On another page, we wondered if there would be violence around the GOP convention in Cleveland, like the violence around the Democratic convention in Chicago, in 1968. We said that how the world sees the GOP will depend on how much protest there was, and how it was handled. Well, there was no real violence to handle. So the world will not remember chaos outside the walls of the convention, and that will help Trump appear as the “Law and Order President,” especially if violence does occur next week.
Of course, the praise really should go to the Cleveland police, and those who came in from around the country to help.
Visitors raved about their experiences, the nightlife, the food and the warmth and hospitality of Northeast Ohioans. Public transportation, shuttle services, taxis and Uber drivers delivered tens of thousands of people to their destinations each day. Hotels and facilities, including Quicken Loans Arena, handled the crowds. No sweat.
And most impressively, Cleveland police and the thousands of officers from around the country who joined forces with them this week managed even the most intense protests on downtown streets with professionalism, civility and respect for the rights of citizens.
Next up: Philadelphia.
As Cleveland breathes a sigh of relief after protests during the Republican convention came and went without mass disruptions and violence, eyes now turn to Philadelphia, the nation’s fifth largest city that offers a bigger stage for bigger protests over a much larger area.
Cleveland’s marches and rallies ended quietly Thursday with two dozen arrests over four days. Philadelphia is cautiously optimistic its Democratic National Convention can follow in those footsteps while letting protesters have their say. . .
Several factors could make Philadelphia’s protests vastly different than those in Cleveland, including the city’s sprawling protest sites, from downtown to the convention site four miles away, and the sheer number of protesters expected. . .The city estimates 35,000 to 50,000 protesters on average will demonstrate across Philadelphia each day of the convention. Activists have said they expect about 100,000.
One group to watch for is “Occupy DNC.” Here’s their Facebook page.
Join our peaceful protest at the Philly convention. Our goal is to show up in mass numbers to swing super delegates to Bernie. This is a collaborative page with all of us working together toward ride and house shares, event planning etc. Please join to help our revolution. Click on FILES top of our page for all details, and click on EVENTS top four page for events by state to help. THANK YOU!! Love, Laurie
There’s also “Bernie or Bust.”
Bernie Sanders may have ended his battle for the White House with his endorsement of presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, but that’s not stopping thousands of his backers from planning to flock to Philadelphia next week to protest the Democratic National Convention and send a message to party leaders. . .
“It’s ‘We the People’ who are going to continue to lead this revolution,” said Billy Taylor, a pro-Sanders activist who was issued permits to hold rallies on each day of the convention. “We are not going to vote for the demon named Hillary just because you are threatening us with the devil named Trump.”. . .
The showing for the pro-Sanders demonstrations — whose organizers have received nine of the 28 permits issuedand are expected to draw the largest crowds, according to city officials estimates — could perhaps provide a sense of the road Clinton has in front of her as she tries to win over some of the Sander’s most rabid backers.
Non-Sanders groups that were approved for permits by the city include Green Party candidate Jill Stein, the anti-gun violence group Americans for Responsible Solutions PAC, and the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC).
The latter group is putting together a unique form of protest. . .
Cheri Honkala, the organizer for the Philadelphia-based PPEHRC, said her group’s demonstration is meant to put a spotlight on the plague of homelessness and poverty in the city. She also is planning a bean supper for Sanders delegates ahead of Clinton’s acceptance speech on Thursday, hoping that the bean-filled Sanders supporters will return to the Wells Fargo Center and greet Clinton with flatulence.
“The idea is to send the message to the Democratic Party establishment that the whole system smells, and it must be changed,” she said.
While the hippies are in the streets, America’s “Labor Party” may also sense trouble in the air.
The fight to raise the minimum wage is headed to the doorstep of the Democratic National Convention, with local airport workers planning to go on strike when delegates descend upon Philadelphia next week.
Roughly 1,000 workers, including those who handle luggage, attend to passengers in wheelchairs and clean plane cabins, are expected to not show up for work in order to call attention to their demands for a $15 minimum wage and the ability to join the Service Employees International Union. . .
The workers have garnered the support of some of those expected to attend next week’s Democratic gathering. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi tweeted on Tuesday that she was “proud to stand in solidarity with workers in #PHLStrikeDNC.” And convention delegate Susie Shannon has launched a petition to support the push for higher pay, adding that she will fly into New York rather than cross a picket line in Philadelphia.
“I’ll be flying into … LaGuardia and driving into Philadelphia,’’ says Shannon. “Many of us fought for the Democratic Party National platform to support a $15 minimum wage. The airport workers campaign represents the need for workers to make a wage that lifts them out of poverty.’’
Philadelphia is ready, and willing to cooperate with protesters.
With days to go before tens of thousands of people, including many demonstrators, descend on the city for the Democratic National Convention, Philadelphia police and emergency-management leaders feel confident about being ready to welcome participants and protesters alike. “We are prepared to protect those wishing to express their opinions and exercise their rights, as we would during any event,” Lieutenant John Stanford, the spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department [said]. . .
“There’s actually been an ongoing conversation with some protest groups,” said Samantha Phillips, the director of the city’s Office of Emergency Management, “just to better understand what they’re looking to accomplish, and how we can work together to make that happen, which might seem a little strange, but it’s really in the best interest of everybody if we work together on this front.”
After the NeverTrump floor squabble, the plagiarized speech, the Cruz snub, and Trump’s longest acceptance speech in history, the GOP convention will be remembered as unremarkable. The Democrats should be so lucky.
