January 20-26, 2005

mixpicks

Wail to the Chief

by Juliet Fletcher

protest

While some people will get totally psyched about protesting the inauguration, it's understandable others will feel it's like showing up at a party to denounce the birthday boy. Which is to say it's fine, except all the core attendees really want to be there, so giving them something to "tsk" about won't change their minds.

Oh — plus the police might contravene your right to free speech and cart you off to jail. (Or is that just my birthday tradition?)

Local grass-roots network PhillyAction says you're better off persuading the unconvinced who aren't going to make it to D.C. With that in mind, they're planning two protest marches right here today at 3:15 p.m. One will leave from Temple University Bell Tower (between 12th and 13th streets along Berks Street), another from the south side of Market Street bridge, and they'll both convene at the west side of City Hall at 4:30 p.m. Any event whose flier quotes Vonnegut ("Thanks to TV and for the convenience of TV, you can only be one of two kinds of human beings, either a liberal or a conservative") is worth attending as a substitute for the day's D.C. activities.

Anti-Bush agoraphobes might want to consider skipping the protests altogether and instead spearhead an effort for "Not One Damn Dime Day," an alliterative assault on corporations who might have finagled favor with Bush through donations. The basic idea: Don't spend any money, at all. The resulting dip in revenue is intended to send a message on Inauguration Day.

Philadelphia March Against Bush, Thu., Jan. 20, 3:15 p.m., meet at Temple University Bell Tower, between 12th and 13th sts. along Berks St., or at Market St. bridge, 29th and Market sts., www.phillyaction.org. Not One Damn Dime Day, Thu., Jan. 20, 12:01 a.m.-midnight.