THIS is how anti-Bush protesters should look!

[UdoKier]

What a great photo!

No offense to all our wonderful progressive friends who try to protest in creative ways, but FORGET IT.

You can make puppets, protest in the nude, chant tedious chants and you just feed into the media's stereotype of a bunch of bubble-headed post-hippie freaks.

No, this guy has it. Today, image is everything (and if you look back at the propaganda posters of the 30's, it meant a lot back then, too. Simple, impassioned, projecting truth, strength of conviction and humanity. Keep it simple!

Just my two cents.

[Merlot]

1. I agree with your two cents

Although I 'm happy to see anyone protest, I do get tired of the stereotypical images the media always uses. One or two hippies in the bunch will always get the camera time.

[central scrutinizer]

11. that's how the media marginalizes the protestors

Look at the WTO protests in Seattle in 1999. Thousands of mainstream union members, students, farmers, etc. of all ages show up and march and demonstrate. Who gets all of the ink? The handful who broke windows at Starbucks. Who is on the front page photo - the protestor with the nattiest dreadlocks, the most piercings, and the most tattoos. Or they find some Wiccan fruitarian wearing a hand-woven industrial hemp burlap sack who looks like they live on LSD.

[breadandwine]

12. We must march against Fox and the rigged election.

Not talk. Action. STREET action. Action in the STREETS. Huge public protest. A joint protest against the rigged election and Fox right in front of Fox World Headquarters in New York with the chant, “Rupert Murdoch, tell the truth! Fascists rigged the voting booth!” Fox is headquartered in mid-Manhattan on the SECOND floor. We’re going to be right outside their windows by the thousands screaming our guts out where they can hear us. Bad vibrations? Too bad studio soundproofing isn’t perfect. We must deny them legitimacy at all costs. Bush didn’t win. His election is a fake. Vast numbers of Americans still don’t know this because Bush shills like Fox cover it up. Fox must be targeted. Their headquarters are in New York. The other papers and media in New York will cover this protest because they all hate Fox’s living guts in New York. See this blog:

A Call To March On Fox
For refusing to tell the truth about the rigged election! —

http://acalltomarchonfox.blogspot.com/

Read it. Read it all. Contact the blogger there to get involved.

Go to this thread and participate in the discussion — A call to march against the rigged election — includes extensive discussion about the planned march on Fox/rigged election:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2688242

Add your comments there, keep that thread kicked. There’s going to be a huge march in New York combining protest against the rigged election and the Bush shills like Fox who cover it up, a double whammy. After that, the cat will be out of the bag and Bush will have lost legitimacy.

Why is that important? Because legitimacy is essential for de facto power. Official or “de jure” power is not enough for a leader to maintain control. He has to also have the INTANGIBLES of legitimacy — de facto authority. That’s why presidents can become lame ducks in their second term. Bush must be denied LEGITIMACY. His whole presidency must be publicly DELEGITIMIZED. People in other countries will hear about the march too. This will add to his difficulties diplomatically overseas. To deny legitimacy we must march against the rigged election.

Where? At the number one shill covering it up — Fox. Fox Headquarters in New York. Fox may or may not admit we are in front of their New York offices but the other New York news organizations will because they hate Fox. See the above blog for full details on that and the whole march plan. See and post on the above thread to get involved. Keep that thread kicked.

[VivaKerry]

2. You got it. BUT

It would be nice if our local police just patted our little warm chests..."there, there protester."
\\\\

We have TANKS cruising the streets of LA!!

[UdoKier]

3. PS and please don't tell me "He's in (name of evil group)"

I don't know that flag, and maybe he's an anarchist or whatever, I don't know. I'm speaking strictly about imagery here.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

7. Seems like a Flamengo fan (Rio soccer team) (nt)

[Swamp Rat]

13. Ou Botafogo

;)

http://www.botafogonocoracao.com.br/

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

16. I wish. But red+black stripes is Flamengo, not Botafogo.

Botafogo is black+white stripes.

[Swamp Rat]

24. Pensei que você estava falando sobre da expressão da cara dele.

Sou Leão! Tri-color!

[Brundle_Fly]

4. looks to me like he dressed

like eminem told him too.

[UdoKier]

5. If so, eminem is onto something

Protests should be about reaching people with a message, not expressing your individuality/creativity. That dilutes the message. It's a collective cry against injustice.

I'm not saying that everyone needs to be dressed identically, but it's really not a fashion show, you know.

Seems like the protesters in other countries around the world generally take this stuff more seriously than some of us.

(And yes, the media does like to focus on the 5 goofiest people in a group of 1,000.)

[deutsey]

6. Yes, I grow very tired of the puppets and other things you mention

It is time for clarity, passion, and action in not just our protests, but in our every day lives.

[offcenter]

8. Intense

I like this one posted yesterday.

[UdoKier]

9. That is dramatic.

nt

[readmoreoften]

10. I agree 100%!!!

There's nothing intimidating about skirts with bells and paper mache puppets.

We need to be funereal. Angry. A visual presence.

[SoCalDem]

15. and the puppets and skits are prime targets

for the scant coverage we DO get.. It's just spun as a bunch of "goofy atrsie-fartsies" out to show off and have "fun"..

I have always thought that protestors should wear black, carry evocative signs and march silently....When assembled (if they can get close to the target pf the march) just turn their backs en masse when the motorcade passes..

They need to "create a picture"..worth showing on the news and BECOMING news..

Just a bunch of "latte liberals" with puppets, casts a lightweight atmosphere..

[JanMichael]

14. Straight up.

No doubt what he's thinking or about whom.

I agree whole heartedly.

[Scrooge]

17. I agree

The pics of the protestors from the 60s are OFTEN angry looking. They were able to accomplish something. Either way, however we look, we need to get out there and protest!

[UncleSepp]

18. Right on!

Here's my rant. Today, on Queer Eye for the Political Guy...

I have been craving to see people dressed similarly, marching in step, in a block, with a purpose. I have been looking for flags in marching harnesses. I've been listening for snares, but all I'm hearing is bongo drums. I'll admit it, I have a militaristic streak. I want boots on the pavement. I want a progressive army out there on the streets. If it's a peace march, if it's a march for democracy - march! And march like you mean it!

Philosophically and morally I favor peace and nonviolence, but peaceful, nonviolent protest doesn't need to be undisciplined. In fact, a disciplined demonstration is easier to keep nonviolent. Also, the image of progressive activists as being a disorganized bunch of weed smoking stinky hippies keeps people in the mainstream from wanting to join in and also causes those on the right from taking us seriously. We need to shake them up, and an honest to God march of serious-looking, serious-acting people might just do that.

I don't know about the black clothes, as a bunch of people marching down the street in black has both anarchist and fascist connotations. I'd like to see something like an abstraction of working clothes - blue jeans, boots, plain white tees, plain blue denim or white longsleeve shirts, plain gray sweatshirts. If it's cold enough, something easily obtainable and cheap for a jacket, such as the sage green or black knockoff nylon flight jackets and olive or black knit caps. It wouldn't matter if there were slight differences between styles and brands of all these things, as they are generic and would still give a uniform impression without giving a militaristic impression. (Well, the flight jackets might, but it's the best cheap, cozy, widely available jacket I can think of at the moment.) Such a "uniform" contains overt references to the working class heart of the leftist movement. Moreover, it only becomes a uniform when several people are all wearing it at the same time in the same place.

I know there are many who won't agree, and that's fine - this is my thought and my taste, and I'm aware that it's fairly radical, seems authoritarian, and may push people's buttons. Maybe I should make some mockups of what this would look like, to see more clearly what the impression might be. It might be awful. And just to make things clear, I actually like weed smoking hippies, and who doesn't stink after a long march in the sun? :-)

[AlienGirl]

20. You really have something there

I like the idea of a working-class almost-uniform. It would reinforce the idea that there is a unity of purpose among the protesters, and might counteract the giant-puppet-havin' weed-smokin' stereotype "mainstream" people have of the "far left." I'd like to see the mock-ups.

(Not that there isn't room for giant puppets, too...but we on the left need to stop looking like the all-giant-puppet-all-the-time crowd.)

Tucker

[UncleSepp]

21. All giant puppets! All the time!!

*wiping tears* that's great...

[Imajika]

19. 100% Agree

I totally agree with your comments. One of the more thoughtful posts I've seen posted in awhile.

Imajika

[oblivious]

22. Yes, we need to project confidence, anger and power.

I don't feel comfortable in demonstrations where the crowd's singing "We shall overcome" in a mournful tone, as if we are the hopelessly downtrodden. We have power.

Good post UdoKier.

[ailsagirl]

23. Perfect fury. Says it all.

[NervousRex]

25. I like the flag.

Unity is powerful...we need to play around with unifying symbols. It worked well in the early 1900's.