Before I was co-opted into the chorus to sing “I’m A Corporation” and “Corporate Ameri-dentity” (which ultimately allowed me to march down Connecticut Avenue as part of the protest, capturing the entire episode on video, but that’s another blog post for another day), I took a few photos. Here they are, along with some (very brief) thoughts:
On Thursday, February 9, 2012, there was a formidable roadblock (above) established by the Metropolitan Police Department several blocks from the Marriott Wardman Park, where the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) was being held, even though not a single protester had been spotted. The next day, they reduced their presence to a single car (below) two blocks closer to the hotel. (Additional resources were moved to the hotel property; I cannot comment on whether those costs were incurred by the city or the hotel).
There was definitely a hierarchy amongst the “members” of This Is Our DC. The embroidered jackets, seen above, were few and far between and clearly reserved for leadership. Most protesters only got t-shirts and knit caps.
Perspective is everything. The gentleman on the right (above) seems very interested in what the lady with the “Recall Walker!” sign has to say. Seen from another angle (below), the ladies to her left appear to be casting looks of boredom and disdain.
Above: Candidate Walmart and his supporters.
Above: Peter Ingemi (far right) after engaging in debate with some of the protesters. Mr. Ingemi attempted to shake hands with a few of the people with whom he had been speaking, but some of them refused.
Two of the “Tax Dodgers” (above) and their “Mitt” (below).
Above: A hand-made sign on the back of a t-shirt reads “IF MONEY IS SPEECH THEN POVERTY IS SILENCE”.
Union representation was definitely palpable. Above is the flag of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE), Local 22. Below is a van from the Teamsters Joint Council 55.
But, as I said, my photo-taking opportunities were cut short when I was called to sing as part of the protester chorus. Here’s one of the songs, and my last picture of the day:
