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.