reason you can't do the flashlight thing outside the 19-block barrier. It will still get press coverage.

Do you really think those people will be in there going: "Geez, I wonder if there are a whole bunch of people who hate our fascism and think we suck?" and further, if they were to encounter this, "oh, you're right -- 500,000 "scummy, hippie" protesters have changed my mind..."?

You think these people would adopt our positions because we protest?

Right. Bush is not a president of the people. He's a president of the far right. Period.

[Freya]

11. You just figured this out?

They are probably HOPING blood is shed at the protests.

That way if there are plans to make bush dictator (which are highly tin foil at this point IMO) it will accomplish 2 things:

1. Make people turn on democrats if the media can frame them on TV as being disorderly/savage/whatever.

2. Possibly blame martial law on democrats. "Look at them on TV! They're going wild over a convention!" Then if martial law IS declared it be very unlikely the general populace would be on the side they saw acting poorly (violently?) in TV.

I hope to god anyone at the protest is on their best behavior. Anyone doing anything stupid could very well give them exactly what they want. I wouldn't at all be surprised if they sent stealth brown shirts in to the protest to get things stirred up.

[AP]

12. Exactly. '72 chaos drove moderates to right, to law and order party.

There was just an article about how Buchanan was in Chi in '68 organizing Repub responses to Dem convention for Nixon. He quickly realized that the best thing to do was to invite journalists up to his hotel room for drinks and have them take pictures of the riots below.

[bobbieinok]

16. a lot of people saw this as a police riot---they tear gassed

everyone

my impression is that if anti-war people had not been so purist and had voted for HHH, democrats would have won

[Anon]

15. RNC in NYC

Just so you know anna, Bloomberg also asked the DNC to hold our convention in NYC also. Terry McCaulliffe said yes with the caveat that the RNC not be held in NYC, Bloomberg said no.