Restore the Fourth

Yes We Scan

 While surfing the web, I found out about this demonstration in support of our Fourth Amendment rights. Since I didn't really have much planned for the 4th, I decided to check it out. I have been rather dismayed at the extremes our country has taken, gathering information from just about everyone, and repressing the whistleblowers. Then there is all of this strong arm behavior towards the leaders of other nations, President Evo Morales receiving the diplomatic equivalent of a 'stop and frisk', seemingly at the request of the US. I am so disappointed in our President. I am relieved that I am not close to any Republicans, I would not be able to respond to their gloating.

Everyone is out of town, the streets are fairly empty. There was a small earnest crowd of protesters.

 There was a nice mix of people, the same people one might see on the subway.

There were babies,

quite a few babies.

There is a baby under that blanket. This gentleman is something of a cautionary image for all those young slim men on their fixed gear bikes. One moment you are lounging in an east Williamsburg bar, drinking PBR's and listening to Phoenix, looking ironic. Then in a flash, you are walking down Broadway in a floppy sunhat and comfy sneakers, hoping the Baby Bjorn hides your beer gut and wondering what happened.

The police were trying to look authoritarian, but their hearts were not into it. They were letting people walk in the streets, they held up traffic for the protesters, they did not harass the cyclists. The man in the read bandanna is riding a Citibike, which is kind of cool.

Reverend Billy from the Church of Stop Shopping was there.

I like him better in this picture, but that handsome young man is hogging the foreground, texting.

I am pretty sure these two people are Tea Partiers, which shows how diverse it was, I guess. We rarely see those guys around here.

I did not go all the way to Federal Plaza (birthplace of the constitution). I have lost a bit of faith in the power of protest, at least when it is not the whole population descending into the streets. I wanted to stay long enough to be polite. I wanted to be sure the police were not being jerks. Everyone was fine. So I headed home to a small barbecue and an evening of the neighbors blowing things up.

Here is a link to Restore the Fourth, and here is the nyc protest's facebook page