{"article":{"id":63749,"heading":"Next: A Working Demonstration","author":"Jonathan Schell","created":"2003-06-08 04:36:49","modified":"2003-06-11 15:23:57","last_modified":"Wed, 11 Jun 2003 22:23:57","article":"

Excerpt:

At a working demonstration, tens of thousands would assemble not to stand facing a single platform listening to speeches (some of which are interesting and some of which are not) or to march in protest but to attend a profusion of speeches and seminars; to scoop up literature from hundreds of booths; to confer in countless formal and informal meetings--to educate one another, to network, to agitate, to plan, to extend, to discover and strengthen common purposes. In such a meeting, the activity of the movement is not merely represented but conducted.

The aims of the event--to promote peace, justice and democracy and oppose the imperial path--would deliberately be defined loosely. It would be diverse and boisterous. It would be highly televisable. It would not be the instrument of any political party, but it would announce to the world the existence of a new political force. It would be a place for free speech, unpopular speech, provocative speech, unbuttoned speech. Timing is important. A choice of this November would still leave time to organize it and would position it to pour energy into the election campaigns about to begin. If a working demonstration is the place for a movement to be fully itself, then elections are the place for compromises--even, it may be, for the choice of lesser evils.

Read the rest:

<\/p>\n","contact":"","link":"http:\/\/www.thenation.com\/doc.mhtml?i=20030623&s=schell","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"Looking ahead to future protests. A protest by nature represents what a group is against rahter than what a group is for. A working demonstration is the reverse: it represents what a group is for. It creates a forum for positive action.\r\n","numcomment":11,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2003\/06\/63749.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":63822,"heading":"great idea","article":"This is a great consept for how a protest can be more than just a protest. An outlet to educate people and bring diverse view points to them in an atmosphere where they can seek out the groups they could support is a great idea.\r\n\r\nCould this happen in LA and what would it take to organize?","author":"p-b","parent_id":63749,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-08 19:49:19","modified":"2003-06-08 19:49:19","fileurl":""},{"id":63916,"heading":"Might as well...","article":"...give it a shot.\r\n\r\nThe protests sure didn't accomplish anything.","author":"daveman","parent_id":63749,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-09 14:48:31","modified":"2003-06-09 14:48:31","fileurl":""},{"id":64003,"heading":"photos of daveman","article":" just walk away...","author":"photos of daveman","parent_id":63749,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2003-06-10 08:10:43","modified":"2005-08-15 01:32:22","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2003\/06\/catinthehat_.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2003\/06\/catinthehat_.jpg"}},{"id":64019,"heading":"LOL","article":"I was expecting to see a horse's ass, but the cat does him more justice.","author":"@","parent_id":63749,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-10 12:03:36","modified":"2003-06-10 12:03:36","fileurl":""},{"id":64116,"heading":"You disagree?","article":"Then show me proof of what the demonstrations accomplished.\r\n\r\nOther than leaving piles of crap and puke on the street, that is. ","author":"daveman","parent_id":63749,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-10 22:37:08","modified":"2003-06-10 22:37:08","fileurl":""},{"id":64117,"heading":"Protest","article":"They proved how ignorant the American people are about world events because they are bombarded by government newspeak propaganda and hypercomercialism from the Corporate media. It also proved that 90 percent of the rest of the world knew before the war that Bush was lieing about the weapons and his reasons for the invasion, and now it's been proven with the lack of any weapons found. \r\nAnd if you don't think they are not worried about it then explain why the Bush Junta were making the rounds on the sunday morning talk show circuit trying to defelct criticisim about the Intellegence scandal.\r\nBtw all you can say about Clinton was he had a problem controlling his sexual urges, what man doesn't . Oh I suppose you expect us to belive that Repbulicans don't cheat on their wives. What a crock! But look on the bright side neocons maybe Bush will finally get elected in 2004","author":"wavemaster","parent_id":63749,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-10 23:11:16","modified":"2003-06-10 23:11:16","fileurl":""},{"id":64119,"heading":"wavemaster","article":"Uh, no, I don't think the protests accomplished any of that.\r\n\r\nMostly, you just looked silly, thinking chanting and beating drums actually has an effect on world events.\r\n\r\nOne thing you did accomplish, though: you royally pissed off countless drivers by blocking the street, and the poor guys who had to clean your crap and puke off the street.\r\n\r\nOh...and you gave the 75% of the country who didn't agree with you something to laugh at.\r\n\r\nThanks!","author":"daveman","parent_id":63749,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-10 23:17:03","modified":"2003-06-10 23:17:03","fileurl":""},{"id":64120,"heading":"This thread scares anarachnists","article":"In future I think you will get a greater response from the leftists and anarchists in here if you refrain from using the word "Work" or "Working" in the subject header..\r\n\r\nThey perhaps thought "A Working Demonstration" was going to be a video on how to work. Work is a four letter word to them!\r\n\r\n\r\nJust my thoughts...","author":"Rational Normal Person.","parent_id":63749,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-10 23:17:57","modified":"2003-06-10 23:17:57","fileurl":""},{"id":64131,"heading":"Irrational Deluded Person proves his ignorance.","article":"So, SBM, how do you come to the conclusion that anarchists don't like to work?","author":"Jake","parent_id":63749,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-11 01:34:26","modified":"2003-06-11 01:34:26","fileurl":""},{"id":64173,"heading":"Hey!","article":"He's not SBM. I'm SBM. He's Daveman who's BA and I'm brigg and we all take turns as Eric and Diogenes. Oh, and, SBM is also KPC.\r\n\r\nGet it straight.","author":"fresca","parent_id":63749,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-11 11:49:27","modified":"2003-06-11 11:49:27","fileurl":""},{"id":64223,"heading":"fresca","article":"Get back into your straightjacket. ","author":"fresca","parent_id":63749,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-11 15:23:57","modified":"2004-03-09 22:02:00","fileurl":""}]}