Coffins at RNC: pallbearer report

[Squeech]

Those coffins that got carried past Madison Square Garden yesterday? (I saw a post from arwalden asking about them.)

The way I heard it, they were put together by an ad hoc group called (I think) One Thousand Coffins, but I can't find anything about them on the web. The idea, however, was to graphically depict the real human cost of Chimpy's Excellent Iraqi Adventure. As street theatre, I thought it was great!

I carried one. My friend Jill and I decided to march, but we didn't have any good graphics. (We took sheets of paper and made quickie signs. Hers said "Remember Fahrenheit 911," and I drew an outline of the continental USA with the text "First Amendment Zone," but neither of us was real proud of our efforts.)

So we were ambling down 15th Street toward the beginning of the march (14th and 7th Ave) when we saw these cardboard coffins stacked up, and people were fitting the flags around them. We thought the image was intensely powerful, and we were looking forward to seeing how they would be used in the march. Then we saw people looking for volunteer pallbearers, and we decided to go for it.

It was not much fun, actually. The organizers wanted the pallbearers to conduct themselves with dignity and decorum (which, as anyone who knows me will attest, are not exactly the concepts that generally guide my life), and part of that was that we weren't supposed to carry our own signs or take part in the cheering, hooting, and hand signals. Moreover, being part of a large group, we couldn't wander around and check out all the other interesting constructions and signs and street theatre.

Plus the instructions to the pallbearers kept changing. Originally two people were supposed to carry each coffin side by side at waist level. Then, by degrees, it changed to one bearer in front, one in back, at shoulder level. (Although it must also be said that getting us to follow instructions in any event was too much like herding cats. We were also supposed to stay in rows of five coffins across, and maintain that formation throughout the march, and we didn't. So Jill and I got separated, which had me mildly panicked because my car keys and stuff were locked in her apartment! The organizers were prominently unhelpful-- so if any of you guys are reading this, I bid you a hearty Go Cheney Yourself.)

But I saw some of the pictures this morning, and it did look as good as I thought it would. And I hope we pricked the consciences of some Repukes.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

1. I marched next to them the whole way!

Very moving indeed

[sniffa]

3. any pics?

[DODI]

7. This NYT link has a great overview shot of the coffins.

you need to go to the slide show: Protests in New York. I had heard about the coffins last Thursday and during the march I turned around and there they were. I did cry when I saw them and was glad that I marched. One of the pallbearers really got to me. Every once in a while the coffin march would stop and a man would play Taps thru a loudspeaker. This one pallbearer would remove his cap and put his head down and he really looked very saddened each time. I wanted to get a pic of him because I thought it spoke volumes, but I felt like I would have been intruding.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

10. Yes - we'll post them as soon as my friend e-maile em

[Squeech]

4. Wish I'd seen you there!

I saw four people carrying coffins a couple rows ahead of me wearing DU shirts, but obviously I couldn't stop and ask them who they were.

It was moving to look at, and to think about. But at the time, "moving" was a verb we used only ironically. When they torched the dragon, we were roughly at 29th Street, and we were stuck on that block for about an hour. My feet still hurt. (But at least I've still got them, as opposed to the real Iraq war casualties.)

I should also give props to the Thousand Coffins marshalls, who kept us all well supplied with drinking water.

[ClassWarrior]

2. God bless you for doing it Squeech.

I thought it was powerful street theater too.

[KurtNYC]

5. Not fun but the pictures are great

[YellowRubberDuckie]

6. I looked for some sign of DUers on CSPAN yesterday...

...during the march, and never saw a thing. One of my good friends is a republican, and she got a little bored, so we turned it and started watching Pulp Fiction. Now, before you flame Winona, let me just stay we've agreed to disagree and avoid politics.
Duckie

[SoCalDem]

8. I was hoping that they would just lay them all at the entrance of

madison Square Garden, and make the repubes dispose of them..But then you would have probably been charged with littering :(

[Aristus]

9. Prick the consciences of the Republicans?

My dear, sweet friend, REPUBLICANS DON'T HAVE CONSCIENCES!

Still, it was a beautiful and moving thing to do as a way of protest.

[Squeech]

11. Some Republicans have consciences

They're the normal, salt-of-the-earth Americans who vote Republican because (a) their daddies did (b) they served (proudly) in the military and still think fondly of Eisenhower (c) their political convictions were formed in the '60s and they still think all Democrats perform abortions while tripping on acid (d) they believe Howie Carr about the "gimmie girls" on welfare (e) all of the above.

They don't realize that their party has been hijacked by Mayberry Machiavellis, who are the ones that *don't* have a conscience-- indeed, that's how you identify them. "Now watch this drive!"

[TrustingDog]

12. kick

[Squeech]

13. Kick

To go with lionesspriyanka's pictures

[Squeech]

14. Finally found the One Thousand Coffins web site

http://www.newdepression.com/onethousandcoffins/

Via the comment thread on the march in Daily Kos

[sage1]

15. Brilliant

The coffins were brilliant, absolutely. Don't stop now.
They should be present at every mass Repug gathering.
The presence of these symbols invokes emotion and guilt.
It would be so cool if they were present the evening the Bush speaks.
Or at least a silent candlelight vigil outside the Garden...
I was so proud of you guys...
The creative touches and ideas were astounding.
The only thing missing from your statement was one we used all the time in our old days ('60's) war protests:
Have someone dressed in a black hooded robe with a scythe-
The Grim Reaper, complete with a plastic mask of the president!

[Squeech]

16. One more kick

before I punch out for the day