The Cleveland event, an indoor rally at a prominent local club and a march, drew participants from as far away as Mansfield and Canton and Dayton (3 1/2 hours away!) and was a significant visibility breakthrough for the group. About 175 people marched demanding “Bush Step Down.”
When the march began, one major TV station, the local FOX affiliate, filmed from the moment the noisy parade stepped off and featured us prominently on their 10:00 news broadcast, right after you know who. The march was very ‘green,’ filled with dozens of world cant wait posters.
Some of the creative noisemakers people used were: a french horn, a digiridoo and an entire African drum set strapped to a dolly that set the beat!
Our route went past the local ABC affiliate. Since they were not there, we stopped in front of their building and made enough noise to bring the news staff to the windows. From there, it was a matter of time until their cameras appeared. They ran the footage on their 11:00 broadcast.
The local NBC and CBS affiliates just wish they were there now. Other television coverage included the Akron’s Freedom Journal TV, and the Carl Stokes Forum. The Plain Dealer sent a reporter and photographers.
Cleveland began to organize, reserving an additional six seats on Saturday’s bus, and accepting money for six scholarships at the event.
Over $1000 was contributed at the event, in addition to bus tickets sold. 7500 organizing packets were distributed.
17 people, of all ages and nationality, took turns reading the Call.
Those gathered at Peabody’s heard speakers espouse the need to organize, and the imporatnce of becoming personally involved and responsible for the nation’s future, including fiery speeches from:
Bob Fritrakis, Green Party candidate for governor of Ohio;
Bert Jennings from the Carl Stokes Brigade;
Eric Resnick from the Gay Peoples’ Chronicle* and the Cleveland World Can’t Wait committee; and,
Father Ben Jimenez.
Carlos Jones (Reggae musician), drummers from EarthRhythm, and Modern Gemorrah played music that both reflected the urgency of the moment and great hopes for a different future. At one point, Carlos Jones played “Imagine” and dedicated it to Carol Fisher, the woman who was arrested and bruatalized for putting up “Bush Step Down” posters a couple days before.
There was a significant turnout of people from the area’s established peace and justice community, along with high school and college youth, and professionals.
The march stepped off in honor of the legacy left by Coretta Scott King. One speaker talked about the day as “Shakespearian” in that Mrs. King’s death occurred the same day that Samuel Alito was elevated to the nation’s highest court with the dream of deconstructing King’s work.
This, and the fact that 19 traitor Democratic senators refused to stop it, underscore the need to drive out the Bush regime now, according to the speaker.
The parade grew as it traveled because it made so much noise. Apartment buildings along the route were filled with people standing in their windows gawking. A few, including a Black college student who lost a cousin to the invasion and occupation of Iraq, joined the march and will be on the bus to Washington.
Organizers know the works didn’t stop when the event ended – that there are more people to teach, more noise to make, and money to raise, but, by all accounts, Cleveland rocked it out!
Read the article from the Cleveland Free Times
Cleveland, OH Chapter, WorldCantWait.ORG