Hundreds Protest Dick Cheney

Hundreds protests outside while Dick Cheney held a $1000/plate lunchoen. Read an accuont of the protests below. <!--break--> The protest of Dick Cheney's visit to Rochester was huge. By my count definitly a hundred and maybe three hundred people lined up outside the Riverside Convention Center to protest Dick's $1000/plate lunch. Chants of "money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation!", "Whose Streets? Our Streets! Whose War? Their War!", etc. echoed through downton. The crowd seemed generally supportive of the event. Motorists honked, many accepted the flyers ADAPT was handing out, one walker was more direct, yelling "Fuck the vice president!" from across the street (Maybe we should take up that chant next time?). Three groups took organized protests that converged on the convention center enterance. ADAPT, an advocacy group for people with disabilities, began their protest early and with a lot of vigor. They posted themselves directly outside of the convention center doors, blocking one enterance and chanting "Free Our People Now" outside of the other. ADAPT was targetting Cheney, because of the Bush/Chaney administration gave ADAPT promises that that they would pass the New Freedom Initiative Medicate Demonstration Act, but has gone back on their word by not taking action to introduce the bill into congress. Also in attendance was Metro Justice which met at Washington Square park and marched to the convention center around 12. Metro Justice did an excellent job getting people down there accounted for a huge number (probably 90%) of the people protesting. Finally, RCAN lead the more radical side of the protest. RCAN met at 10:30 at the liberty pole and marched first to the convention center and then to the Metro Justice rally at Washington Square. While they were unable to completely take the streets, RCAN always seemed right on the edge of causing some major disruption downtown. They also had quite a bit of energy and started some very loud chants. Did you go to the protest? What was your experience there? What did we do well this time, how can we improve? If you have thoughts on the action, please post them here.

<p>Hundreds protests outside while Dick Cheney held a $1000/plate lunchoen. Read an accuont of the protests below.</p> <!--break--><p>The protest of Dick Cheney's visit to Rochester was huge. By my count definitly a hundred and maybe three hundred people lined up outside the Riverside Convention Center to protest Dick's $1000/plate lunch. Chants of "money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation!", "Whose Streets? Our Streets! Whose War? Their War!", etc. echoed through downton.</p> <p>The crowd seemed generally supportive of the event. Motorists honked, many accepted the flyers ADAPT was handing out, one walker was more direct, yelling "Fuck the vice president!" from across the street (Maybe we should take up that chant next time?).</p> <p>Three groups took organized protests that converged on the convention center enterance. </p> <p>ADAPT, an advocacy group for people with disabilities, began their protest early and with a lot of vigor. They posted themselves directly outside of the convention center doors, blocking one enterance and chanting "Free Our People Now" outside of the other. ADAPT was targetting Cheney, because of the Bush/Chaney administration gave ADAPT promises that that they would pass the New Freedom Initiative Medicate Demonstration Act, but has gone back on their word by not taking action to introduce the bill into congress.</p> <p>Also in attendance was Metro Justice which met at Washington Square park and marched to the convention center around 12. Metro Justice did an excellent job getting people down there accounted for a huge number (probably 90%) of the people protesting.</p> <p>Finally, RCAN lead the more radical side of the protest. RCAN met at 10:30 at the liberty pole and marched first to the convention center and then to the Metro Justice rally at Washington Square. While they were unable to completely take the streets, RCAN always seemed right on the edge of causing some major disruption downtown. They also had quite a bit of energy and started some very loud chants.</p> <p>Did you go to the protest? What was your experience there? What did we do well this time, how can we improve? If you have thoughts on the action, please post them here.</p>

Hundreds Protest Dick Cheney http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/1116

Hundreds Protest Dick Cheney http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/1116