So, there appears to be a little more to the story that I didn't know about when I did the Occupy NOLA post yesterday. And, it appears that I didn't imagine the swollen ranks of cops in and around City Hall -- they really intended to be prepared for an onslaught of community-organized protesters.
Today's Times-Picayune reports that a dozen or so Occupants did make it into the Council Chamber. I guess they came in behind me and decided not to be rowdy at precisely that moment. Come to think of it, at least one lady in the video below looks familiar -- I remember seeing her enter the room with a rather surprised expression on her face. Perhaps her expression can be attributed to the following from the article:
"About a dozen protesters entered New Orleans City Hall late Thursday morning to find themselves far outnumbered by uniformed and plainclothes police officers on hand to keep an eye on them.
When they got to the City Council chamber, where they had proclaimed they would hold a sit-in, they discovered it was nearly filled with uniformed military personnel on hand for the council's annual salute to the armed forces and the economic importance of local military bases.
The protesters sat quietly for the rest of the 'Military Day' program, including the playing of all five armed services' official hymns or songs . . . ."
Methinks the protesters made the right decision at the time -- there were more than a hundred men and women dressed in the uniforms of all of the services seated in the chamber, plus an armed joint color guard. Except, maybe the Merchant Marine wasn't represented. I'm sure they noticed.
Apparently, however, after all the military-type folk left the building, even though they abandoned the sit-in project, the Occududes found a slot on the consent agenda where one of them could sign up to address the Council. Pretty impressive stuff (says Moogie as she tries to extract her tongue from her cheek).
After the commercial and the Responsive Litany of Occufolk in the Council Chamber, you can see the several hundred who marched from somewhere around the Superdome to Lee Circle, snarling traffic and making at least one good point: the Fed needs to go. Do you suppose they're aware that dissolving the Fed is one of the Tea Party's hot issues? Nah -- I doubt it.
At least they had some pretty good musicians.
I'm ready for them to go home now.
Aiiieee. I TRIED to watch the entire video but just couldn't. I did google "Herman Wallace," though.
ReplyDeleteDo you suppose they're aware that dissolving the Fed is one of the Tea Party's hot issues? Nah -- I doubt it.
I read that there have been meetings between Tea Partiers and the OWS in a couple o' cities to discuss "common ground." I'll bet THAT was interesting. wink-wink, nudge-nudge.