Indymedia: Breaking Coverage Of Inaugural Protests
Friday, 21 January 2005, 11:18 am
Article: Indymedia
DC Indymedia: Breaking Coverage Of Inaugural
Protests
http://dc.indymedia.org/
J20 Dawn
Malcolm X to McPherson March Photos
See also…. William
Rivers Pitt's Inauguration Blog
http://truthout.org/fyi/3:45
Coffins carried by protestors are burning; 3:44
At least 30 riot-police at 14th and Pennsylvania; stand-off
between police and protestors; whole area is filled with
pepper-spray and tear-gas; 16 mainstream journalists
observed getting sprayed by police with pepper-spray;
3:38 Police now sending reenforcements to 15th
and H street; 3:33 Police reporting that one of
two officers injured at 14th and Pennsylvania has a broken
arm; 3:32 Protesters are pushing through gates
at 13th and Pennsylvania; 3:31 Two women
arrested at 13th and Pennsylvania; 3:20 Police
snipers appearing on rooftops around 14th and Pennsylvania;
3:20 Two officers reported injured at 14th and
Pennsylvania; mainstream journalists being hit and
pepper-sprayed by police; 3:18 Pepper spray and
tear-gas directed at protestors at 15th and Pennsylvania; at
least 50 injured protestors; reports from police of "chest
pains" in protestor; mainstream media journalists being hit
with pepper spray; reports of bleeding from injured
protestors; 3:18 Three sections of fence on
inaugural parade route now broken down by protestors; fence
blocking off parade route has collapsed; protestors battling
police in streets; police still responding with pepper spray
and tear gas; 3:15PM: Much of the first 3
blocks of Pennsylvania has a significant anti-Bush presence,
hard to pick pro-bush demonstrators out of some segments.
3:14 Presidential motorcade slowed down at
request of police; 3:13 Police send a request
to the Bush motorcade to slow down the motorcade at 5th and
Pennsylvania, as major street battle rages between
protestors and police at 14th and Pennsylvania;
3:13 Tear-gas being used in street battle
between protestors and police; 3:12 Bush
motorcade is speeded up to get beyond the protestors on
parade route; 3:11 Bush motorcade passes
massive grouping of protestors on parade route; "Fuck Bush!"
can be heard live on CNN as protestors out-shout Bush
supporters; 3:05PM: Spot in the fense near 14
and Penn, near Willard Hotel, where they've rattled the
fense, gotten it knocked over or bent over twice, MPD pepper
spray. Extra police are being deployed to this area.
2:57PM: Unconfirmed reports of 4 arrests at 8th
and D NW 2:56PM: Pepper sprayed anarchists at
11th and E NW 2:52PM: Protesters at 14th and
Penn have been "contained" -- surrounded by the police,
according to one call. 2:50PM: Some anarchists
at 14th and Penn are trying to pull-down barricades, break
through check-points. Check-points are being closed-down by
the police. Protests at 16th and H going well. (20 people
laying on ground) 2:33PM: Flags being burned at
14th and Penn. Some callers report there has been a fight of
some sort between anarchists burning a flag and a
Bush-supporter trying to take the flag from them.
1:50PM: Possible splinter group heading from D
& 7 to Capitol area. Riot police lining the streets at Penn
& 14th and maybe 1,000 anti-bush protesters in the area
there. 1:45PM: Police car at Counter-Inaugural
space has left, what appears to be a plainclothes cop is
still hanging out by the front access. 1:43PM:
"Gas" at 7th and D NW being passed out [to police], say
some. 1:38PM: There's a police car (#137, MPD?)
in front of the Counter-Inaugural convergence space.
1:34PM: Police being dispatched to Pershing
park, report of arrests at D and 7th. 1:16PM:
(updated)snow balls thrown by some activists, several people
say at least 2,000 anarchists. Some sort of projectile,
maybe pepper balls, corroborated by some. Snowballs were
thrown. Mood as calmed down, peoples spirits are "high."
Anarchist Cheerleader squad is among them.
1:10PM: 1 person down, hit by pepper spray,
maybe physical force between 7th and 8th on G NW, police
tried to prevent one "anarchist" march from linking up with
another, things are "heating up fast." One DC Radio Coop/IMC
contributor has also been hit by pepper spray. No arrests
yet. 12:45PM: DAWN march is in the vicinity of
McPhearson Square, people are shouting "whose streets, our
streets!" Mood is "serious, but energetic." 12:53: The
square is filling up, plenty of police.
12:43PM: "Anarchist march" at 13th and L, say
the police around them were drawn away by "something else."
12:35PM: One arrest reported on "P circle," P
street near Dupont or Logan? Choppers and police cars heard
converging on an area near Logan/in Shaw.
During Bush's speech, Code Pink held up banners
"Bring the troops home" and shouted. Police immediately took
them away. After that another group shouted, they were taken
away. 2 more protests following that. Members of the
audience appluaded the police actions, shouted "USA USA,"
and some through snowballs while other people tried to block
cameras from covering the protesters. Public radio noted
this very briefly, and the CNN noted and covered none of it
as far as we can tell. AP Photo 12:15PM Splinter
group broke away from DAWN march at 16th and Q NW, maybe
200-300 ppl says observer. 12:09 Billionaires
for Bush finished auction of Social Security and Arctic
Wildlife Reserve at FDR Memorial. 11:55AM:
Police chatter estimates DAWN (Malcom X/Meridian Park) march
at 10,000 11:50 am DAWN march from MalcomX park
just started with 5-800 going down 16th street. Police
presence but not too heavy. People from Maine, Michigan,
East Coast corridor. Primarily younger protestors, but
people who have protested before. College students from
Maine. 9 jump out vans are following them behind.
11:41AM: Marches have left Dupont Circle and
Malcom X/Meridian Park 11:31AM: Bush is about
to be introduced at the inauguration platform
DC Indymedia has been having cache/mirror dns
issues. They may be resolved. Nothing nefarious going on.
The president preparing to go to the Capitol,
"Operation Primary Package" is underway
10:38AM: TSA confirms that there was a 2-car
derailment, all trains are being rerouted to New Carrolton,
Union Station is "shut down" says TSA. 10:10AM:
An uncorroborated report of a man in a suit, "dressed like a
congressman," arrested at the "yellow gate," Independence
and S. Capitol. Who he was and what he was arrested for is
unknown. 9:41AM: A motorcade moving through at
Washington and C streets. 9:32AM: Checkpoints
B, C and E are open for access to the security zone around
the inauguration 9:06AAM: The critical mass
reached U and 11 NW 9:01AM: 60-75 Critical Mass
riders came by the DC Indymedia Space. They are continuing
their ride with cheers and high spirits. Reports are that
the police are staying relatively cool but are following the
ride with at least 1 jump out van. 8:52AM:
Critical Mass has reached the Counter-Inaugural convergence
space with no reported trouble.
ENDS
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