Spoke to some armed cops 34th Street and 7th Avenue

[prodigal_green]

I went down to check out the preparations for the conman convention.

I approached a (very hot, btw) young officer clad in black helmet and carrying an assault rifle. I said "I hope they give you a big-ass contract after this." He thanked me. I then told him I'd be protesting on Sunday. "Oh no, you're not protesting our contract are you?" I told him of course not. I thought it was terrible the way NYC cops have been treated since 9/11. "They come here, cause all this inconvenience and stress for everyone, make you guys work insane overtime and then don't even have enough class to pay the people protecting them a living wage." He rolled his eyes, shook his head and said, "tell me about it." I said "See you Sunday! Good luck!" He replied, "Thanks, same to you!"

I had similar exchanges with two other policemen (no women in sight) as I left the area.

Please don't assume the worst from these people. They are involved in their own labor dispute right now and are NOT happy about being dragged into this crap. Show your support with a friendly wave or a thank you as you pass by.

[aquart]

1. Cannot be stressed too much.

[ClassWarrior]

2. EXCELLENT advice, p.g.!

And get non-violence training if you can. Can't hurt.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Way to go! Support first responders!

Surround all provocateurs or violent types and turn them over to the police. Nip any incidents in the bud. Photograph and video. Be safe, there is safety in numbers.

[ClassWarrior]

4. You've done this before, haven't you?

:yourock:

[merh]

8. Have every type of recording device available,

digital cameras, digital audio records, phones with cameras, digital video, you name it, have some one in your group carry it (carry as many as you can yourself).

Nothing slows antagonizers like the fact that they are being recorded. Turn the provocateurs over to the police, surround them with your arms locked to one another and walk them over to the police.

Don't get in a pissing contest with them, ignore them if you can, if you can't report them. No violence - please for pete's sake, no violence.

[Sugarbleus]

5. Excellent, rational post...

Be our voice in protesting but stay safe....

Can protesters even HAVE video equip. with them in this event? Often, that stuff get's confiscated..

[prodigal_green]

6. I haven't heard anything about them not being able to have them

Here's a link to their press releases:

http://www.rncnews.org/rnc/html/home.html

[Sugarbleus]

7. Thnx.. n/t

[Merlin]

9. Always, always, always make friends with cops covering a protest.

That's what we did in VVAW back in the '70s. Most cops respect the fact that you give a damn enough to be out there marching. The only thing they don't respect is violence and disorderliness.

[markses]

10. No doubt: I got 6 neighborhood "growing-up" buddies on the job

All union, of course, and union hard. Talked to them all about the protests - they're on the protesters side. All working class kids, grew up poor, hate Bush like poison. All NYPD.

New York ain't got no tolerance for Republican assholes, robbing us blind while selling themselves on our blood. These fuckers will be given a warm welcome, I assure you.

[Stephanie]

12. Here's the PBA website - union local

http://nycpba.org/

[prodigal_green]

15. Here's some clips from NYCPBA press releases:

A bus load of Boston Police Officers will arrive at NYC PBA headquarters where they will be greeted by NYC PBA president Pat Lynch and equipped with picket signs before they joining New York’s Finest on an RNC related picket line.

WHEN: Monday, August 30, 2004 at 1 PM

WHERE: in front of 40 Fulton Street, Manhattan

From a letter to President Bush:
<snip>
For the past decade, in good financial times and in bad, as crime has been brought under control while the terror threat has escalated, police officers and firefighters in this great but careworn city of ours have been treated like second-class citizens by two consecutive Republican city administrations. As a result, New York City’s police officers’ salaries are ranked 145th out of the nation’s 200 metropolitan police departments. The unfair treatment at the bargaining table has compelled us to take to the streets with informational picketing – a planned campaign outside Madison Square Garden and spontaneous sessions at various other locations. Unless our contract situation changes drastically between now and then, we intend to continue this public awareness campaign up until, during and after the Republican National Convention at the Garden.

Most of our members vote Republican in national elections and are generally sympathetic to traditional GOP principles, especially those that embody the fundamental spirit of patriotism that has infused the American landscape since the time of the Founding Fathers. Love of country and the instinct to protect its freedoms and citizens are second nature to us.

We, the front-line domestic troops in the global war on terrorism and crucial first-responders in the homeland-security aspect of that war, have been disrespected by Mayor Bloomberg’s collective bargaining policies. In a city where we have already paid a fatal price, a city that remains the prime target of international terrorism, we have been without a contract for two years, have once again been offered zero-percent increases, and have been compelled to seek an independent state arbitrator’s resolution of our contract dispute, a process that is extremely time-consuming and could keep our members without a contract for even longer. In Boston, faced with a similar situation, a Republican Governor, Mitt Romney, found a way to settle the issue quickly and without distracting from the Democratic Convention. Can’t we do something here to give the Republican Convention the undivided attention it deserves?

[blondeatlast]

11. I've been trying to push this story (about the labor problems)

all week. I'm glad someone succeeded!

NYT reported on Thursday that the firefighters and cops were considering asking delegate NOT to cross the pickets.

[AP]

13. It's a different scale, but remember: the Bechtel riots in Bolivia turned

when the cops realized that their interest were with the people and not with the neoliberal government after three days of fighting the people.

Also, Chávez was returned to the presidency in VZ because the palace guards were loyal to him and tried to arrest all the coup leaders in the palace.

[DoYouEverWonder]

14. Many of the NYPD

lost friends and family on 9-11. They hate Bu$h & Co as much as we do.

It's the riot squad goons and the NG in battle armor that you have to watch out for. Those guys get all jumpy and hyped up, so just be careful.

[scarletlib]

16. Great Job

This from Randi Rhodes: We need to support the police and thank them for the fine job they do protecting us in emergencies and daily.

However, at times like these when protests are planned we need to remind them that we are their true brothers and sisters and not the corporations and big money guys.

We need to remind them that when we are marching for rights and protesting against corporations etc. their interests are at stake too.

So everyone there please say thanks to the cop on the beat and remind him that his interests really lie on your side.

[henslee]

17. & then he said, "Excuse me, gotta go & beat upsome anarchist bike riders.

I know its been posted frequently but indymedia really has some awesome coverage of ny events.

[prodigal_green]

18. sigh...

</naivete>

[henslee]

23. it was a ja-oke. But come on,... you're a female flirting with a cop....

(I assume you are) He's not gonna be nasty for no reason. I'm in NYC, too, taking it all in. I saw cops organizing all week... lots of cops (in white shirts) giving instructions to ones in blue, most of them wide eyed kids. I saw some of the cyclists last night. I love when people act like gremlins.

[blondeatlast]

19. I trust indymedia about as much as I trust Newsmax and Faux. nt

[henslee]

24. Ditto. but their photo pages are awesome plus you gotta love the grass

roots way they are covering nyc 2004 with mobile video and photo submissions and random reporting -- sort of like anonymous traffic tipsters calling in to news radio stations (like they do in CA).

[GalleryGod]

20. The UNION Contract is THE Wedge Issue with the Cops & Firefighters

:smoke:

[blondeatlast]

22. I've been trying to call people's attention to that all week--

the First Responders are no more happy with BloomBush than we are.

All I ask of the protestors is that they spread the word: support more pay and a contract for the first responders. Remember, too, protestors: the IAFF strongly endorsed John Kerry very early on.

Coneect, my friends. It goes a long, long way.

[Stephanie]

25. That's what we did today at Planned Parenthood March

We gave the cops the thumbs up and said "I hope you get a raise!" They liked that.

[GOPAgainstGW]

21. THIS NEEDS TO BE BANGED HOME-REMEMBER BLOOMBERG SWITCHED PARTIES

TO RUN FOR MAYOR. HE WAS A DEMOCRAT!!!!!!!