SLAC
Student Labor Action Coalition
Madison, WI
Protest of the Republican National Convention in New York City, August 2004
Protest is 'intense, smooth' - Madison group in march - The Capital Times, August 30, 2004
GOP protesters hope to keep it positive in New York - Ready to roll, ready to rally - The Capital Times, August 27, 2004
Cities await conventions, protests Security intensifies for Democratic, GOP rallies - plus marches, terror threats - The Milwaukee Sentinel, July 19, 2004
RNC - NYC information page from August 25, 2004:
Protest the RNC in NYC
Republican National Convention in New York City
Information below subject to change -- check back often for updates!
last update August 25, 2004.
EVERYONE WELCOME!
We need to raise $3000 to get the ticket price down to $80. Send donations to help people go to: The Infoshop 1019 Williamson St. Madison, WI 53703. Make checks payable to Infoshop. Write "RNC" in the memo area.
Tickets $80 (subsidies available).
Tickets available at
Rainbow Bookstore, 426 West Gilman St.
and
Madison Infoshop, 1019 Williamson St. (Under Nature's Bakery) (608) 262-9036
If you would like to buy a ticket and are from out of town send checks to: Madison Infoshop, 1019 Williamson Street #B, Madison, WI 53703, and we will send you a ticket back, or hold it for you if it arrives too close to the trip.
Contact:
slac@studentorg.wisc.edu
(608) 262-9036
3 buses: 1 leaves Friday August 27 at 6 p.m. from the Memorial Union and arrives in New York at approximately11 a.m. the next morning. (housing provided).
2 leave Saturday August 28 at 2 pm from the Memorial Union and arrive in New York at approximately 7 am. There and back. Sleep on the bus.
Buses tenatively arrive at St. John's Cathredal in Manhattan. (subject to change, but will be in Manhattan)
All three buses leave from St. John's Cathredal in New York at 9 p.m. on Sunday August 29 and return to Memorial Union in Madison on Monday, August 30 at approximately 2 p.m.
The Univ. of Wis. Memorial Union is at 800 Langdon St, Madison WI. (Campus map.)
Purchase tickets at Rainbow Bookstore, 426 West Gilman St., or Madison Infoshop, 1019 Williamson St. (Under Nature's Bakery) (608) 262-9036. You may purchase with a credit card but there is a three dollar fee.
The three buses are 54 passenger coaches. You can sit wherever you like on the bus, but you will be buying tickets for a specific bus, so If you want to sit together buy your tickets together just to be sure. All buses have a bathroom and VHS player on them. Bring a video to show if you like. Drinks and food allowed but not glass bottles. There is no room to bring bicycles.
The The Saturday August 28 Buses will be going through Milwaukee, leaving Milwaukee at 3:30 pm. One Bus right now is reserved entirely for Milwaukee folks. If you want to get on in Milwaukee, contact Peace Action at:
Matt Scholtes, Office Manager
Peace Action Wisconsin
1001 E. Keefe Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53212
(414) 964-5158
www.PeaceActionWi.org, or try: http://www.peaceactionwi.org/peaceactionwi/
Buses will be rolling through Milwaukee at approx. 3:30 pm, Saturday August 28, at the Park n' Ride on the South Side, On College Ave. off of Interstate 94. Follow the signs.
Buses will be leaving Eau Claire on Friday and Saturday from: Northern Tours Buses, 2740 Bauer St. The Friday August 27 bus leaves Eau Claire at 2:30 pm, and the Saturday August 28 bus leaves Eau Claire at 10:30 am.
The expected time of the trip is 17 -19 hours with two half hour breaks for all the buses each way.
PARKING:If you are coming from out of town you can park over the weekend at the Labor Temple, 1602 S. Park street, Madison WI. The buses will pick up people at the Labor Temple after picking up people at the Memorial Union.
HOUSING: If you are planning on staying overnight, housing is free, and will be in people's houses in Manhattan, or at a youth hostel. If you want to stay with friends get your tickets together to be sure. The people going on the Friday bus will be staying for free at a youth Hostel on 103rd Street, Hostelling International-New York. Here is the link: http://63.70.211.212/cfdocs/hostels.cfm?CITY=New%20York
HELPFUL TIPS:
- The best website for your preparation New York: www.rncguide.com
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What to Bring:
- Lots of water in a plastic bottle to drink
- Energy Snacks
- A small first aid kit with bandages
- Enough Money to pay for Phone, Food, and Transportation
- Disposable Camera for accurate Documentation of events, police brutality, injuries (for more tips go to www.ruckus.org)
- Backup eyeglasses and/or contact lens solution/case
- Several days of prescription medication (in original prescription bottle) and a doctor's note in case of arrest
- Portable radio with spare batteries
- A rain poncho and sun block
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DO NOT:
- Wear things that can easily be grabbed (long earrings, jewelry, ties, loose hair)
- Go to demonstrations alone. It is best to go with an affinity group or some friends with whom you've exchanged emergency phone numbers and other information (we will do this on the bus)
- Drink alcohol, take or carry drugs. (unless you really like the smell of jails)
- Also, signs with sticks are technically illegal but this is not likely to be enforced (use cardboard tubes).
NON-VIOLENT SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING: There will be a huge police force and possibly a million people or more protesting. With this number you are likely to be ok if you don't do anything that will get you arrested.
Those planning to attend the RNC are strongly encouraged to attend a nonviolent self-defense training. This is NOT your usual civil disobedience shindig and the skills we have to share are specifically designed so that you will NOT get arrested, be safe in the street, and have a good time speaking truth to power and exercising your freedom of expression.
Topics to be covered in this training include: brief overview of security culture, nonviolence, and direct action; affinity group dynamics; street wise behavior and basic first aid; police tactics and "non-lethal" weaponry; hands-on role plays; as well as RNC/NYC logistics and legal support.
The Big Apple is a very "odd" place to do activism, and this is even more so in the post 9-11/Miami context. You can be selectively arrested in NYC for taking up more than one spot on a park bench or using the "wrong" bathroom as a transgender person. NYC has one of the largest high-tech remote video surveillance networks in the country. Thanks to millions in homeland security funding, visitors to the RNC will experience major disruptions in mass transit, blocked off streets, large no-go zones, plus 36,000+ police - on rooftops, on horses, on scooters, on bikes, undercover as provocateurs and in snatch and grab squads. All the more reason to come to a training and find out just what's up before you head out! Questions? Feel free to call #262-9036. Need more details? www.rncnotwelcome.org
Training is set for: Thurs. Aug. 26th 6:00 pm at UW-Madison’s Memorial Union( it should be "RNC Direct Action Training, Langdon Room" but subject to change. Check "Today in the Union" TITU for the exact location).
SOME EVENTS:The major march is sponsored by United for Peace and Justice and will take place on Sunday the 29th at the start of the convention.
NYC YOUTH CONVERGENCE FOR BOOKS NOT BOMBS - All day Saturday, August 28, march on August 29. (Click here for more info on Books not Bombs)
More info at these web sites:
- www.rncnotwelcome.org - scheduled protest events, legal links, news clippings, where delegates will be staying, convention funders, convention events, more
- www.rncguide.com - The People's Guide - has over 600 points of information, including: RNC event locations, protest sites, accessible bathrooms, city resources, affordable restaurants, affordable lodging, bike shops, bail bondsmen, wifi spots, legal pointers, important NYC landmarks, comprehensive calendar
- www.ruckus.org - The Ruckus Society provides environmental, human rights, and social justice organizers with the tools, training, and support needed to achieve their goals.
- www.counterconvention.org - events, participating groups and more
- www.shadowprotest.org - be a phantom volunteer!
- Official RNC site: www.2004nycgop.org - news releases, plans, events, staffers and members listings, more
- News, event listings, etc at NYC Indymedia: www.nyc.indymedia.org
- New York City People's Law Collective nycplc.mahost.org - legal FAQ and info; know your rights, what to do if arrested, legal hotline (to be posted soon), more
- Maps of NYC surveillance cameras at www.notbored.org/scp-maps.html
- The booklet Health and Safety at Militant Actions is available at www.action-medical.net also, other street medic info
- The booklet Direct Action Survival Guide is available from directactionsurvival (at) hush.com
- Madison Infoshop www.madisoninfoshop.org - has bus tickets, some booklets and info sheets, online info at website
Contact:
slac@studentorg.wisc.edu
Madison Infoshop: (608) 262-9036
SLAC or any of its voluntary associates are not liable for anything that happens on the trip: Injury, lost items, getting lost etc.
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