Report from New York City

[Mutualcode at aol.com]

Just got back... from the largest anti-war  demonstration I have
ever seen in New York City The crowd spanned the entire stretch
from well above 42nd street to Washington square. I marched
from 26th street (on the senior circuit now, after all : ) and could 
see no end in either direction. There were people of all ages. It
was very heartening, especially given the fact that the war has
already started, and, the unending barrage of pro-war propaganda
reigning down from the major commercial media outlets, so
enchanted, "shocked and awed," by the militarists and their robot
war- supplemented by the poor, with little opportunity for social
advancement other than enlistment- not much better than minimum
wage.

I was marching between two "Uncle Sams" on stilts and a young
lady with "Another Jew for Peace" sign. It was a beautiful day- sunny
and warm- at least four choppers motionless overhead, but scanty
police at each intersection, completely outnumbered by us; there
was a festive air, until we hit Washington Square: too many people
too little space. By the time I arrived, about half way through the 
march, the park was already packed, and the police were programmed 
to keep pushing everyone, as they arrived, into it. Clearly they had 
underestimated the turnout.

Thirty years ago, when I was young enough to be deluded into
engaging in such behavior, I discovered, first hand, the futility of
fighting with stressed-out, edgy police. So, seeing the writing on
the wall, I circled back to 23rd street- about 17 blocks- and was
astounded to see the marchers still coming. I got a cup o' joe,
and a police sergeant, about my vintage, struck up a conversation
with me. I mentioned that it must be pretty boring standing around
on a Saturday watching tens of thousands of people walk by. He
said: "It's a long day," but confirmed that he was getting over-
time, and mentioned that the crowd was about twice that of Feb.
15. I finished my coffee and headed for the 38th street pier, and
the ferry back to New Jersey, feeling a little like Siegel in MMV.

respectfully 
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://waste.org/pipermail/pynchon-l/attachments/20030322/aac63ab4/attachment.html>