So far it's been entirely peaceful -- peaceful protesters, peaceful motorists, and now peaceful policemen on horses, keeping pace quietly with the protesters -- just following them, not arresting anyone, not stopping anyone. It seems to be mostly students on the highway. A very strange event -- it seems to be ending peacefully now, the protesters are walking off the highway. They stopped traffic on a major highway for a little while -- fifteen minutes, perhaps? Half an hour at most, I think. Co-opted my television show. Strange, oddly effective.
Here's an official report on it from the Chicago Tribune -- not sure if it'll stay live and available, so read it now. Apparently, some people were, in fact, arrested, and perhaps unsurprisingly but sadly, University of Chicago students continued politically apathetic as usual. Finals are apparently more important. Sigh.
(Oh, and Jim -- I accidentally deleted the last thing you just sent me without reading it. Resend, please.)
Heh. Interesting bit from the article:
Hinsdale Principal James Ferguson said the students were considered truant and could face detention or suspension, depending on their individual records.
“I would have a lot more respect for the protest if it was on Saturday morning,” he said.
Perhaps Bush should’ve consulted Principal Ferguson before initiating hostilities on a Wednesday.
In other news, large parts of downtown San Francisco were shut down by protestors this morning, sez the SF Chronicle. “Do not touch the police or any of their equipment. Repeat after me. Do not touch the police or any of their equipment.”
And on the other end of California:
Hundreds of protesters have gathered in Westwood at the Federal Building, rendering traffic to a complete standstill.
I imagine that Principal Ferguson wouldn’t be all too pleased with these folk, either; unless, of course, they received hall passes prior to protesting.