Attack of the Republicans

I HAD no idea as I arrived in JFK International Airport in New York City last Wednesday that the week that I had chosen to take my vacation and visit a friend in Manhattan would be the same week that the Republican Party would be heading into the city to hold the Republican National Convention. All over the city you could see signs of preparation — many hotels hosted banners that read “Welcome Republicans,” a number of helicopters hovered above the city and tourist attractions such as the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, and to say there was an increased police presence, is an understatement. New Yorkers were not happy about playing host to the Republican Convention because New York is a mainly Democratic city, and they were offended that the Republican Party chose to hold the convention in a non-Republican state in order to use Ground Zero and the 2001 terrorist attacks to play on people’s fears.

But while the city had no choice but to allow tens of thousands of Republican politicians, supporters, press agents and journalists to take over the area for a few days, they were quite prepared to let the Republican Party, and George W Bush know that they were certainly not being welcomed with open arms. On Sunday morning my friends and I joined up with the massive protest that had been planned through the streets of Manhattan to pass right in front of Madison Square Garden where the convention was taking place. As we walked over to the meeting point we saw what reminded me of a Carnival band assembling on the street — thousands of people were in costumes, colours and hats, carrying banners, flags and signs. There was a rhythm section of drums, chac-chacs, whistles, tambourines, bongos and anything else that could make noise. There was a brass group of trumpets and trombones, the players dressed up as the Statue of Liberty, ready to provide much needed music to the marchers. And at the front of the line of protesters that stretched almost three miles down the road were Michael Moore and the Reverend Jessie Jackson.

Everywhere you looked you could see groups and individuals all had put a lot of time, effort and creativity into their protest tools. One group of women draped in the Stars and Stripes had attached bombs to the front of their pants and were singing a song about “Dubya’s just finishing his daddy’s war.” Another group, decked out in pink, sang and danced their way down the street with T-shirts that read “Dancing in Dissent.” And a number of families carried kids on their shoulders or in prams, many kids holding signs that read, “Toddlers say no to war.” Every political group was well represented. Gay rights activists were protesting Bush’s stance on gay unions, some holding signs that read “Gay families have value too.” Women’s rights groups, protesting Bush’s plan to revoke over thirty years of America’s reproductive freedom, held signs that read “Keep your laws off my body,” although one young man held a sign that read “Keep George out of my girlfriend’s Bush.”

There were many anti-war demonstrators protesting for peace, asking the question, “Are we safer now than four years ago?”, “Where Is Osama?” and “Bring our troops home.” One section of the march carried flag-draped coffins and signs with pictures of their sons who had died in Iraq. Everyone was making use of the opportunity to let Bush know exactly how they felt. Of course, some of the signs were pretty funny as well. “Peace is Sexy,” read one sign. Another had a picture of George Bush with a nose as long as Pinocchio’s. One person had drawn Bush holding his rump, with the words, “Bush your pants are on fire.” And all down the road people were leaning out of their windows, some simply to mako, but some also to hold signs — my favourite being “Enlist Jenna and Laura,” Bush’s two daughters.  It was not what I expected from a demonstration that was 500,000 people strong because it was very peaceful and orderly. Obviously the NYPD were expecting the worst — helicopters followed the march every step of the way, along with an ominously hovering NYPD blimp, cops lined the streets in riot gear and there were some on the roofs with binoculars.

What I don’t think they realised is that the protesters were just your average people and were not looking for trouble, violence or riots. They simply wanted to have a peaceful political demonstration and let the Republican Party know that they were not in support. Of course, some of the protesters fit the stereotypical image of young radicals with dreadlocks, tattoos and piercings in strange places, but most were just regular, normal middle-aged Americans of all races and ages and classes, who were there to simply take part and make a statement. In fact, the only dangerous people there were the hardcore conservatives on the sidewalks, who heckled the protest as it went by, screaming and shouting at the top of their lungs. One man held a sign with pictures of guns, bombs, tanks and war planes which read, “The price of our freedom has never been cheap.”

Another sign read, “Four more years for a safer America, Bush has my vote.” At their heels was the anti-abortion crew, one of which held a sign saying, “The unborn are for Bush,” which made most people laugh. They did not like being laughed at, but when they tried shouting at the protesters everyone joined in a chant, “Shame! Shame! Shame!” which silenced them. For me, it was a real wake up call to real world politics. I have never voted in Trinidad simply because I see no difference between our two main political parties — Dumb and Dumber — and because there is no alternative between the Manday monopoly. But here I was, surrounded by half a million people not asking the question, “What has (political party) done for (my ethnic group),” but rather asking serious questions about the future and safety of their country.

During my week in NYC I met a lot of people, and during the conversation politics invariably came up, and let me tell you that New Yorkers are scared. They’re scared that the Republicans will win again and that it will incite even more anti-American sentiments worldwide. They’re scared that if Bush is elected New York City will again be a prime target for a terrorist attack. And I can’t say I blame them. Because we elect officials to represent us, and because the world hates George W Bush, by extension all Americans are getting a bad name. As a first-timer to NYC, I had expected that New Yorkers would be pushy, arrogant and unfriendly, but I found the exact opposite. Everyone was friendly and kind, they were never rude, and all of the people that I met during my stay were all good people. It is a terrible shame, and very unfortunate, that the city chosen to be the target of terrorists who hate the Bush agenda, is  in fact America’s best example of an ideal city — one that is multicultural, democratic and liberal, a city that other American states should emulate.