[absalom01]

RonDog,

Here's my "after action" report, which may have some street theater ideas that others may find useful.

Governor D. was in Los Angeles this morning (Monday, Sept. 2), addressing the opening of the "UCLA Labor center" near Macarthur Park (how's that for a fine use of tax dollars?).

Anyway, notice was short, but seven of us showed up to show the flag. The message of the day was "Davis is killing California" -- you know, permits for Dioxin dumping, metabolife etc. etc. So, to support this message we had two "Gray Reapers" -- complete with Gray face masks, sycthes, and the usual signs. One unique sign was a black cardboard coffin with appropriate signage. We were inteviewed by a reporter from the LA times, and a Times photographer took some shots as well.

Downside? A group of about two dozen hired goons obstructed our signs and prevented any of the TV cameras from seeing us, and one of our guys was assaulted (kicked in the groin, of all things). THAT got the attention of LA's finest, and the thug was arrested.

Biggest lesson? We need to get earlier notice, and we really, seriously need to get more good guys at these things.

[RonDog]

Downside?
A group of about two dozen hired goons obstructed our signs and prevented any of the TV cameras from seeing us, and one of our guys was assaulted (kicked in the groin, of all things).
THAT got the attention of LA's finest, and the thug was arrested.

Wow.

Sorry that I could not be there personally. This is serious.

One way around "blocking" by counter-protesters may be to hold our FReeps in specially designated "First Amendment Zones."

I found out about these areas when we protested Bill Clinon's appearance at a "Success" seminar at the Cow Palace, near San Francisco last year.

Apparently, there are certain public facilities where this sort of thing has happened before - friction, or WORSE - between rival factions, so they set up these "safety zones" - about ten feet by ten feet - in which OUR group had to remain, but into which the OTHER group could not trespass.

There MUST be similar "First Amendment Zones" at other public venues in California, and we need to FIND them, and USE them.

And, we need OUR OWN video coverage of all future FReeps -
for use in criminal prosecution, if necessary.

[RonDog]

Governor D. was in Los Angeles this morning (Monday, Sept. 2),
addressing the opening of the "UCLA Labor center" near Macarthur Park...

Nothing much in the news about this yet, except for THIS, in Yahoo! News:

Mon Sep 2, 3:34 PM ET
California Governor Gray Davis
delivers the first speech of his re-election campaign
at a Los Angeles County Federation of Labor rally,
in Los Angeles, Monday, Sept. 2, 2002.
(AP Photo/Lucy Nicholson)