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April 11, 2006
Si se puede! 
Maybe. But still.
...
I just got back from walking a quick mile and picking up some coffee. The air is brisk, but it's not raining. The sky, of course, looks like it may begin at any minute, but for the time being, it's dry.
It's been a good morning. I got some great cuddle time in with Sweetie, did some housekeeping on the guide, a load of dishes, and a load of laundry. And, I'll be learning some new stuff too. Wuhoo!
It's good that I'm suddenly productive after a couple of days of laying low with a headache that wouldn't budge. The weekend was a wash. I did go see a couple movies at a film festival, but otherwise spent too much time on the couch. Didn't read, didn't knit, didn't walk, didn't watch TV. Ugh.
Yesterday was kinda cool though. I had seen the headlines on USA Today about how immigrants were going to flood the streets, but to be honest, the protests and rallys weren't really on my agenda. So I'm at my desk when I hear chanting. My window faces out into the plaza of One World Trade Center, and it's a popular enough place for a protest.
I looked out and saw people walking in, carrying mexican, american and combination flags and signs, very peaceably. I decided it was time to take my lunch.
By the time I got downstairs, the plaza was entirely full, and people were still streaming in. Things were orderly, polite. I took my place with the professional photographers and their big fancy cameras, and hoped that the compact flash card in my camera would manage to hold out for one more set of pictures.
I could see our building's security people, all standing outside as if all hell was going to break loose.
There was very little police presence, and none of the drama that surrounded protests and rallys before we got this police chief. No riot squads, no SWAT team, no ATVs, no horse cops.
At one point I noticed a tall blonde cop standing over a significantly shorter hispanic man, and I noticed this as the rest of the crowd did, as they started surging toward the cop. The cop left like it was no big deal, and the atmosphere went back to being a celebration.
I tried to go into the coffee shop on the plaza, but the security guards wouldn't let me in. Where else could I get a bacon sandwich? So I ended up walking up 2nd Ave, against the current of the crowd flowing in. At one point, I ended up on the street, because there was no room on the sidewalk!
I got a fish taco, and headed back to the building. The cops had shut down the street, and they were obviously relaxed, answering questions. Wow, what a crazy idea that a protest doesn't have to be a confrontation.
I have to admit, my half-hour or forty five minutes in the rally/protest/celebration hugely buoyed my spirits. Si se peude, in deed!
Posted at April 11, 2006
Comments
Nice to read your comments on the demonstration. It is wonderful to have a truly peaceable protest! BTW, my police buddy is over the moon over new "acting" chief Sizer. She's very well respected by her peers, this is a quality choice for leadership.
Posted by: Wendy B. at April 16, 2006 4:55 AM