Marching (without marching) in New York

Yesterday was a day that couldn't have happened anywhere but here. New York City threw me a curveball by giving me a double whammy of true New York Experiences. For a week that had been seemingly endless and monotonous for EVERYONE that I know, this was exactly the kind of day I needed to spice things up. Where to start?!

Well first off it was a beautiful day, one of those that makes a person jealous that everyone else is out enjoying Saturday while we are working. I walked up to work through Union Square and pushed my way through the farmers market attempting not to look around to much because I knew I would be tempted to just relax in the park instead of going into class. As I walked up Broadway barricades lined the streets and police were beginning to make their way into view. A handful of people were beginning to congregate and had many anti-war posters scrawled with slogans mocking the Bush administration. Ah! Just what I love to see walking up to work. I couldn't help but think that I had never seen anything like this when Clinton was president but as my friends and I later concluded; Republicans just aren't the marching protest in NYC type. Oh and the miniscule detail that Clinton isn't crazy. While at 9:45 there were maybe twenty people gathered, the barricades hinted that much more was to come. So I proceeded into work and made it through class.

As class ended I walked out of the studio and heard a swelling roar pulsing from outside. The studio I had been in was devoid of any street facing windows so for the past hour and a half I had been sheltered from what was going on outside. Upon entering the lounge I could hear drums pounding and the noise of people chanting in unison. The dancers all started gathering by our lounge windows which face out onto Broadway and staring with a passive sense of urgency. Yes this was amazing what was going on outside but because of our work restrictions we could do nothing about it or join it in any way. Apparently the protesters had been so loud that in the other company class many dancers were unable to hear the teacher and music. Not something that happens too often. Our rehearsal was moved to the secluded studio so we could work in peace on our Orange County program. Little did I know that by the next time I viewed the crowd it would have multiplied yet again.

The next time I looked out over Broadway it had turned into a full fledged protest march. There were dancers in death costumes, people in giant Bush costumes holding signs that said "impeach me" and people of every age marching for whatever causes they were adamant about. Alejandro and I decided to sit out the window and try to show our support in the small way that we could. People quickly saw us and kept waving trying to get us to come down. I thought about how great it would be if I just told the powers that be that I had to go and do it....I wanted so badly to be a part of it but couldn't.

So much visible protest was something I had never seen in person before. It seems like something that only exists on CNN; not outside of my window. As I sat in awe watching so many passionate people I was just struck by the fact that all this outcry may have no reflection in the actual regime of the Bush administration. It saddens me to know that it might have all been for nothing. Was it though? Or is it just enough to KNOW that you have gone out and spoken your mind? I imagine that must be an extremely liberating thing showing such unified passion towards the government. Being able to look around and know that so many people feel just like you. As so many rights seem to be in jeopardy recently, its amazing to see freedom of speech being so loudly visible.

This was a moment that made me proud to be a New Yorker even if I wasn't out there with them, I felt things that I hadn't realized before. For such an organized example of New York's passion and freedom this was only the beginning. New York would prove to be even more amazing later in the day but this time in one of the rowdiest displays I have ever witnessed. Get ready for the Showgirls.

Sorry about the picture quality. Only had my phone to capture it this time.