PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Over 2000 in the streets for the Parade for Peace!
by emma Saturday, Jan. 25, 2003 at 1:24 PM
emma@indypgh.org (email address validated)

More than 2000 people marched for peace in the southside today!

More than 2000 residents and out-of-towners marched together today, in a mass four blocks long and a full-street wide down Carson Street from Station Square to the Birmingham and beyond.

The march's permit extended only to the Birmingham Bridge (by 22nd Street), and the march paused there with much celebration and dancing led by Hispanics for Peace. Minutes later, it continued unpermitted about 9 more blocks, to the FBI building.


Sentiment in the South Side was very positive and residents leaned out their windows to show support. The only counter-protesters were two men costumed as Arabs, bearing "Kill Me" signs. Many more creative and positive signs abounded, including "Penn Trafford students believe in peace" and "Wiccans for Peace."

The parade had quieted down and people began to disperse when the Zombie marching band and the Steelers Bloc raised energy with drumming and chants of "We love Pittsburgh/ We hate war!"

During the entirely peaceful, colorful, and cheerful march, police remained respectful of free speech rights, and confrontations were minimal. No arrests have been reported, and no police were wearing riot gear. Roughly ten policemen on horseback and several on bicycle monitored the march but did not interfere.

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mounted police
by james Saturday, Jan. 25, 2003 at 4:19 PM
simplex@technodyke.com if you know it, you know I don't answer it if you know it, you know how to find me

The police weren't entirely spiffy today...

The mounted police and some on motor cycles gave some trouble to those who decided to march back to station square from the FBI building. Granted, those marching were asked to leave the streets, and of course, disobeyed. Some people got pushed, one got stepped on with no damage, and some protestors tried to pet the horses. Cries heard were "let us march back to station square", "get those animals off those horses," and "your horse is foaming at the mouth, do you think it enjoys this?"

I recieved a few nudges and threats from the police, but also had two immensely pleasant conversations with police, one who claimed she hated going to work, didn't enjoy this either (I was enjoying myself fine), and said that she had to do this six days a week... tough life. She expressed jealousy that many of us didn't have jobs, and although it takes work to not work, she said it was probably worth it. It's worth mentioning that while this was going on, the most aggressive of the mounted police was busy charging a couple clutched to each other trying to keep moving (I'm going to return to her in a moment)... the kinder officer and I were walking pleasantly along, she let me pet her horse! She was so nice that I wasn't even able to deliver my usual diatribe about how police using horses as weapons is incredibly cruel, and wicked, in that most dissidents would gladly fuck with a cops ride if it were a motorcycle, but would never hurt a horse. The other cop that didn't ask me to leave the street claimed that the horses aren't scared, they're just "hopped up on adrenaline" (sounds like scared to me) Both of these officers were eventually spoken to by another cop in a way that suggested to me they were "caught" socializing with me.

The last point of this comment is that the more aggressive police officer had been the recipient of personal insults shouted at her repeatedly, in which she became increasingly upset, and more aggressive. Granted, she was an initial aggressor, which brought some attention to her. But with the potential for pleasant (and in my case disobedient/subversive) behavior from cops, it would seem that if we were simply going to walk in the streets, no matter what, back to station square,and we did not promote bad behavior of the cops, it would be a lot harder for them to justify bad behavior, and there would be less conflict to have to deal with, and a more accurate appearance of our solidarity.

Maybe I just want every single sympathizer.
(and to get those pigs off those horses...)

good work everyone, good fun
simplex

www.si.umich.edu/CHICO/Harlem/text/silentprotest.html

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