ARREST TOP 1500 IN NEW YORK CITY
Protesters get creative as arrests top 1,500
Sara Kugler
Associated Press
Published September 2, 2004
NEW YORK -- Thousands of protesters waving pink fliers that read "The Next Pink Slip Might Be Yours!" formed a symbolic unemployment line stretching 3 miles from Wall Street to the site of the Republican convention Wednesday.
"I've been unemployed before," said Gary Goff, 57, a data processor. "I think Bush is a disaster for working people."
The peaceful demonstration came a day after police used metal barriers and orange netting to contain swarms of protesters, eventually arresting nearly 1,000 demonstrators with their sights set on fortress-like Madison Square Garden.
The "unemployment line," organized by the nonprofit Washington-based People for the American Way, was part of the Imagine Festival of Arts, Issues and Ideas that called for a creative response to party politics.
"I can barely survive, and it's because of jobs going oversees," said Jerry Nowadzky, 49, of Monticello, Iowa, who said that two companies for which he worked had outsourced jobs to other countries.
Police said more than 1,500 people have been arrested in convention-related protests since late last week. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said police "have shown great restraint in the face of relentless provocation."
When Republican youth gathered Wednesday morning on the convention floor for an event, 10 AIDS activists rose from their ranks, blew whistles and chanted "Bush kills!" as White House chief of staff Andrew Card spoke. A scuffle broke out between protesters and event participants, and police moved in to remove the demonstrators.
As buses full of arrested protesters pulled out of a holding facility on their way to central booking Wednesday, a few hundred people gathered to cheer them on, chanting "Let them out!"
Police said about 20 of the nearly 1,000 demonstrators taken into custody have requested medical treatment, but for conditions such as asthma attacks, not for physical injuries.© Copyright 2004 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.
Sara Kugler
Associated Press
Published September 2, 2004
NEW YORK -- Thousands of protesters waving pink fliers that read "The Next Pink Slip Might Be Yours!" formed a symbolic unemployment line stretching 3 miles from Wall Street to the site of the Republican convention Wednesday.
"I've been unemployed before," said Gary Goff, 57, a data processor. "I think Bush is a disaster for working people."
The peaceful demonstration came a day after police used metal barriers and orange netting to contain swarms of protesters, eventually arresting nearly 1,000 demonstrators with their sights set on fortress-like Madison Square Garden.
The "unemployment line," organized by the nonprofit Washington-based People for the American Way, was part of the Imagine Festival of Arts, Issues and Ideas that called for a creative response to party politics.
"I can barely survive, and it's because of jobs going oversees," said Jerry Nowadzky, 49, of Monticello, Iowa, who said that two companies for which he worked had outsourced jobs to other countries.
Police said more than 1,500 people have been arrested in convention-related protests since late last week. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said police "have shown great restraint in the face of relentless provocation."
When Republican youth gathered Wednesday morning on the convention floor for an event, 10 AIDS activists rose from their ranks, blew whistles and chanted "Bush kills!" as White House chief of staff Andrew Card spoke. A scuffle broke out between protesters and event participants, and police moved in to remove the demonstrators.
As buses full of arrested protesters pulled out of a holding facility on their way to central booking Wednesday, a few hundred people gathered to cheer them on, chanting "Let them out!"
Police said about 20 of the nearly 1,000 demonstrators taken into custody have requested medical treatment, but for conditions such as asthma attacks, not for physical injuries.© Copyright 2004 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.
1 Comments:
I was laid off twice during the Clinton's presidency. Did I blame them? Hell no - it was the nature of the business I was in at the time (e-commerce). Anyone blaming Dubya/the administration for this is deluding themselves.
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