Blogs from New York, United States, North America - page 483

29.09.2004 - I love NY NYC, New York, USA I love NY Yesterday Jeanne came from Florida on a working visit to New York. It rained like the gods had a conspiracy against us. Some tunnels of the subway were flooded and you almost needed a boat to cross some avenues. You can imagine the mess when trains remain on the stops in the city where 10 million people commute. Nothing is easier than falling in love with New York. This is the city that changes you forever, when you truly experience it. I feel I have not been here for 2 weeks, but 2 long and fun years. What impressed me so much? All these incredible people I met? Beautiful girls with whom I spent afternoons and evenings? A bike ride across Times Square? The ... read more

Ja, dat lezen jullie goed. Vrijdag ga ik alweer naar huis en zaterdagochtend kom ik op Schiphol aan. Zodra ik thuis ben zal ik wel een wat uitgebreider verslag typen, dus ik hou het nou ff kort. Ben na Washington dus naar Philadelphia gegaan, waar ik 4 nachten gebleven ben. Daarna ben ik via New York naar Boston gerezen. Daar was ik al eerder geweest, maar dat was maar n paar uur. Nu ben ik er een paar dagen gebleven en heb ik wat meer kunnen zien. Daarna ben ik weer terug naar New York gegaan, waar ik nu nog een paar dagen aan het rondhangen ben. Nou ik zie of hoor jullie wel weer als ik thuis ben groeten Gertjan... read more

Thursday, September 2nd was supposed to be the last, big day for protests in the street, but with a thousand or more people still sitting in police detention at Pier 57, there seemed to be less outright animosity. Instead, the scene at Union Square was one of learning and dialogue, prompted in no small part by the efforts of Veterans for Peace, 9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows and the American Friends Service Committee's (AFSC) project entitled "Eyes Wide Open." The southern end of Union Square was the spot for a day-long vigil by numerous chapters of Veterans for Peace. Their witness was marked by a black banner with the caption, "How Can You Ask A Soldier To Be The Last Person To Die For A Lie?" It was a variation on John Kerry's famous rhetorical question ... read more

After the Man in Black Bloc at Sotheby's auction house, I headed downtown to the 42nd Street Library at Bryant Park, (site of library lions made infamous (to me) in "Ghostbusters"). A vigil was supposed to take place on the steps, and I figured it might be a good photo op. The police were blocking the top of the stairs, and so the typical standoff was taking place between nonviolent protesters and (momentarily) nonviolent protesters. But when the protesters called for a march, they were met at the end of the block by a squad of police officers and told to turn back. When they decided to instead turn the corner, the police decided to round them all up. Orange plastic net fencing, of the kind seen around sports fields and construction sites, was used ... read more

Tuesday, August 31st, was a day of civil disobedience entitled "A31" by activists. A31 proved to be the most active day for the NYPD as they struggled to maintain control over the city and the activists struggled to disrupt business as usual. ' And while the story of civil disobedience in the streets was appealing, I was also interested in documenting the story of less risk-averse but equally motivated activists. To wit, I decided to check out "The Stroller Brigade," a march of liberal parents with babies past Madison Square Garden. The march was supposed to kick off at at Madison Square Park, but when I arrived there was nary a stroller in sight. Wandering around the park I came across a television cameraman with a similarly befuddled expression. When I asked him where teh Stroller ... read more