Anti-Bush Protestors Heckle Broadway Theatergoers

[Nambe]

NEW YORK (Reuters)

Dozens of demonstrators heckled and jeered Broadway theatergoers on Sunday, seeking confrontations with Republican delegates who arrived in New York City to back President Bush's reelection bid.

Police arrested up to 60 protesters who assembled in Times Square at dusk chanting anti-Bush slogans after hundreds of thousands had marched in Manhattan to decry the president's policies before the Republican convention begins on Monday. ..

"We were talking to delegates as they came by. We were very calm," said Brendan, 23, an organic farmer from upstate New York, adding he was thumbing his nose at the crowd with other hecklers before police intervened. "You do anything a little out of the ordinary here and they arrest you."

Protest actions in front of New York theaters were some of the few taking place outside permitted demonstration areas.

The wild card in protests expected later this week is whether self-styled anarchists try to wreak havoc in the city with unannounced actions despite unprecedented security.
Ride Don’t Drive * * It’s Global Cool

[PartyPooper]

1. Who knew Republicans even appreciated the performing arts and theatre?

I'd particularly like to know what's playing on Broadway. And, what shows are the repukes trying to see, anyway?

:shrug:

[Kathy in Cambridge]

2. "The Lion King" is hardly Avant-Garde Theater

I think that's where the bus took them tonight. God knows they wouldn't set foot on a subway.

[PartyPooper]

4. LOL! I just returned from a week at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

in Ashland.

I'm happy to report that I only saw good plays, good people, and Kerry / Edwards bumper stickers!

:-)

[Stephanie]

5. Actually, it is pretty avant garde

Julie Taymor is fantastic, even though she works for Disney. Of course the RNC crowd would never know it.

[Renew Deal]

6. Lion King was one of them.

I didn't see anyone at Rent. They were also at Aida.

[Cha]

3. I'm sorry those protesters had to be arrested for

a constitutional right!

What do you say it makes them even more determined not to have bush in again?

[progressivebydesign]

7. "PERMITTED demonstration areas"?????????????????????

Last time I checked, THIS WAS AMERICA!!!! We can protest anywhere on public property.. and THAT includes SIDEWALKS, ANYWHERE! This is so outrageous!

[Mike Daniels]

29. Not if you're impeding traffic or the right of way (sidewalks included)

Sorry, protest doesn't come without some responsibilities to the rest of the population.

[progressivebydesign]

35. True.. BUT..

you cannot designate permitted demonstration areas like that. Any sidewalk if FREE to use for free speech, if you are not blocking traffic. That's why protesters and strikers walk in a circle.. keeps it legal. The blanket rule of permitted areas is wrong, because it does not allow people to protest LEGALLY on sidewalks or public property...

[Seabiscuit]

39. As someone who published a paper on the California loitering law

which formed the basis of a successful court challenge to Cal. Penal Code Sec. 647(e) in the 1970's (the offensive law was stricken as unconsitutional in the early 1980's), I can confirm that (1) you may exercise free speech on any sidewalk or street or other public property without a formal permit (without the police having *any* legal right to intervene) so long as (2) you do not impede foot or vehicle traffic, or (2) become so obnoxious as to constitute a public nuisance, or (3) incite violence. Most if not all local laws requiring permits for demonstration/permit venues and times are on their face unconstitutional, in violation of the First Amendment (and others as well as case law too numerous to mention here), and derive from the "police power of the state" which must always be balanced against the First Amendment provision authorizing peaceful assembly to redress government wrongdoing.

What's going on in NYC this week, with the White House dictating to local law enforcement where and when protesters may assemble is the most egregious offense to the U.S. Constitution I've seen since the Vietnam War protests of the 1960's and 1970's.

And yes, I am a 59 year old (very successful) licensed California attorney.

[Spiffarino]

8. You leave out a major part of this story

This is from the cited article:

But individual protesters kept tensions high, some of them hissing or cursing at well-heeled couples heading to popular Broadway musicals like "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "Fiddler on the Roof."

"Republican murderers go home and kill your babies!" one young man yelled at theatergoers, a far cry from local public service messages urging New Yorkers to "make nice" to party delegates in the city for the four-day convention, where Bush will be nominated for another four-year term.

A second protester shoved a middle-aged woman in a black cocktail dress, shouting:

"Bitch, go home! We don't want you here!" At one point, police cordoned off a city block after several dozen demonstrators jeered and razzed the incoming audience.

I hate what Bush and the neocons are doing as much as anybody - maybe more. That's no reason to tell half the story. It's a fact that some of the protesters there are total assholes. Hell, they may even be agent provocateurs. But they behaved like jerks by shoving and swearing at people on the street and got hauled off, I think correctly.

Tell it all and let the chips fall, because the whole truth is our best friend.

[NYC]

9. Were you there?

(re telling the whole story)

[Spiffarino]

10. No, were you?

If so, details please. Did Reuters get it wrong? I am dead serious. I would love to know if this is a lie!

[Diogenes2]

11. This sounds like GOP mole activity

designed to discredit the demonstrators--- "Go home & kill your babies"? What the hell does that mean?

[Spiffarino]

12. Mighty suspicious, 'tis true.

As I noted: Hell, they may even be agent provocateurs.

The SDS did the same thing in Chicago in '68 and got a lot of people beaten up. I heard a long time ago that they were in fact provocateurs and not protesters, but it's been so long I can't remember who pointed it out. I was only 9 years old when it happened.

Help?

[coalition_unwilling]

36. The SDS did the same thing in Chicago in '68--NOT!!!

Actually, this may be another urban legend propounded by conspiracy theorists. The after-riot review by the Illinois state government commission established to ascertain the truth determined that Chicago '68 was a "police riot". The Chicago PD didn't need agents provocateurs to give them a reason to bash demonstrators' heads in, all they needed was a "wink and nod" from Richard Daley, Sr. and his goon squad PD commanders.

[Spiffarino]

38. Batting .000

A couple of hours on Google tells me you got it right.

I originally heard about the SDS "provacateurs" on KPFK (Pacifica Radio) in L.A. The story goes that Lyndon LaRouche was the guiding force behind a small minority of SDS protesters who were inciting people to riot, all with the blessing (or even the active participation) of Nixon's CIA.

http://www.publiceye.org/larouche/nclc1.html

The LaRouche blurb above from Public Eye shows links, marginal at best, to SDS. Based on this and several other bios I've read, the group's supposed connections to the CIA and Nixon were probably drawn from LaRouche himself.

So, while this may not be an urban legend per se, it is probably just as make-believe. Thanks for the challenge.

[yardwork]

16. That sounds like what freepers are always screaming at Democrats

"Baby killers" is their favorite screed against anyone who accepts Roe v Wade as the law of the land.

Yeah, freepers are really into following the law unless it happens to be a law with which they disagree - then they suddenly get all interested in civil dissent. Go figure.

[Spiffarino]

22. Oh sure, Freepers are all about free speech

...until they disagree with you. Then they want to burn your books and move you to an internment camp a la Michelle Malkin.

[ima_sinnic]

24. that sounds like something an anti-abortionist Repuke would scream

??? so who's yelling what?

[NYC]

13. Yes, I was.

NLG has assembled quite a bit of detail.

[Spiffarino]

14. Outstanding

I'm fairly new here...what's NLG and how do I get there?

I would love for this to be bulls*it. I figured it was a few anarchists and jerks who don't care who wins the election. If this turns out to be more fear and smear I will push the story as far as I can.

Thanks :)

[markses]

15. NLG is the National Lawyers Guild

As you would have known if you took the 1 3/4 seconds to google NLG:

http://www.nlg.org/

[Spiffarino]

18. Hey, sorry

Thought it might be an abbr. for another part of DU. Mea fuckin' culpa.

[NYC]

17. Billionaires for Bush.

Just a note: Some of the "well dressed" people in Times Square, esp. evening wear, were Billionaires for Bush, not theater goers.

[Sleepless In NY]

19. "Lying King" Perfect show for republicans

The life story of the Crawford Coward Bush. People think bush is disliked here, because we are "left wing commie democrats" when actually we are disqusted with the way NY has been exploited & abused by bush.

Why should we be welcoming? I can't think of one reason.

[NYC]

20. The "Lyin' King" was part of the protest.

It was a George Bush dummy dressed in boxing trunks.

The man was dressed in red, white, and blue boxing trunks and boxing gloves. Occasionally, he would deliver a knockout punch. Passersby were welcome to deliver punches. This was very popular.

[Spiffarino]

21. So the "reporters" didn't ask them who they were?

BFB worked my small town during the first days of F-9/11 (and were a big hit, BTW). They're all over the country, so Reuters should know who they are by now and be able identify them. Are they really that lame? :wtf:

[NYC]

23. Was it first hand reporting on Reuters's part?

Or was it hand me down information? Just curious.

[Spiffarino]

30. Good question

I wish I knew.

As you recommended (sort of) I checked out NLG's website but didn't find any new info. I assume they're still working on the story. However, from what I read NLG will have a front row seat at all the protest events and could be the best source for the real story.

Thanks for the heads up.

[The Icon Painter]

31. Manners

You are displaying exquisite manners in the face of undeserved attacks by some on this board. I want to thank you for reminding us, by your behaviour, that courtesy is still a Democratic value.

[Spiffarino]

33. I appreciate you saying that

However, I also must admit to being inconsiderate to Nambe by not assuming the best intentions. In fact, they were. I was the one who was wrong for not assuming everyone would read the linked article before replying. Dumb newbie mistake.

Thanks for your kindness. I like to believe that we on the left side tend toward charity more than our RW counterparts. I don't know of any well-known lefty mouthpieces who are as toxic as Ann Coulter, Bay Buchanan, Sean Hannity or Bob Novak. The way I see it, the right is about vitriol, the left is about logic.

[Roy]

25. Of course they are not lame....

They authorities only had to asked the hecklers to "show them their papers"....

Their papers were in order, Right?

[VolcanoJen]

26. LBN rules require that posters limit copyrighted articles to 4 paragraphs.

I don't think Nambe was trying to hide anything.

[Nambe]

27. Thank you VolcanoJen! I'm dismayed when people don't go to ...

the article and read the whole thing, but many don't. It puts pressure on the poster to be an editor in a short space. I think most of the old timers go straight to the original as I do. It is impossible to give justice to an article in a few paragraphs.

[Spiffarino]

28. Sorry Nambe

Like I said, I'm fairly new. In retrospect, I didn't give you a fair chance. I had read the article via Yahoo a couple of hours earlier and was concerned that only part of the story had been told.

Now that I understand a little better how things work here, it appears I was wrong. My apologies. However, thanks to some of the flames aimed my way I did find out that Reuters didn't get the story straight. One more news bureau down.

Thanks to VolcanoJen, NYC, et al, for setting me straight. As for the snarky stuff, it was therapeutic.

[Green Lantern]

37. I wonder

if Reuters took a police info handout about the incident? Anyone know how it is being done? Does the NYPD public info office have a major function under these circumstances? I would expect so, but I don't know. It would certainly be in keeping with contemporary "journalistic" practices found on the WH beat, so I would not be surprised.

[bobthedrummer]

32. Organize the jail population into pro and anti-Bush positions.

That's what I would do in a NYC jail.
:hi:

[AnewerWay]

34. What a wonderful statement on NYC residents

I hope the hecklers only picked on guilty people.