So I was looking though my photos and I came across my 2004 DNC pix. I thought you all might be interested in what that whole "free-speech zone" nightmare looked like.

I'll post just a few photos from the Sunday before the DNC started. I have other ones that are just as stark from when the DNC was in full swing, but in the spirit of saving bandwidth, I will not post them unless you all express an interest.

And maybe we could start up a political photos thread? There has to be others who post on this forum with interesting political photos to share...

Are Democratic protesters so violent they need that kind of containment?

They do carry Che flags (and he used to help "borrow" women for Castro to "talk" with), so maybe.

What? No guard towers?

Again, those are neat B&W photos. I'm definitely expressing an interest in seeing the rest of them.

someone has a great eye

seriously: i tried to get photos of the heavily armed men up in the old subway tracks above us, but they did not like that at all.

i'll post a few more tomorrow.

can someone please explain to me what the area was used for?

freedom

thanks

this was the area where protesters were to be corralled during the 2004 DNC. i f you stood right up against the first of the double chain link fences, you could barely make out the entrance to the Fleet Center, which was behind street length portable sheet metal fence.

this was where we were supposed to exercise our free speech rights. it looked like a concentration camp.

What would an alternative have been? They were providing security for all sides as far as I'm concerned.

I couldn't find a pic w/o the scary guards, but I suppose they can stay.

this is the best view of the Fleet Center Entrance from the free speech zone (you can barely make out some letters):



concentration camp aura is not complete without blinding floodlights:



and if there were a lot of people in here protesting and yelling, how would you like to be standing here (note: that's my husband, he's 6'2" and yes it was pouring rain)?

those assholes at the DNC.



the republicans set up a much nicer area for the protesters.

some signs and slogans that capture the mood the last day of the convention:

this photo was taken at 7PM on Thursday night, the last day of the convention. people walked in to see what it looking like in there, then left to join the throng on the street.

Is that Guantanamo?

Should they have let the protestors inside? Set up a nice area in the convention center? What?

thanks for giving a nice and thoughtful answer

i think they could have NOT penned us up under the old north station train tracks.

fucking barbed wire.