The atmosphere at Protest City/Union Square(US) ranges from the political to the bizarre, where protestors are temporarily outnumbering skateboarders, dog walkers, tai chi lovers and kids who use the playground daily. Around 9:00am there were barely 20 protestors milling about facing the main avenue. These die hards were holding up 2 huge banners (approximately 30 ft in length and 5 ft high) which read:
- STOP THE WAR SAY NO TO BUSH
- STOP BUSH (where the S in Bush was a swastika)
Unlike in past days, today was a breeze traveling through Union Square and the Frozen Zone. The Frozen Zone is the 2 square block perimeter surrounding Madison Square Garden. No buses, cars or trucks are allowed between 31st street and 33rd street from Sixth Avenue to Ninth Avenue until 9/3 when the convention ends. Individuals who must travel through this area are required to have a special ID card on them at all times
I travelled in and out of this area going to and from Protest City/US three times today. In each instance, I got to my destination in record time. Where did everybody go? As I went past the Amtrak terminals in Penn Station to board a train for a meeting uptown I saw them. All the protestors were leaving NYC, FINALLY!
What remains in the Frozen Zone are a loyal group of dissenters who will extract every last ounce of their right to protest against Bush until their voice is gone and every ounce of strength is expended. Their signs read the same: We the People Say No to the Bush Agenda.
After the protestors arrived, most business owners in the frozen area gave up and decided to close shop when a small protest on 8/18 resulted in a number of broken store front windows. They closed shop in an effort to protect their businesses and employees against an unpredictable and unruly few in the crowd.
So today, these 2 small areas, which are normally characterized by an intensely busy atmosphere, felt very much like ghost towns, where people could be counted on both hands and seats on subways or buses were plentiful.
In my office, 90% of the people in our firm decided to work from home. I was not one of the lucky ones. After a week on insanity, I welcomed the quiet atmosphere of the office that spilled into the streets.
Although very far from the fast paced daily life that typifies New York, I’m ever grateful for this brief respite which has given us peace, just for today.
Posted by Michele at August 30, 2004 10:22 PMCan you explain "Frozen Zone" a little? I'm not familiar with the term as it applies here.
I've updated the entry as follows: The Frozen Zone is the 2 square block perimeter surrounding Madison Square Garden. No buses, cars or trucks are allowed between 31st street and 33rd street from Sixth Avenue to Ninth Avenue until 9/3 when the convention ends. People who must travel through this area are required to have a special ID card on them at all times
Posted by: Harvey at August 31, 2004 11:53 AM