On Future Protests, And Counting Huge Crowds...

[WillyT]

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who attended these marches across the country, and around the world. Been to bunches on the lead-up to the war, and several after the war started. Sacramento, Stockton, but mainly San Francisco. It is always a thrill, and an affirmation of what is possible by people power. Again, thank you all for standing there for the rest of us who could not attend.

Had to help move my 70+ year old mother this Saturday, and had several moths residing in my wallet.

If I had real money, I'd have flown to D.C., but I had to move my mom.

If I had a little money, I'd have driven to S.F., but I had to move my mom.

If it hadn't taken the ENTIRE DAY, I'd have gone to the Sacramento protest, but I moved my mom, LOL!!!

Aywho...

EVERY time there is one of these marches, we go through the same ritual of over\under counting the participants. In the marches I've attended, I've seen two strategies, that make the MSM\Police estimates forced more toward reality.

1) During one of the S.F. marches, one of the organizing groups spent funds hiring their own charter helicopter, photographer, and bean-counter\statistician. By doing overflies from the proper angles, with the proper photographic techniques, and with reputable estimators, you can get a crowd number that is a lot closer to the truth than what the MSM\Police are gonna put out. In fact, there have been a couple of cases where the police have been forced to revise their numbers upwards because of independent counting techniques. That's why, I believe, D.C. doesn't do the count anymore.



2) When I accompanied my mom and two of my sisters to the March For Women's Lives in D.C. (April 2004), at EVERY entrance point\pathway to the mall, there were people with bullhorns and raffle tickets. The bullhorns were to explain what the tickets were for, and to make sure that everyone was sure to grab one. The tickets, two halves (1 half you got, 1 half they kept), were a way to make a more concrete accounting of the attendance at the rally. By bringing all the "kept" halves back to a central location for tallying, they could again get a more accurate estimate.



I think both of these ideas were superb, and ought to be a regular part of any future marches.

However, I'm not sure what the D.C. airspace rules are now after 9\11 regarding private aircraft of any type. It may just be that only police and the military are allowed to do D.C. flyovers, as was evidenced when the smirking clown himself buzzed the March For Women's Lives in Marine 1. And the crowd yelled, "Asshole!" :evilgrin:

And the ticketing thing might be improved by more visibility. As soon as people were counted at the march, most just stuffed the their half of the ticket in their pockets and purses. I think it might be more impressive if the thing (whatever it is) could be worn, and be of bright color. Maybe somebody could come up with a way to make, and find donors for, arm bands that come with a ticket attached to them. They keep the ticket, we proudly wear the arm bands.

Anywhosal... Stuff to chew over until the next big gathering, eh?

And marchers???

:toast::applause::yourock::applause::toast:

:hi:

[originalpckelly]

1. Mini blimp.

Simple, can be fitted with camera equipment, and can take pictures from a good altitude.

Not only that, one can also use fixed/rotating wing rc aircraft to take pictures. In fact there are special camera systems for it.

[WillyT]

2. Oh Hell... The Miniature Patriot Missles On The Top Of The White House...

would down those in seconds, LOL!!!

:hi::evilgrin::hi:

[originalpckelly]

5. You'd be surprised...

but depending on what the blimp is made of, it has the same radar signature of a seagull. Mainly because the most radar reflective part is the gondola, if the envelope is made out of pvc plastic, it is almost totally transparent to radar.

Now on the other hand, should it be made out of metalized nylon, then it's a big radar target.

[WillyT]

3. So... That Was My Contribution To Organizers Of Future Protests, LOL !!!

:shrug::blush::shrug:

[originalpckelly]

4. I think we need a new motto:

advertise, proselytize, and organize

People all across America need to be able to know when and where a protest will occur, it's simply not enough to rely on the internet word of mouth, people need to have a type of widely seen public advertising. If it is going to be internet advertising, it needs to be on a variety of internet websites.

Secondly, it's not just enough to advertise to people about a protest, you have to start going door-to-door in order to get protesters to commit.

Lastly, we need to organize. We should try to aim at a large protest in at least one city every weekend. Protests have to be more frequent so that people can get attached to one another. We also need to provide lures. If we are going to have celebrities, have the celebrities sign autographs. Maybe we could do like a little raffle to raise some funds, by getting them to sign certain things. Music and entertainment should also be a part of it, and it should be from a variety of generations. We need to have good food as well.

Only after weeks and maybe months of large local protests, do we then start to go to significant places and protest, because the pool we have to pull off of will be larger. We also need to make sure we get people to sign a pledge, so that we know how many people will actually show up. And there needs to be in that area, a bunch of people to go out and knock on doors and get people moving.

In middle schools, high schools, and colleges, we need to have an effort to set up "anti-war clubs" to get people talking and interested in the war and stopping it.

And most importantly, we have to make sure to do big nationally significant protests at times of the year when students are available in large numbers to descend on a city like D.C..

In general, we have to realize that people need to be prodded and lured in order to do something. It sucks, but it's true.

[WillyT]

6. I Agree Whole-Heartedly !!!

In the '60s and '70's there were teach-ins, and "Happenings".

Discussion groups\events to inform, art\music festivals to promote, and protest marches to deliver the message.

It was the "in" thing to do.

:hi: