Protesting the President
January 19, 2005 4:13 PM Subscribe
I'm a highschool student inside the beltway, and I'd like to attend a innagural protest tommorrow. Any practical reccomendations for going about this?
Take Metro!
posted by JoanArkham at 4:42 PM on January 19, 2005
posted by JoanArkham at 4:42 PM on January 19, 2005
Response by poster: I thought Metro was being shut down! Well in that case, this should be easy, as my school has a metro station a literal stones throw away from it.
posted by phrontist at 5:17 PM on January 19, 2005
posted by phrontist at 5:17 PM on January 19, 2005
Bring plenty of bottled water in case you need to wash out your eyes. /non-snark
posted by AlexReynolds at 5:33 PM on January 19, 2005
posted by AlexReynolds at 5:33 PM on January 19, 2005
I thought Metro was being shut down!
The entire Metro is not being shut down, just certain stations.
posted by Fat Guy at 6:06 PM on January 19, 2005
The entire Metro is not being shut down, just certain stations.
posted by Fat Guy at 6:06 PM on January 19, 2005
the Radical Reference web site has, among other resources, an excel spreadsheet with a full schedule and a bunch of useful fact sheets about the event and links to other counter-inagural sites.
posted by jessamyn at 6:53 PM on January 19, 2005
posted by jessamyn at 6:53 PM on January 19, 2005
Response by poster: The mylar balloon thing is classic
posted by phrontist at 8:08 PM on January 19, 2005
posted by phrontist at 8:08 PM on January 19, 2005
Sorry to derail, but I've never seen the Mylar balloon before -- I don't believe it'll work. I believe they have spotters all over the DC area and how many 757s go at the speed of the wind and constantly change size from a house to nothing. I believe modern radar would be sophisticated enough to dismiss it as a Mylar balloon. I also remember tin foil causing power to fail if it falls over the power lines. Then you'd be in deep shit.
posted by geoff. at 8:55 PM on January 19, 2005
posted by geoff. at 8:55 PM on January 19, 2005
Most important thing is to dress smart for a long day of doing a lot of standing and slow walking. It's good to layer so you can adjust during the day as you get hotter or colder. Water and healthy energy snacks are good things to have as well. Going to protests with a friend is always good, somebody you can stick with all day.
Before you go, it is a good idea to quickly discuss with your friend (or yourself) what type of situations you feel safe in. Even though the majority of protests are non-violent, sometimes certain areas of the protest can get a little sketchy. Situations usually arise when protestors want to be where the police don't want them to be.
This scenario can play out in many ways, sometimes protestors can start moving barricades, or spill out into the street when the police want them on the sidewalk. Sometimes police can start moving in formation to try to separate large crowds. Sometimes police will order an area clear, sometimes they will just start arresting people with no warning. Sometimes police try to steer marches in directions the people don't want to go in. If things like this starts happening, and you do not want to risk arrest, quickly look for the calmest way out of the area. Always be aware of where riot cops are amassing, always be aware of being surrounded. Do your best to walk out of the area, running should only be a last resort.
Also many times you don't need to actually leave the area, just move more in the "back." Even being 20 feet away from a heated situation can be far enough away to avoid getting caught in the middle. The more people in between you and a solid wall of riot cops the better. The only people on the front lines are wingnuts or seasoned activists who should be well aware of the dangers and willing to accept all of the consequences, legal and medical.
Being caught in the middle of action you have nothing to do with sucks. Many people here in NYC spent 48+ hours in jail for simply coming out of the wrong restaurant at the wrong time. Be aware.
Times like the above are when it is really good to have a friend with you, or a group of friends. When situations escalate always talk with your friend, like "if the police start moving forward i'd like to start walking back that way," or "i'm comfortable walking out in the street unless those riot cops start coming over here." The more communication the better. It also helps prevent panic.
So to sum up, dress smartly and warmly, and always keep your eyes open. And don't let any of the above freak you out. I can almost assure you will have a safe time and have a great opportunity to show the monkey how you feel.
Also, I second the counter-inaugural and the radical reference site, both good stuff. If you don't have excel and want to see a calendar, the counter-inaugs have this one (note, slight self-referential link as i helped write the software that the site uses even though i haven't worked on this particular site.)
posted by lips at 9:22 PM on January 19, 2005
Before you go, it is a good idea to quickly discuss with your friend (or yourself) what type of situations you feel safe in. Even though the majority of protests are non-violent, sometimes certain areas of the protest can get a little sketchy. Situations usually arise when protestors want to be where the police don't want them to be.
This scenario can play out in many ways, sometimes protestors can start moving barricades, or spill out into the street when the police want them on the sidewalk. Sometimes police can start moving in formation to try to separate large crowds. Sometimes police will order an area clear, sometimes they will just start arresting people with no warning. Sometimes police try to steer marches in directions the people don't want to go in. If things like this starts happening, and you do not want to risk arrest, quickly look for the calmest way out of the area. Always be aware of where riot cops are amassing, always be aware of being surrounded. Do your best to walk out of the area, running should only be a last resort.
Also many times you don't need to actually leave the area, just move more in the "back." Even being 20 feet away from a heated situation can be far enough away to avoid getting caught in the middle. The more people in between you and a solid wall of riot cops the better. The only people on the front lines are wingnuts or seasoned activists who should be well aware of the dangers and willing to accept all of the consequences, legal and medical.
Being caught in the middle of action you have nothing to do with sucks. Many people here in NYC spent 48+ hours in jail for simply coming out of the wrong restaurant at the wrong time. Be aware.
Times like the above are when it is really good to have a friend with you, or a group of friends. When situations escalate always talk with your friend, like "if the police start moving forward i'd like to start walking back that way," or "i'm comfortable walking out in the street unless those riot cops start coming over here." The more communication the better. It also helps prevent panic.
So to sum up, dress smartly and warmly, and always keep your eyes open. And don't let any of the above freak you out. I can almost assure you will have a safe time and have a great opportunity to show the monkey how you feel.
Also, I second the counter-inaugural and the radical reference site, both good stuff. If you don't have excel and want to see a calendar, the counter-inaugs have this one (note, slight self-referential link as i helped write the software that the site uses even though i haven't worked on this particular site.)
posted by lips at 9:22 PM on January 19, 2005
This would be a good one to attend. Not really a protest, but, one of those activities that only seems to happen in the nations capitol. A great band and some radical politics.
posted by trbrts at 8:15 AM on January 20, 2005
posted by trbrts at 8:15 AM on January 20, 2005
That mylar balloon business is poorly thought-out. Ignoring for a moment whether or not it would actually work (probably not), they seem to have confused air traffic controllers for highway patrol. The no-fly zones are going to make the airspace unpredictable and busy anyhow. Trying to make controllers' days busier just means taking their attention away from the aircraft full of people.
Dumb, dumb, dumb.
posted by mendel at 8:46 AM on January 20, 2005
Dumb, dumb, dumb.
posted by mendel at 8:46 AM on January 20, 2005
Don't wear a sweatshirt or jacket with a hood, or at least don't use the hoods. A seasoned protest veteran once told me that wearing a hood can be construed, in certain situations, as attempting to hide or cover your face, which can get you arrested during a protest.
posted by baphomet at 9:14 AM on January 20, 2005
posted by baphomet at 9:14 AM on January 20, 2005
The current administration has caused enough problems - must we also hang the blame for a bright, politically motivated high school student's truancy onto it?
Go to class, man. Bush and his cronies aren't worth missing a day of school for.
posted by ikkyu2 at 4:49 PM on January 20, 2005
Go to class, man. Bush and his cronies aren't worth missing a day of school for.
posted by ikkyu2 at 4:49 PM on January 20, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mudpuppie at 4:26 PM on January 19, 2005