Went down there today for the annual gathering. For the record, the city of Dallas NEVER, EVER has any kind of official, send-elected-officials kind of gathering. Ever. Not even on the 40th anniversary when I went to it. I've lived down here 24 years, have gone to a handful of the ceremonys, and it is still kind of chilling/eerie to be standing just a few feet from the "x" in the middle of the road where our country's history was forever changed..to those not familiar with the site, there is a huge "x" on the road itself to mark where JFK was shot (see one of the pics below". I've never seen the road closed down for the service except on the 40th anniversary. It was open for traffic today so it was kinda scary seeing people and families with their kids run out in the road to stand on the x to get their picture taken. Given the damn curve in the road just ahead of that x, they were damn lucky to not have a speeding car come around the bend and hit them! It was also at that spot that some guy committed suicide a few years back...sat down on it and shot himself.
Any service or remembering ceremony is run by a group of people reminding us about all the unanswered questions and coverups. One of the speakers told the crowd today that he and his group has already asked the city for a permit for 2013, the year that will be the 50th anniversary of JFK being murdered here. Permit has been denied. Per the city, the only group that will be allowed in the Plaza is the Sixth Floor museum organization. The speaker went on to ask "why do they get to own the minute of silence, we've had enough of the "official silence" over the last 48 yrs". He threw in the comment "guess we will have to Occupy the plaza when that day in 2013 gets here".
I didn't take alot of pics, mainly because I have been down there so many times before. But I want to share what I have: