The signs were nearly all hand-lettered. And that virtually no one is discussing during the topsy-turvy process of battling over the vote. It was on the third day of the protests that I first heard that chant. Having successfully disrupted the WTO's meetings through a nonviolent blockade, we had variously been tear gassed, pepper sprayed, shot at with rubber bullets, deafened with concussion grenades, beaten, arrested, and chased. Our numbers swelled as we crossed downtown and then headed uphill toward the jail where those arrested for protesting on the previous day were being held.
Democracy is loud, often unruly, and always public.
The outcome of this election certainly matters. For democracy will not win, no matter who goes to the White House. It's phenomenal, and not to be missed. A longtime radical journalist and organizer, she is active in a number of New York City direct action campaigns.