At Dress Rehearsal, Activists Vow Nonviolent Protests

Pershing Square became the stage Tuesday for a public dress rehearsal of the mass protests expected during the Democratic National Convention, and Margaret Prescod was stage manager.

“Is the ribbon of oppression ready to go?” veteran activist Prescod asked from a lectern bristling with microphones.

The ribbon--a long, narrow banner emblazoned with the words “Corporate Govt” and “Police State”--was cut using a pair of cardboard scissors bearing the logo “People Power.”

Then, to the beat of Aztec drums, dozens of activists toting signs and banners--and a few dressed as giant frogs to symbolize potential environmental damage from the Playa Vista development on the Westside--marched through the square.

The purpose of the event, organizers said, was to celebrate a federal judge’s decision last week that the city’s process for regulating events in the park and for keeping protesters away from the site of the convention at Staples Center was an unconstitutional violation of the rights to free speech and assembly.

The diverse crowd of about 100 activists--ranging from grandmothers to teenagers, professional organizers who roam the nation to longtime Los Angeles activists--said they also wanted to counter what they see as a City Hall campaign to demonize them as violent.

“Now that doesn’t look very threatening, does it?” Prescod asked a crowd of reporters as the procession ended.

Of course, the procession did not include activities with the greatest potential for confrontations with police--civil disobedience that could involve blocking streets or office buildings.

The main protest events planned are mass marches not intended to interfere with the convention, but participants in smaller “direct actions” may try to disrupt businesses or government agencies.

In addition, police have warned of some protesters who they believe may come to Los Angeles intent on causing damage to property or even provoking violent confrontations with authorities.

But the activists who gathered Tuesday said they oppose any violence and added that their wide range of concerns can only be addressed by tapping into the American tradition of nonviolent civil disobedience.

“Many of these issues . . . are life and death issues,” said Lisa Fithian of the Direct Action Network, which is helping coordinate protests next month. “We have no other choice but to take these additional risks and additional acts to make this sort of change.”

The array of signs at Tuesday’s rehearsal hinted at the wide range of topics activists hope to highlight. Among them: sanctions against Iraq, the pending execution of activist and convicted police killer Mumia Abu-jamal, U.S. military aid to Colombia, immigrants’ rights and welfare reform.

Before marching into the square, the protesters gathered behind banners bearing phrases such as “Power to the People” and “Democrats, Republicans = Corporate Puppets” in English and Spanish. Four silver-haired women--the “Raging Grannies” who were at protests against the World Trade Organization in Seattle--sang a brief song.

Next, a cluster of black-clad women performed a short dance, punctuated with spoken factoids, such as that since 1982 California has built 24 prisons and one university.

“Whether we’re looking at prisons, sweatshops or the militarization of poorer countries,” said Alli Starr of San Francisco-based Global Exchange, “we’re looking at the hijacking of democracy by wealth corporations.”

Then activists dressed as Los Angeles police officers spread the “ribbon of oppression” across the entrance to the square, and it was symbolically snipped. About a half-dozen real LAPD officers observed the event from the sidelines.

Finally, a host of activists from different organizations streamed to the microphones to discuss their issues.

“We want more funding for our schools instead of prisons,” said Lester Garcia, 17, of East Los Angeles, adding that in inner-city schools the student-to-teacher ratio can be as high as 40 to 1.

Calling for amnesty for illegal immigrants, Randy Jurado Ertll of the Central American Resource Center said he was glad the Democratic convention will be at Staples Center because the arena “truly symbolizes the growing gap between the rich and poor.”

Michael Zinzun, who has long been an activist on police abuse issues, presented a broad list of demands to the Democratic Party: “They must address issues such as racial profiling, a minimum wage people can live on, support for workers’ right to organize unions, better medical benefits.”

Speakers also said they wanted to rebut reports of violent intentions during the convention. The groups organizing the mass protests have pledged to avoid damaging people or property.