We Are Not Anarchists
Reported by Deborah - August 29, 2004 -
George Martin, from United for Peace and Justice, was interviewed on Washington Journal about the protest march today in NYC.Martin expressed his concerns about possible media distortions about this protest. At 9:AM, on Sunday Morning, CBS, Martin's concerns were realized. 8/29/04 C-Span 8:30AM ET and CBS 9:00PM ET
George Martin said that 800 individual groups from all over the country will possibly bring 250,000 people to march. Martin showed a map with the route planned, in cooperation with the NYPD, taking them past Madison Square Garden and then back to Union Square. He explained that since their request for a permit, was denied to gather in Central Park for a rally, they plan to disperse after the march. George Martin stressed that the protesters are mainstream citizens from divers backgrounds When asked about violence, he was emphatic in his claim that the protesters are not anarchists and he hoped that the media would not describe them that way.
At 9AM, Sunday Morning lead with a story on the protests showing footage of the violence in Seattle in 1999 and 1968 at the Democratic Convention. They showed three, 20 year old boys claiming to be anarchists who were interviewed by the FBI. These kids were very far from the people who will be marching today,looking ,to me,like the outsider types capable of Columbine type violence. Even a clip of a peaceful MLK march was coupled with dialogue making him see subversive. Then Tom Hayden returned to the scene of the infamous demonstrations, giving the viewers another hit of violent imagery.
Unfortunatly, George Martin's fears were realized.
,
