From Day 1
Mass protests confront Bush at inauguration
Tens of thousands say he's racist, sexist, anti-gay
By Greg
Butterfield
Washington
"We are the first crisis of George W. Bush's
administration," proclaimed International Action Center
Co-director Larry Holmes as he stood at ground zero of the
historic Jan. 20 counter-inauguration protests here.
"They didn't want us out here, demanding freedom for Mumia
Abu-Jamal and an end to the racist death penalty," Holmes
shouted over a microphone to the crowd gathered at Freedom
Plaza.
He was referring to the unprecedented police/government
attempt to suppress the right to protest at the
inauguration.
After the IAC and the Partnership for Civil Justice fought
for weeks with Washington's multifarious police agencies for
protest permits--and after a last-minute lawsuit to insure
access to the permitted areas--thousands of demonstrators
were able to fill the plaza at Pennsylvania Ave. and 14th St.
NW.
Even then, after a court order told the cops to let
demonstrators in, police officials delayed for hours before
letting the protesters through the checkpoints at 13th and
14th streets.
The government attempt to disorganize and repress the
protests led to checkpoints being set up in Washington for
the first time in U.S. history. There were 16 in all.
At least 9,000 police were there, including every
Washington cop, the Secret Service, Parks Police and police
from Virginia and Maryland.
A popular chant of the anti-globalization movement caught
on as long-time activists and first-time protesters demanded
their right to be seen and heard. "That is what a police
state looks like," they roared, pointing to the cops and
their checkpoints.
Then, feeling their own growing strength as their numbers
swelled, came the protesters' refrain: "This is what
democracy looks like."
Protesters seize $50 seats
That feeling of strength continued to build with every
obstacle they overcame.
As the damp chill of rain and sleet set in, 1,000
demonstrators seized the raft of bleachers that had been
erected on the plaza for Bush supporters.
Washington Post writer David Montgomery described it this
way: "Thousands more filled Freedom Plaza, brushing past a
line of Girl Scouts in yellow slickers to seize bleachers
reserved for Republican loyalists.
"From these $50 perches, as shocked members of the
Presidential Inaugural Committee looked on, the protesters
chanted: 'George Bush, racist murderer!'"
Hours later, those bleachers would be the site of the
day's highlight, as limousines carrying Bush and Vice
President Dick Cheney were forced to speed past the loud,
angry protesters.
IAC co-director Teresa Gutierrez reminded the crowd what
her group had accomplished by taking on the cops in court.
"We faced down the police and made sure everyone who wanted
to protest had the right to do so."
Gutierrez pointed out that the IAC applied for permits at
Freedom Plaza and other sites in October, even before the
election, because "whether Bush or Gore won, the death
machine would go on.
"We believe the police never intended to give us a permit
or allow demonstrators to have access to the parade route,"
she explained.
"They hoped to shield the Bush administration from the
political embarrassment of having thousands of demonstrators
lining the route. But they were overruled by the strength of
the movement."
Disproving Bush's boast
Bush lost the popular vote but won the presidency by
disenfranchising African American, Haitian and Jewish voters
in Florida. He was sworn in by Chief Justice William H.
Rehnquist, one of five Supreme Court justices who awarded
Bush the presidency by stopping the Florida vote recount.
In his brief speech at the Capitol, Bush promised to
"bring the country together" with his commitment to
"civility, courage, compassion and character."
The tens of thousands of protesters lining the parade
route knew better. The multi-millionaire cabinet Bush
appointed, and his reputation in Texas as "Gov. Death," put
the lie to that, they said.
Undeterred by the cold, demonstrators faced off against
riot-clad cops for hours, their numbers growing steadily
while the ranks of cowboy hat- and mink stole-wearing Bush
supporters dwindled.
They chanted and hoisted signs with slogans like "Bush =
racism," "Hail to the thief" and "John Ashcroft is a racist,
sexist pig."
Those who came were overwhelmingly young. Many were
students and workers who had never joined a demonstration
before.
While most of those who came out were white--in part
because of police threats aimed at keeping Washington's Black
majority from mobilizing--there were strong contingents of
African Americans, Puerto Ricans, Palestinians and other
people of color.
"We had people coming by buses, vans and car caravans,"
IAC organizer Sarah Sloan told Workers World. "There is so
much massive anger over the way the election took place."
There were 125 buses from New York alone, Sloan said, and
protesters came from across the East Coast, the South and the
Midwest. They came from as far away as California, Texas and
Oklahoma. Counter-inaugural protests were also held in San
Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Seattle and many other
cities.
The number of demonstrators in Washington may never be
known. But along Pennsylvania Ave. and in other parts of the
city they certainly numbered in the tens of thousands.
Channel 8, Washington's all-news channel, gave estimates
between 20,000 and 50,000 protesters. The Washington Post
acknowledged that on northern blocks of Pennsylvania Ave. the
demonstrators outnumbered Bush backers.
"More protesters than supporters," as one nervous CNN
reporter said.
The corporate-dominated media tried to downplay or ignore
the historic turnout. But the international press saw the
protests as a sign that U.S. imperialism's new commander in
chief has feet of clay.
Many issues, many voices
Numerous issues drew the protesters. But for many of them,
Bush's election theft was the last straw.
The National Organization for Women gathered at 8th St.
and Pennsylvania to denounce Bush and the Republican right's
anti-choice and anti-women agenda.
At Dupont Circle, a "Voters' March" drew thousands of
people outraged by the election theft. They included
supporters of Democratic candidate Al Gore as well as more
radical forces. Many later joined the crowd at Freedom
Plaza.
Thousands more marched to the Supreme Court for a "Shadow
Inauguration" organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton's National
Action Network and other civil-rights groups to protest the
racist disenfranchisement of Florida's Black voters.
There, students from Washington's Catholic University
carried homemade signs on brown cardboard with the slogan,
"Count our votes!"
"We come to underscore that today in the capital city they
are perpetuating one of the greatest untruths in American
history," Sharpton said. "We are here to let the world know
that [Black people] are not going to give back the right to
vote."
Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader denounced
"the soothing transition between two administrations, both of
which take their orders from big business--the same big
businesses that pumped $35 million into this weekend's
ceremonies." (DC Indymedia Web site)
The New Black Panther Party held a "Day of Outrage" rally
at Freedom Plaza, followed by a march. Organizer Malik Zulu
Shabazz, explaining why many in his group wore helmets and
other protective gear, pointed to the police and said, "We
are not among friends."
The anarchist-led Black Bloc also staged a march that
began near Freedom Plaza. At 14th and K streets police
attacked the marchers with clubs and tear gas.
Several activists were seriously hurt. Between nine and 15
were reported arrested.
Mumia, choice, Colombia
The Freedom Plaza action was initiated by the IAC and
endorsed by Washington's Justice Action Movement and hundreds
of other groups and prominent individuals. The main focus
there was fighting racist disenfranchisement and stopping the
legal lynching of Black political prisoner Abu-Jamal. But
organizers didn't leave it at that.
Through signs, banners and speeches, they strove to show
the new movement that it must link up with all the
struggles--for women's right to choose, for
lesbian/gay/bi/trans rights, to organize the unorganized,
against sweatshops, to fight U.S. military intervention in
Colombia, to get the Navy out of Vieques, Puerto Rico, and
much more.
Holmes denounced Bill Clinton for not granting clemency to
Native political prisoner Leonard Peltier.
"Clinton had the chance to do one decent thing before he
left office," Holmes said, "and he didn't do it. We are not
going to stop fighting until we free Leonard.
"The worst mistake our movement could make would be to put
any confidence in the leaders of the Democratic Party," he
said. "We need an independent movement that fights in the
streets."
Njeri Shakur and Gloria Rubac of the Texas Death Penalty
Abolition Movement received a warm welcome from the crowd.
They condemned Bush's record of more than 150 executions
while governor of Texas, including the legal lynchings of
revolutionaries Shaka Sankofa/Gary Graham and Ponchai "Kamau"
Wilkerson last year.
Kim Denmark, a former welfare recipient from Dayton, Ohio,
spoke about how she has walked across the Eastern U.S. to
expose the evils of workfare and other so-called "welfare
reforms." Paul Ford, an activist from Grinnell College in
Iowa, led a chant of "Students united will never be
defeated!"
Other speakers included Jerry Do minguez of the Mexican
Workers Association, the Rev. Kiyul Chung of the Korea Truth
Commission, Rebeca Toledo of the U.S. Out of Colombia
Committee, Zapatista supporters and representatives of the
group Free D.C.
Protesters shook the bleachers with cheers when an
audiotaped message from Abu-Jamal called on them to "organize
a revolutionary movement."
When a Texas marching band replete with Stetson hats and
cowboy boots became the first parade contingent to pass
Freedom Plaza, its members soon wished they were somewhere
else.
Protesters drowned out their patriotic tunes with chants
of "Free Mumia, jail Bush" and "Racist, sexist,
anti-gay--George Bush, go away!"
"There were a lot of lesbian, gay, bi and trans folks,"
Elijah Crane of Rainbow Flags for Mumia told WW. "It was
great to hear the whole crowd chanting against Bush for being
'racist, sexist and anti-gay.'
"People representing every issue and struggle were
standing side-by-side. Someone was holding a sign that said
'remember Wanda Jean Allen' next to someone with a sign that
said 'stop Plan Colombia,'" said Crane.
"That was really inspiring and lent to the strong feeling
of solidarity throughout the day."
Workers World Party presidential candidate Monica
Moorehead told WW: "The movement for social justice may have
begun in Seattle in 1999. But today marks a new milestone,
despite all the attempts by the big-business media to
whitewash the protests.
"The hijacking of this election by the thoroughly racist
and reactionary Bush administration is helping to broaden the
movement. It's embracing more people of color and working
people as well as militant youths.
"This will be an important and exciting period for the
class struggle in the United States, and the whole world will
be watching," she predicted.
Speeding limos
The afternoon wore on. But despite the chill, the crowd's
anger only seemed to heat up the longer Bush delayed making
the drive down Pennsylvania Ave.
Across the avenue from the liberated bleachers, an
elaborate, enclosed viewing stand had been erected for
Washington officials and big-money guests. They nervously
sipped tea and ate hors d'oeuvres as they watched the
protesters spill over to their side of the block.
When demonstrators spotted arch-racist New York Mayor Rudy
Giuliani in the viewing stand, they erupted in loud chants of
"Amadou, Amadou"--for Amadou Diallo, the young African worker
killed by 41 New York Police bullets.
Bush couldn't put off running the gantlet much longer
without losing face. Buses roared up the avenue carrying
Republican big shots, escorted by motorcycle cops. As each
one passed, the crowds roared "Shame! Shame!"
Every few minutes a new contingent of heavily armed cops
would march into the street and line up in front of Freedom
Plaza. Then, just before Bush started his drive, a squad of
riot police staged a mock assault on the protesters at 14th
St.
Advancing in military formation with nightsticks swinging,
the police stopped just short of the front line of
protesters. Then they retreated.
If anyone was scared by this display, they didn't show it.
The chants of "Stop police brutality!" only grew louder.
At 12th Street the limos carrying Bush and Cheney came to
a dead stop. More Secret Service agents surrounded the
vehicles.
When they finally moved, it was to race by Freedom Plaza
as quickly as possible. Secret Service agents, gasping for
breath, tried to keep up.
But there's no way Bush could have missed the message.
Thousands upon thousands of angry protesters were waving
signs and chanting "George Bush, racist murderer!"
Bush, the police and the ruling class had hoped the
inauguration would be a crushing defeat for the new protest
movement. Instead it was a great victory.
"This is precisely the scene the Bush administration did
everything it could to prevent," said IAC Co-director Brian
Becker. "As they went up Pennsylvania Ave. they didn't want
to see thousands of placard-waving protesters opposed to his
conservative policies. But we've done it."
Michelle Gore, a young African American woman from
Brooklyn, N.Y., and a member of the Actors Equity union,
echoed the sentiments of many first-time demonstrators. "It
was exciting," she said. "I can't wait for the next
protest."
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php)
HOME
:: U.S. NEWS ::
WORLD NEWS ::
EDITORIALS
:: SUBSCRIBE ::
DONATE
Email
this article
Printable
page