Added: Lots more march coverage linked at Michelle Malkin’s website … including a link to this post. (Welcome, Michelle Malkin readers!)
Final update
It’s Tuesday morning. Got in last night around 10:30pm.
After leaving the March and taking the Metro back to our car, we drove about an hour and stopped at a rest area to get gas and supper. The place was packed—and it didn’t take us long to realize that the crowds were pretty much all us. Young people in pro-life T-shirts, sisters in habits, priests filled the restaurants. You don’t see that every day.
So far the only mainstream coverage of the March I’ve seen has been from the Washington Post and CNN.com. The Post piece isn’t bad, actually, and even CNN.com’s piece is better than last year’s, though that’s not saying much. The catch is that both stories are in their paper’s religion blogs (WaPo’s On Faith blog and CNN.com’s Belief blog) rather than as an ordinary news story.
Both stories make it clear in the headlines who the story is about: “Thousands of abortion opponents rally in march on Mall,” says the Post, and CNN.com says, “Thousands rally against abortion on Capitol Hill.” Here’s the lede on the Post story:
Thousands of bundled-up abortion opponents rallied Monday on the Mall, encouraged by recent federal and state GOP wins and hopeful about proposed measures that would further tighten bans on federal funding for abortions.
It should say “tens of thousands” at least, but in general it’s a decent story. They do mention that the morning Masses at Verizon Center and the the D.C. Armory were attended by “more than 27,000 young people”—and that this was the first time the Mass was extended to a second venue, which suggests that attendance is climbing.
Specific signs and buttons are mentioned:
Some signs and buttons were evergreen: “De-fund Planned Parenthood,” “I was adopted not aborted” and “I regret my abortion.” Others mentioned President Obama, whom the movement hopes will be challenged by recently elected conservatives. “Stop the Obama abortion agenda,” a common sign said.
And there’s attention given to the high percentage of young participants:
Annual events tend to focus on mobilizing the young, and Catholic high schools, youth groups and colleges were out in force Monday in Washington. …
Some attending the events Monday said that more young people appeared to be participating than in previous years.
Among them was Sister Marilyn Minter, a nun and youth leader from the Newark archdiocese. She stood outside Verizon Center because she couldn’t get a ticket for the concert and Mass.
“It’s reverence for life,” Minter said of the reason for what she saw as more energy among Catholic youths. “It’s interesting to me to see young kids want to respect life at every single level - birth to death.”
This was the most popular of our homemade signs. Several people asked to take a picture of it.
So, all in all, a pretty good story. There’s also a photo gallery that opens with an appealing image of energized young girls in matching pro-life hats, and includes at least one image that gives at least some sense of the size of the crowd.
CNN.com’s story isn’t that good. There’s one photo, and while at least they didn’t lead with a photo of pro-choicers, they managed to take a shot of exactly one pro-lifer praying in front of the Supreme Court building. And while they mentioned the counterprotesters, at least this year they made it clear that that’s what they were:
About 15 abortion rights supporters stood outside the Supreme Court building as the march unfolded. They chanted and held signs of their own, imploring the court and Congress to keep abortion legal.
U.S. Capitol Police said there were no arrests as a result of the march and counterprotest.
About my conversation with that pro-choice sign-holder who wants to abort babies with birth defects. I walked over to talk to him after my son David told me he had been listening to the guy talk to other pro-lifers, and that he thought the guy was crazy but other people weren’t answering him well.
Our conversation went something like this. After greeting him pleasantly, I asked, “Are you also in favor of killing born babies with birth defects?”
“I’m in favor of letting people with birth defects decide if they want to die when they reach 18” was his somewhat unexpected but unsurprising answer.
“What about unborn people with birth defects?” I countered. “Why don’t you want to let them decide when they’re 18?”
“We draw a line at birth. Before birth, the parents can decide; after birth, the child can decide when he’s 18.”
“You draw a line at birth; other people draw different lines. Peter Singer of Princeton says parents should have a few weeks after birth to decide whether to keep newborns or kill them. On what grounds do you say he’s wrong?”
“Well, maybe he’s not wrong,” he rejoined. “I don’t necessarily disagree with Peter Singer.”
“But Singer doesn’t restrict it to babies with birth defects. He says parents should be able to kill even healthy newborns if they want.”
“Well, I disagree with that. At least a healthy newborn has a better chance of growing up to have a happy life.”
“Then what about unborn babies without birth defects? Don’t they have the same chance to grow up to have a happy life? Are you against letting them get aborted?”
At this point he said, “I admit I’m not totally consistent. I contradict myself somewhat.” At which point I shook his hand, got his name, and said I’d pray for him. Pray for Mike, and the rest of those who embrace the culture of death.
Update 8
4:00. Doubled back in front of Supreme Court building, and yup, there are a few pro-choice counter-demonstrators. Maybe half a dozen. They are absolutely surrounded by a sea of pro-lifers, absolutely cheek to jowl. The pro-choicers are silent; all around them are chanting, happy pro-lifers.
Oh wait. There’s a confrontation after all. A pro-life man is talking about how his mother chose to have him in spite of cancer. “But that was her choice!” says a pro-choice woman.
Someone says “You could be aborting the next president!”
“Or the next Hitler!” says the pro-choice woman.
“But either way,” I speak up, “you’re killing a human being.” Silence from both groups. “Whether it’s the next president or the next Hitler,” I repeat, “it’s a human being.” More silence. The conversation goes in another direction.
4:15. I just had a partially satisfying and partially frustrating conversation with a man holding a hand-written sign saying “Keep abortion legal for babies with birth defects.” Too long to relate via iPhone. I’ll write more later.
Two hours later, the line is still moving down First past the Supreme Court building. Behind me a group kneels by the Supreme Court steps praying a rosary. To one side is Silent No More, and women who had abortions are telling their stories. Chants in the street are loud. No one is paying any attention to the half-dozen or so pro-choicers, except maybe the media.
Update 7
3:40. We’ve now passed the Supreme Court building, about an hour earlier than last year—but we weren’t at the end of the line this year, and the line is still going strong. No end in sight.
Update 6
3:30. A Latino group is here with a large Guadalupe image on a litter. (Correction: Sarah tells me I’m remembering wrong, that it was Our Lady of Fatima, not Guadalupe. She’s never wrong about these things, so I must be.) They’re shouting “Viva Cristo Rey!” and “Salve Regina!” Off to our right I can hear what sounds like the Neo-Catechumenal Way. Yep, that’s them. Right next to them are the Rabbis for Life.
Our homemade signs have been much admired and much photographed.
Update 5
3:20. Constitution and First. Almost at the end. There’s a major Eastern Orthodox contingent convening at the corner of Constitution and First, but I can’t hear a word they’re saying over the youth chants in the street.
I’ve talked to a dozen policemen or so. The most common estimate is 50 to 100 thousand. The police haven’t seen any pro-choice people here either. Maybe it’s too cold for them.
Update 4
3:00. After standing around for another ten minutes, we decided we didn’t feel like being at the end of the line again ... and so we, um, cheated. We circled around the massive crowd in the field until we got to where the line was moving, and sort of merged in. Hey, I’m a journalist, I need to be in the middle of the story.
So here I am in the middle of Constitution Avenue. I can’t see the end of the crowd in either direction.
This is our group. L-R: Ben, Sarah, me, Franz, Michael and David.
There’s the Tradition, Family and Property people, in full Scots regalia, playing bagpipes and such. Behind me a guy is chanting “Hey, Obama, your mama chose life!” The LifeSiteNews people are standing at the curb chanting “We love babies, yes we do! We love babies, how ‘bout you?”
All day I’ve been asking people if they’ve seen any pro-choice signs or heard from anyone who has. No one had. A few people have said, “There will be a few at the Supreme Court building.”
Update 3
2:15. The March actually started on time this year—and we happened to be standing right in the stream that started moving first—but now we’re stopped dead. There’s just too many people. How many? Tens of thousands, certainly. I’ve talked to other people who think it’s in the hundreds of thousands. Too many to march, anyway.
As usual, they saved some of the best speakers for the end: the black Baptist, Rabbi Levin. Rabbi Levin had an unsettling story about being turned away from a Christian pro-life students group. He chose a zinger of an idiom: There was “no room at the inn” for his pro-life rabbis group. Yikes. Don’t know what that was about, but the pro-life movement needs to bring together Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, atheists, everyone.
The field behind me is clearing—and I’m struck by what I don’t see: no litter. At all. An emcee put out a plea for people to pick up their litter, and it’s all gone. I’ve never seen that before.
2:20. There’s a praise band singing while we stand here—or there was, I think they’ve wrapped up. Now they’re playing canned rock. Earlier a soloist did a rendition of God Bless America, and a few voices in the crowd tried to sing along—but she did too much ad libbing, so the other voices died out. I think the March would benefit from more participatory interaction - songs we can sing, instead of just being sung to.
2:30 Still not moving.
I’m disappointed to have missed the roll call of Catholic bishops in attendance.
Update 2
12:45. Emerging from train at L’Enfant in a sea of pro-life people, mostly college age and high schoolers, many with chaperones in Roman collars.
I see signs ahead on the street: I Regret My Abortion. Choose Life. Men Regret Lost Fatherhood.
At the march. The crowd is big enough that we can’t get anywhere near the stage. I can’t see the speakers; I’m not even sure whether we’re in front of the stage or in back of it.
The current speaker says that in his 11 marches there are more congressmen here than ever.
I see large banners for Christendom College. Steubenville. Lutherans for Life. ByzanTEENS For Life (cute!). Warriors of the Word Youth Group. Knights For Life, High School, Mishawaka, IN. Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.
Speakers from all over: Texas, Mississippi, New Jersey, Indiana, Kansas ...every speaker brings roars of local approval. The crowd is from all over too. Scriptural quotations abound from speakers.
Update 1
12 noon. Bad accident on I-95 delayed us for over an hour. We’ve just arrived at Green Belt Station and are on our way to L’Enfant Station. There’s a group of a dozen or so young people on the train with us who are clearly headed to the March. They’re in good spirits, goofing around and commenting admiringly on our homemade signs.
We caught an early morning Mass at a random church on the road before coming in, and prayed the whole rosary on the drive down. It’s a long drive and even the rosary is short by comparison.
With me are an adult friend from church, my two oldest children and two of my son’s friends from church. They are also in high spirits in spite of the fact that for the duration of the March I’ve put a moratorium on my son’s and his friend’s obsessive discussions of weapons and military subjects. As hard as it may be for them to find another subject to talk about, I’ve decided that we aren’t going to be carrying pro-life signs and talking about killing people! (I don’t know where David gets the gun thing from ... and I don’t necessarily mind, but there’s a time and place for everything.)
Original post
This year’s March for Life in DC will be my third consecutive year attending (plus at least one previous year), and my second year in a row live-blogging from the March. I think I learned a little from last year’s live-blogging, and I’m looking forward to reporting again from the March this year. For those of you who can’t attend, I hope my updates give you something of a feel for being there, and I hope you’ll join your prayers with our efforts.
I also reported last year on the usual media distortions of the March. I think the most mendacious reportage I saw was from CNN.com, which opened with the lede, “Abortion rights supporters and opponents hit the streets of the nation’s capital Friday to mark the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade…” There were tens or hundreds of thousands of pro-life demonstrators and a tiny handful of counter-demonstrators; most people I talked to had no idea there were any counter-demonstrators and certainly hadn’t seen any. But CNN’s two-photo slideshow started with a photo of the few pro-choicers there, and followed up with a single shot of some pro-lifers that gave no indication of the multiple orders of magnitude between the two groups.
This year, it will be even more obvious that we are the event and they are the counter-demonstrators, the footnote. Why? Because the anniversary of Roe v. Wade was on Saturday, but the March has been moved to Monday. Why? Because the March organizers don’t want to hold the event on a weekend when our representatives in DC are all gone. They want us to be as visible as possible. So our organizers moved the March. We chose Monday instead of Saturday or Friday. Whatever pro-choice demonstrators show up today will be there because we decided to march today. If they were their own independent thing, they could have chosen to march Saturday, Friday or whenever. But they aren’t. They’re watching us to see what we do.
In this age of new media, it’s just not possible for the mainstream media to totally silence the truth. But they can muffle it. They can ignore it. They’ve been doing it for years.
It promises to be cold. Tonight it’s going down as low as 14 degrees, and it looks like it won’t get out of the twenties tomorrow.
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:-) Couldn’t help smiling at that last sentence. I live in Minnesota, and we’ve been going through a cold snap. A couple of days ago the nighttime temperature dropped to -23 in my town. The 20s sound comparatively balmy!
Good luck at the March For Life. I look forward to reading your updates!
Look forward to the updates Steven. God bless you and all the demonstrators!
Make sure to find my kids :-), I’ve got four of them w/ our church’s youth group! I’m home with my younger ones who can’t handle the cold but we are with you (and all the marchers) in prayer and spirit!
AND MAY THE POWERFUL INTERCESSION OF OUR DEAR LADY OF GUADELOUPE BE WITH YOU TODAY. MAY SHE GIVE THE GRACE TO CHANGE HEARTS AND OPEN EYES OF THOSE IN DARKNESS.
Best wishes and prayers for the March For Life in D.C. today. We’re with you.
I am praying for you! Blessings, Jose
You go, guys! My thoughts and prayers are with all those wonderful people out there supporting LIFE! Braving the cold in downtown DC but for a wonderful cause. It is a shame the mainstream media loves to distort and it looks like their newest weapon is “under-reporting” news and basically ignoring what should be reported. And especially with this latest horrible tragedy coming out of Moscow and another terrorist bombing taking focus, we must pray for the Russian people and the victims, and leave the rest in God’s hands.
My 14 yer old son and a bus load of youth left at 4:30 AM this morning from our parish church outside of Raleigh to take part in the march. What a wonderful group of teenagers they are! God bles them!
Why are your marchers not working at their jobs today for they owe that to their employers? Why are the kids not in school where they belong?
Thank you very much for reporting on the March and for marching with your children for the last three years. Abortion is the greatest scourge to hit the world since the Black Death decimated the population of medieval Europe. My 14 year old son and the San Damiano youth group from our diocese are there marching. I am proud of him and grateful to the sponsors for allowing him to march since I can’t be with him. May the protection of Our Lord surround all the marchers!
@stranger: perhaps the employed folks are taking a personal day? Sounds like for a lot of these kids this constitutes a “class trip”—you know: Washington, D.C., The Mall, constructive democracy in action… that sort of educational thing. My 13 year-old son Ben is with Steve Greydanus. We homeschool our children. Ben finished the draft of his term paper on the Peloponnesian War this weekend so he could go to DC today.
I don’t know if we’ll be able to connect the theme of a great democracy at the height of its power tragically crumbling from a combination of arrogance, imperial over-reach, and moral decay. But I’m sure we’ll find something to say about Athens.
@Stranger: Today is a day off for NC school kids as tomorrow is the start of a new semester. Amazing that the group of teens from my parish gave up their day off to be part of the march!
God Bless all the people Marching for Life today!
My daughter is at the march with her college. It’s her first time and she is so amazed by the crowd. She’s been texting and sending me photos. So great to read your blog for those of us who could not be there. God bless you & your family!!
Love the blog idea!! Thanks for the updates! Shared this link on several of my Facebook pages including my Catholic New Media page found here: www.facebook.com/eglantzweb and the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants page (Official) found here: www.facebook.com/helpgodsinfants.
God bless all Marching for Life! Would have joined you if not for the malfunction of TWO separate buses in Northwest Pa. Had to cancel our trip and send all our anxious marchers home. Will be back next year and as long as it takes till we defeat the culture of death!
Thank you for the wonderful updates. I guess the only way to get through to a pro-choicer is to hit them with the pocket book. Yell, “You are killing a tax paying citizen”.
Thanks again for giving us a view of what we are missing!
Ryan
Illinois
“Keep abortion legal for babies with birth defect”. What a frightening thought. Who would feel qualified to make those kind of decisions? What baby is allowed to be born and which is not.
Excellent Steven. Thanks for blogging. My daughter was there with you today. She’s a freshman at Franciscan and caught one of the buses from there last night. Really enjoyed your comment about your boys and the “time and place.” Kids are fun and keep us on our toes. God Bless!
Your 3:20 post indicates a “major Eastern Orthodox contingent at the corner of Constitution and First.”
Since I was there at the time—and part of the contingent of nearly 100 Eastern CATHOLICs—I assume you are referring to us (we had the “ByzanTEENs for Life” Banner).
If so, I surely hope the National Catholic Register blog will post a correction. We are, after, all, a part of what Pope John Paul II called “the two lungs by which the Church breathes ...”
I went to the march for the 3rd year straight. I must tell you: more and more youth especially the JP II generation are hungry for the Roe vs Wade decision to be reversed. I will be posting a video of it soon on youtube. Please contine to pray for the end of abortion and all froms of destruction to human life.
Chris Braunlich: I had a very nice interaction with your group. I stopped by and said I liked your “ByzanTEENs for Life” banner, and someone, for all I know it was you, gave me a small card bearing an icon of the Visitation.
The banner I remember from the group at the corner of Constitution and First were the ones with the “Orthodox Christians for Life” banner. If I had seen your banner again, I would have commented on it. There were several clergy there, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying over the youth chants in the street. It is possible that you were there too and I missed you the second time.
HR 3, HR3, HR3 etc. Call!
I was at the March For Life, too, and took lots of photos. Twenty-three are on my blog post and the rest are on a link to my Flickr page.
http://stblogustine.blogspot.com/2011/01/2011-march-for-life-in-washington-dc.html
...if you’re interested…
stranger@“Why are your marchers not working at their jobs today for they owe that to their employers? Why are the kids not in school where they belong?”
One word: CHOICE
The CHOICE to use one’s vacation days, or work extra hours other days, or simply take unpaid days in order that those with NO CHOICE may someday have the same CHOICE….may someday simply HAVE LIFE.
Matt@StBlogustine- Thank You for posting those pictures! My favorite was the monk wearing sandals…Brrrrr!
Does anyone know what time the last group passed the Supreme Court? Marchers including groups coming from the Verizon Center spontaneously stepped off at Constitution and 1st at 2pm…crowds too large to contain any longer.
As a Pro Lifer from New York City (the abortion capital of the country) I find it refreshing to be around people who are trying to do the right thing. Although I am old enough to vaguely remember the battle of Roe vs Wade, I didn’t understand the whole story at that time due to my age. As I look around the march every year (I’ve been going to the march since 2004) I think to myself how great it is that the “survivors of Roe vs Wade” (those born after January 22, 1973) are taking up the cause.I continue to tell my fellow New Yorkers “I’d rather be morally right than politically correct”.
Regarding your final post about regular media coverage of the March…it’s the same story that it always is, whether the pro-life march is in DC or in San Francisco. I was at the Walk for Life West Coast on Saturday (my fourth time there) and there was a huge crowd. The biggest I’ve seen so far. Estimates are around 50,000 from California and all over the West. Did the LA Times report on this? Not a word, not a picture. Their story about pro-life demonstrations on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade included only a picture of a small group of shadowy, faceless people crossing a street in Dubuque, Iowa. I’ve been searching for coverage of the DC March (I was there in 2003) and am grateful for your blog.
They do mention that the morning Masses at Verizon Center and the the D.C. Armory were attended by “more than 27,000 young people”—and that this was the first time the Mass was extended to a second venue, which suggests that attendance is climbing.
No mention of the Mass(es) at the Basilica, though. I was there with FUS at 7:30 a.m. and it was quite literally standing room only. From where I was sitting I could see people sitting on the floor. I think there were other Masses later in the morning too.
Loved the March. One suggestion: a stroller lane and a stroller section on the Mall. There were lots of strollers. My children were there with their little ones in strollers and the crowd was so huge we could not crush through the crowd to make it onto the Mall to hear the speakers so we just stayed on the sidewalk waiting for the March to begin and when the police on their bikes came along we hopped into the street along with the thousands of others who also could not get onto the Mall and were the pre-March of the March. Mea culpa, Nellie. Sorry if we messed up the count but the strollers made it impossible. So add in the six of us!
just wanted to say that i loved your signs. i was one of the people who wanted a photo of the abortion is not healthcare/healing sign.
what a “small” world for such a big march.
God Bless!
Thanks for the great blogging, Steve! It was wonderful to read. Wish I could have been there. May God bless you and your contigent abundantly for your witness to life!
Your update 5 @ 3:20 Yellow bannners is our Youth Group from St.Mary of the Woods Russells point Ohio , This was my first time and planning to take K of C Brothers nest year
I notice that none of the blogs seem to mention Ave Maria University’s presence at the March…but we were there! Though most of the school and AMU’s School of Law ended up further down the line (supposed to be right after the Silent No More group, which was [supposed to be] right after the dignitaries, etc., but something got messed up and a lot of people pushed in front of them(-:), those were AMU/AMU School of Law students carrying the March for Life flags just behind the dignitaries, who were just behind those carrying the main banner at the front of the March. In mentioning the Catholic colleges represented at the March, don’t forget Ave!
I was privileged to be one of the “flag-bearers,” on this, my first March for Life, and it was fantastic!!!!!
I took my two grand daughters for their first March, I’ve been doing the March since forever. I’m our parishes bus captain, so I was a bit hesitant to bring along a six and nine year old. Was I wrong. From the moment they got off the bus they waved our parish sign and changed “No more abortion”. They didn’t just preach to the choir. They directly confronted the few demonstrators in front of the SC. I mean right in their faces. The old guy there told these children they had been brainwashed. My nine year old said that he had been brainwashed. One of the women continued to back up as the two little children continued to advance. Their chant was picked up by many of the pro-life folks there and many were taking their picture, as there had been all along the march. I couldn’t have been more proud. After twenty minutes or so I had to call them so we could meet our bus, I heard one of the other pro-aborts say “Thank God”. I couldn’t hold back a smile at the irony. Needless to say, they will be with me next year, God willing.
what do you mean 10’s of thousands. How about 500,000!!!
Thanks for all who have commented, and for all who participated.
@ ExCampanologist: No slight to Ave Maria U was intended!
@pam rousseau: I would love to report that there were 500K people there, but wanting it to be true doesn’t make it plausible. The police said 50K-100K, and that jives with my perceptions. All day long I was doing my best to take the measure of the crowd. I think 100K is a plausible number, but I wouldn’t go much higher than that.
Incidentally, most of the police I talked to were friendly and professional, but one cop obviously didn’t want to talk to me (“I have no idea” is all he would say in response to my questions), and one lady cop actually tensed and backed up as I approached with my usual “Excuse me, can I ask you a question?”, as if she felt threatened. I smiled as unthreateningly as possible, spread my hands and said, “I’d just like to ask a question,” and after that she was professional, if not exactly friendly. She was up on the wall above me, so it’s not like I was towering over her or anything. It was weird.
I’ve found the same thing Pam. I can only imagine what kind of briefing these gendarmes get prior to this March duty . . . maybe they’re being told “these people claim to be pro-life but they’ll slit your throat in a minute, so be careful” :-)
@ Jim Althoff: I don’t know, in three years running I’ve found the police to be consistently friendly, easygoing and professional. This was the first year I got a couple of ambivalent or negative reactions, and even then they were well in the minority.
Say the Mass for Life that was ahead of the March on EWTN. Was so proud to see both Bishops from Alabama there. What good example to the priest and laity of our state. Weather we yell Roll Tide or War Eagle we must shout “Choose Life” !!!! God Bless…
It is great to have so many of our youth involved, especially our girls. We need to take a look at the Girl Scouts. I am sorry, but they are having some problems, as they like or not, have leaned far left and are leading our daughters to advocate for abortion when they are between ages 12-15, and some programs that are going on across the country and around the world are of concern. Go to: http://www.lifeissues.org/connector/2010/Oct10_The_Girl_Scouts.htm for a comprehensive report from Dr. Wilke in Cincinnati from Life Issues Connector. American Heritage Girls on the other hand is a conservative approach and a wonderful scouting program, parallel and partnered with the Boy Scouts.
Thanks for a great report Steven! It was my first march for Life in 28 years of ProLife activism. So encouraging to see the sea of young adults, so zealous for the cause of LIFE!! Also, I didn’t mind seeing two photos of the artwork inspired by our Lady, “The Word Made Flesh,” showing Jesus in-utero! It’s in the first and fifth photos.
Hey Steven!
I see my mother Eleanor just posted and I saw that there are a couple of photos with her artwork in them of “The Word Made Flesh”!! I am so proud of my Mother and SOOO happy she was albe to attend this years March for Life! God Bless you all and for all you do to promote the Prolife Movement!
As someone who works in public safety, I can offer that some of the awkwardness and discomfort the police may have shown with questioning is due to the fact that police procedure calls for a detached, suspicious approach during crowd control events. You are never supposed to show any sign of partiality one way or the other (though certainly simple courtesy should be a given). Cops are used to being approached by aggressive, crazy, and dangerous people. I am sure that the officers’ generally kind, helpful demeanor is due to the fact that the crowd has annually shown itself to be peaceful and amicable.
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