If we are not confident in what we say and what we are doing, how can we inspire others?

I would wager that Luke is not one of those who supports an "Investigate 9/11" type banner. He was so stoked to parade this Halloween with the "9/11 was an Inside Job" banner. Thousands saw it. Some cheered when they saw us. And afterward everyone felt, "Good job tonight." And it was. (We gave out ~800 "9/11 Mysteries" DVD and 8000 fliers). Many that night said it was important just for people's eyes to see it and that itself will do something.

The whole concept of what is going on in this thread just overwhelms me and I'm at a loss for words. Also, I know, in saying what I think, there'll be renewed attacks. Bleh.

I spoke with the man who brought the banner down from VT, since it was the best banner there. He was told to leave the small park near the South-East corner of the erstwhile World Trade Center complex. He was told the "people who own the park" - who were watching from above in a nearby building, were offended. I spoke to local activists who said we should find someone willing to get arrested for it, since in the agreement with the city, whereby private owners gave that land for a park, there was a stipulation that civil rights, i.e. in particular the right of free speech and assembly, would still be guaranteed there.

My friend, from the No Police State coalition, said that we could probably get damages from the city for this (often the city doesn't mind paying damages after the fact - and just want the protestors out of the way for public events.) The feeling was that, if possible, we shouldn't allow this precedent. And should make clear our rights in court. We should get used to defending our rights.

The man with the banner, I'll call him Steve, since that was the ID given for the blog entry, (and I don't remember his name anyway, if that isn't it), wasn't prepared to get arrested. Neither was I. So nothing came of it and he rolled up the banner. But later paraded with it.

And I've got a nice photo of it in front of Spitzer's office. :)

Luke was representing the position of the Loose Change fellows who had made an agreement beforehand with the police to keep in tune with the theme of the day: "memorial."

We were scripted in as part of the event!

We were allowed to ring the memorial bell and do a procession, in some kind of perfectly timed ceremonial way. Back and forth across from the subway entrance we marched.

We were *so* part of the ritual.
Completely integrated.

Merging with the crowd and passing out loads of DVD's, and also just giving the message via the black T-shirts. It was good.

At the time I felt our treatment was in tune with a fairy story logic: As "Don't repress the unconscious or it will curse you and come back with a vengence" is taught from a fairy tale. The witch will curse, when she is not invited to the christening. So they invited us to avoid our curses. We were formally integrated into the ceremony and I think this was a way for the perps to attempt to avoid our revenge. ;)

It's difficult to explain to those at 9/11 blogger, who are apparently so brainwashed/conditioned by the mass media that they do not know reality, that we were completely accepted by the crowd.

There were so few counter-protestors, it was pathetic (for them.)

We were *very* strong in numbers. But the Press and the family-official mourners/ Press went into the site for their own ceremony, by another entrance on the other side, (North side), from where we were.

Alex Jones was also allowed across the street from the subway entrance with a bullhorn. (East side)

Some people were saying that the leniency towards us was allowed since the police themselves knew something stank.

It's seems to me they must have a good idea of that.

At some point, while circumambulating the entire site I found myself with a friend walking through an area in front of the memorial mural at the side of the firehouse, across the street from the site. They told us this was just for people who were mourners. Well, I am, since a unique (vouched for by the chief of police at his funeral), irreplaceable and very close friend, a police officer, died there. (He was also someone committed to civil liberties.) So they allowed us through, even sporting the t-shirts. Me, in the black official protest "INvestigate 9/11" t-shirt, and my friend, in white, with the more discreet:

Someone, whom I met later at St. Mark's, asked to interview us, just as we were walking out of the place demarkated for mourners. In the midst of that a woman started screaming at me: she had someone die there.

I said I had too.

Then I told her, "Respect the dead. Respect the dead. Honor the dead."

She couldn't understand me and kept screaming. Then it finally sank in and she said "that is what I am doing here."

I said, "We are doing that too. The dead deserve the truth. The dead deserve the truth.The dead are not honored by lies. Honor the dead."

The police made the woman get away from me. It's all caught on film somewhere.

Many of the police are hip to the actual situation. Ditto the local fire dept. people. Last time we had a big presence at Union Square (I need to post the pics of that. It was quite amazing, the crowds we attracted) a fire truck came by on 14th St. They cheered us as they passed. It was surreal and encouraging.

I'm unsure of the reasoning behind why we were treated so well at the memorial. The vibe of the police was tangible. I've been to many protests and we are usually not. Ever. (Except one Halloween ago, when I was marching with the anti-torture people. The police were more encouraging than the public.)

Discussing the very positive police vibe with people familiar with activism around the city, during our participation in the memorial event, the conclusion was drawn that it wasn't the police themselves, but the "suits and brass," who must've given the orders, to the foot-soldier police, that we should be totally tolerated, and even protected from those who might start shouting at us. Our treatment was not an accident, of that there is no doubt.

Per the instructions by the LC organizers, no leafletting was permitted/engaged in, but ~8K (so I was told) Loose Change DVDs were literally grabbed from our hands.

I found the mourners especially eager for the DVD!

There was no mistake what the DVD was about either, since we all had the T-shirts. Many people from the public, on the street, kept calling out to me all day, "Where did you get that T-shrt?" followed by "I want one so much." If someone had more of them, and wanted to sell, thousands could've been sold that day.

The sick follow-up on the very retro issue of the "investigate 9/11" slogan, at 9/11 blogger, is that I just got an email from our local group saying a new banner was needed and the slogan would be "Investigate 9/11".

I made my case in the email list and we'll see what happens.

Here is what I wrote:

"I believe "Investigate 9/11" is too weak for a slogan. Even in the first year after the event some people were preferring, "9/11 was an Inside Job" and there was a fight over it.

"Investigate 9/11" implies there needs to be a new investigation. Which is true. But what it suggests, in practical application, is a new investigation by the Government. That's how the slogan will be interpreted.

In other words, we seem to be asking the Powers-that-be to investigate themselves. Once again. Or it can easily be construed or spun that way. Which is already the plan, I believe, should things get too hot.

A new investigation can be controlled just like the last one was.

The perps will just make a new fake investigation like they did 10+ years after the Kennedy murder. I'm sure a fallback postition is for a "limited hangout." And to cast the blame on some patsies or foot soldiers of the actual planners, movers and shakers."

I think half or more of the peeps at 9/11 blogger don't even themselves hand out fliers or otherwise try to spead the word. They're waiting for the Media to break the story. And for the government to call for a new investigation of itself. Suckers. They argue an "9/11 was an inside job" - type slogan is too "extreme," but have no idea how any of this is actually received by the public here in NYC.

One could argue, "USA did 9/11" is actually true because of all the US hangouters, Media complicity, denial, and refusal to look at the obvious, by the majority here? Still I think "9/11 is an Intelligence Black Op" is superior. Because I really do think the American public is better than that.