Abstract

Defying Convention

This article offers a commentary on the differences between the media hype and the actual demonstrations held in protest of the Republican National Convention. In the days leading up to the protests against the Republican National Convention, the specter of possible violence by radicals fueled much of the media coverage of the activists. Fox News made every effort to conflate dissenters with terrorism, not by reporting terrorism by protesters -- since there wasn't any--but by constantly juxtaposing the words "protest" and "terrorists." Let's cut to reality, shall we? On Sunday, August 29, United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ) led half a million people in a peaceful march through Manhattan past Madison Square Garden, where the Republicans would convene the next day. Of more than 1,700 arrests through the third day of the convention, some were deserved. But many people were targeted by police for reasons unclear. Many RNC protesters were being held well over the legal limit of twenty-four hours. Many were denied the right to counsel. Throughout the week, people engaged in acts of civil disobedience, and sometimes the point was simply the right to dissent, and some did so with a clear critique of Bush policy. After all the hysteria about those on the fringes, RNC week made it clear we wouldn't have resistance movements without them. The clean-cut middle class showed up to protest, but the activists and artists of the left made sure those good citizens had someplace to go--and that they were entertained.