By Anupa Iyer
Amid the festivities of the 2000 Democratic National Convention, there lurks a shadow of Seattle. The convention, which will occur in L.A.’s Staples Center from August 14-17, is supposed to be a period dedicated toward the rejuvenation of the Democratic Party’s spirit for the November elections. It is a time for working, rallying and, of course, partying. The convention will highlight Los Angeles as the symbol of the Democratic Party. The diversity of the state juxtaposed with its recent economic boom has made it a symbol for the party and its future. Yet behind all of the pomp and camaraderie of the event there lingers a foreboding sense of fear amongst L.A. officials; Los Angeles power politicians have been dealing with a gnawing dilemma of protesters.
In Seattle during the World Trade Organization meeting last fall protesters nearly destroyed the event. Policemen had to came onto the streets of Seattle using rubber bullets and tear gas. The memories of the fall meeting have hung like somber shadows upon the shoulders of prominent politicians and police. It has affected various summit meetings. In Los Angeles, with regards to the DNC, politicians from Richard Riordan to Gray Davis want to prevent protests from these kinds of people at all costs. It is here that a conflict lies which questions the fundamental nature of the American Democratic system.
Fears of protesters have subdued the festive atmosphere of the convention. Initially there was a bloc party planned for the convention for Angelenos to celebrate the event. The overwhelming fear of protest rallies disturbing the peace, led to difficulties in fund raising by the L.A. host committee. The LAPD is proposing a multimillion dollar budget to quell the cries of the protesters. Mayor Richard Riordan wanted to make a protest free zone, which many politicians have cynically named the Riordan Road. The LAPD is ready at all costs, and have prepared defenses such as tear gas and rubber bullets just in case protesters get a bit rowdy.
Is all of this precaution necessary? Do people who are exercising their First Amendment rights deserve to have their freedom of assembly removed from them? Although having the Democratic National Convention is a great honor and status symbol for California, it appears as though L.A. politicians have become overwhelmed with a sense of smugness. Mayor Riordan and other Los Angeles politicians have apparently forgotten the principles that this great nation was founded upon, namely freedom of speech, religion, press, expression and assembly. By preventing protesters from asserting their views, we are suppressing their fundamental rights and the foundation of the American nation. By limiting protesters to a certain area in the Convention radius, politicians are making a statement about the Constitution. They are indirectly saying: “When we feel like it America will become a police state and if we want to we can take away your rights.” What will become of American democracy if American citizens are unable to exercise their fundamental rights? By limiting protesters, politicians are subverting the essence of the American democratic state. When a final realization of this occurred, the Los Angeles division of the American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint about the unjust treatment of protesters. Just recently a judge ruled to give protesters more space and more protesting capabilities.
The last time the DNC occurred in California was for the 1960 Presidential elections. By hosting the 2000 election convention, California is ushering in a new millennia of American politics. The convention and Los Angeles host committee have recruited 5,000 volunteers for the event, which gives an array of Californians an opportunity to partake in the political process. At UCLA, the Bruin Democrats have been encouraging fellow students to get out and get involved in this once in a lifetime opportunity. Students have been volunteering at the offices since the beginning of the year. The Bruin Democrats have also hosted a “Convention Week.” In addition to students, people from all walks of life have been jumping onto the convention bandwagon. The L.A. host committee will be giving a party to recognize the efforts of the volunteers at the end of the convention. By volunteering at the convention you can make an impact upon American politics.
Freedom of expression is the beauty of the American system. The ability to fight for freedom of expression within the system contributes to the democratic process. The protesters and the volunteers depict the raw nature of America. It is a land where both the enemy and the friend of the system can partake in its creation. It is a land where polar opposites can find a harmonizing region. In so many countries and so called “democracies,” there is no such thing as protesters. There are only those who are rebels to the system and who thwart the proceedings of the government. The ability to protest makes America the “land of the free and home of the brave.”
At the DNC, legitimate protest groups are given a good 14 minutes to voice their appeals. Perhaps it appears then that these groups have also become bureaucratized and have fallen into the government trap. In a sense, they have been organized. They have “boot camps” for training protesters on how to scale buildings and build human barricades. Despite all of the commotion caused by the protesters, the fact that protesters are fighting the convention represents the American system. If we did not have protesters fighting the government and if we did not have lawmakers fighting the protesters then we would not have American democracy. Lawmakers are able to see dissidence among people, and so they know that things must be changed. When protesters and lawmakers can come together and maintain equilibrium, then we will have achieved the core function of the American system with the will of the majority and the minority.