The World Can’t Wait! State of the Union San Francisco Dispatch
Whirling dervish dancing, passionately poignant speech, and a forty foot statue of Bush toppling down like that of Bush’s contemporary Saddam Hussein, attracted a fired-up crowd that came together symbolizing the people of the world to pull down the global tyrant that is George W. Bush.
Tuesday, Jan. 31, in San Francisco World Can’t Wait! and people outraged by the Bush Regime had no stomach for Bush’s State of the Union address, but the state of Union Square was rumbling and shaking with the demand that Bush step down. The moment was marked by the fluidity of change made possible, and the unmistakable truth that San Francisco cannot tolerate another day of this regime’s global nightmare agenda.
With a turnout estimated at thousands, youth and adults mixed it up with foreign tourists in the heart of the City’s shopping center, where the usually relentless march of capital was interrupted by an idea people identified with even more than shopping: the removal of the Bush Regime.
Speakers of conscience and knowledge spoke against Bush’s agenda of scientific, suppression, religious fascism, and female reproductive slavery. Professor Tony Jackson expertly emceed the event with heart and gusto. He was assisted by World Can’t Wait student organizer, college freshman Ima G.
After the reading of the Call, Dr. Kevin Padian, the President of the National Center for Science Education, spoke about the regime’s attacks on science, and Christian fascism was lambasted by Rev. Charles Tigard of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco. Next was devorah major, a former Poet Laureate of San Francisco, with a poetic call to action, ‘an emergency alert and the republic for which it stands.’
Before taking up the drum, Finian Makepeace delivered a rabblerousing oratory of spit-fire ethical common-sense that riveted the audience which erupted into a roar of staunch agreement upon his conclusion, echoing his horror toward the Project for a New American Century and all it stands for.
Zen Buddhist priest Taigen Dan Leighton urged people to condemn torture with everything they have, and resist the temptation of embracing the ego-gratification of Bush’s violent means.
Taiko drummers teamed up with Finian’s colorful crew of rampant percussionists and the World Can’t Organizer led with his kick drum in boisterous chanting of “There’s a Killer in the White House! Drive His Ass Out!,” rapping Eminem spinoff(“will the real George Bush please step down, please step down.”
Then a moment of revulsion inspired by Bush’s face on a 10 by 14 foot television screen gave way to deafening mockery of drummers, dancers, and chanters. San Francisco’s diversity of demographics, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexual orientation were all represented in the crowd, rich and poor alike.
Asian tourists proudly posed for pictures of themselves with the American protesters they clearly agreed with. Corporate executives in Armani suits chanted The World Can’t Wait! Drive Out the Bush Regime! Latinas stopping by to investigate the commotion were delighted to see what the message was. The audience was captivated. One organizer said, “it seems people really felt that they were part of this.”
Once the crowd had successfully drowned out Bush’s speech for about 40 minutes, several more speakers came up to the mike. Laura Perez represented for Bay Area Coalition for Reproductive Rights, Diego Sandoval spoke about the Bush regime’s war on immigrants. Laura spoke to the impending loss of reproductive rights and the tragedy and needless suffering that women will face on a massive scale. Finally, two more World Can’t Wait youth and student organizers, Devon and high school student Jesse, came up to speak and rap.
Then it was time to topple the statue. As eighteen people chosen from the crowd to represent the people of the world came forward to take the statue’s ropes, the drums crescendoed and the chant went up: Bush Step Down! Bush Step Down! And to a great exuberant roar, the statue slowly went down, landing on its face. (This scene was aired repeatedly later on all major late evening news broadcasts. Some showed one demonstrator beating the statue’s head with his shoe, and another station even commented outright that this scene was reminiscent of the famous toppling of the Saddam Hussein statue.)
After the statue toppled, drummers kept the beat rolling as young poets Cliff and Keva belted out the rhymes of political enlightenment.
Leafleting tables for World Can’t Wait were approached by a multitude of people asking what they can do right on the spot. Stickers, buckets, and posters evaporated as the crowd eagerly took them in order to participate.
There was an almost palpable feeling in the crowd that people wanted to see that statue go down — as if somehow this sight would make real the possibility of successfully driving the Bush regime from power. Another organizer said, “People were really transfixed. They were really paying attention.”
Throughout the evening, the Feb. 4, Washington D.C. action was the talk of the throngs of people showing no hesitation to express support for The World Can’t Wait! Drive Out the Bush Regime! It ended with drummers singing, “All we are saying is Bush must step down,” to a delirious intensity.
And finally, even I had to put my camera down, take a break from media work, and shed a tear over the beauty of the unity, love, and strength demonstrated by the gathering. All the organizers insisted it went beyond their expectations.
Aside from the rally, but equally significant, the Bay Area sun rose on massive 50-foot white letters 300 feet long saying Bush Step Down! adorning Bernal Hill in San Francisco to be photographed by news helicopters (and shown on at least one TV news show). Giant Bush Step Down! banners also hung over in-coming freeways for days before the event. They were manually held up by World Can’t Wait and Not In Our Name activists who reported honking, thumbs-up, and other expressions of support from motorists.
Check out coverage of the protest in the San Francisco Chronicle, “S.F. PROTEST: Raucous Union Square rally”, 2/1.
View news footage from the protest.