Saturday night Silver Lake was vitalized, vivified and electrified as thousands came "out of the bars and into the streets" from all over Southern California to protest the passing of Proposition H8 and the banning of same-sex marriage. By the time I got the protest one large group had broken off and started marching along Hyperion towards Hollywood, but helicopters overhead and sirens still filled the cool evening air as at least a thousand voices raised in unison from the distance.
I was unprepared (okay, not totally–I had an iPhone and Flip video camera) for the sight of two trucks of LAPD in full riot gear and phalanx of foot soldier riot cops, plus fifteen equine officers in their battle regalia. Oh noes, the riot ponies!
Seriously this was freaking nearly out of control intense. I was on the police side of the action, west of the intersection of Vermont and Hollywood, able to watch the crowd straining to continue on their march as a wall of blue stood inches away ready to stop them, with vast numbers of uniformed and armed back-up holding firm for a city block.
Gay, straight black white–Marriage is a civil right! What do we want? Equal rights ! When do we want them? Now! Let us through! Let us through! Let us through! yes we can! Yes we will!
Members of National Lawyers Guild and the ACLU legal observers in neon green baseball caps were in conference with members of the 
LAPD and the crowd as tension mounted–then lead officer spoke through his bullhorn, announcing that the Department of Transportation was setting up traffic cones and clearing the way for the marchers to proceed west on Hollywood to join their compatriots at Hollywood and Highland.
And the crowd cheered and chanted back:
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Yes, teh gheys and their supporters were chanting "Thank you" to the LAPD as the riots cops turned away, squad cars dispersed and the horses trotted away, leaving a faint smell of manure behind. It was so civil, so nice and so deeply heartfelt. The LAPD has really been making a huge effort to be cool with all demonstrators since the May Day Melee in McArthur Park, and Saturday night showed that work is paying off. The crowd was outraged over Prop H8 and impatient to march, but not angry at the police or looking to be arrested to make a point. They wanted to speak out and been seen and heard; this issue is about civil rights and Constitutional rights, respecting them and getting them–arrests won’t do that.
While it was tense, it was more the tension of having to wait than the tension that a beat down was about to happen.
Still, it took over half an hour before the crowd–which at times grew restless, throwing out shouts of "Bullsh*it! Bullsh*it! Let us through!"–received the go ahead and with whoops and shouts, surged legally, peacefully, and loudly out onto Hollywood Blvd behind a truck mounted sign that flashed "Stay on the west wide of the road" with a squad of motorcycle officers and an paramedic van bringing up the rear.
Equal rights! Equal rights! Equal rights!
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Wow. LAPD acting civil. Color me surprised.
…onto Hollywood Blvd behind a truck mounted sign that flashed “Stay on the west wide of the road”
Doesn’t Hollywood run east and west?
Nice reporting. Good on the LAPD.
St. Paul, are you watching?
Funny…..MSM isn’t carrying this at all that I can find. Maybe I’ll “do a Google”
Time to remove the tax exemption of the cult known as Mormonism.
thanks for the fabulous footage Lisa !
our own darling daughter was amidst the throng and called us all pumped up late last night – so it is a treat to get a taste of her scene
that would be the once apolitical child
ps – those cops in pick up pics look like they were taken in Anbar
Thank you Lisa!
I know you were heading out with your FlipCam at midnight. Thanks for going well above and beyond the call of duty!
OT – Obama team displaying what has become the expected discipline today. Both Valerie Jarrett and Rahm giving up absolutely nothing new when pressed.
Maybe they’re all thinking, “What would Obama want?” Instead of what would W want.
This is way cool!
Just caught both of them with half an ear but that was my reaction……..and thought, “Suck on this, corporate media.” Talking points memorized – check. What’s next on the list? *g*
They were really good! Clyburn now falling into the “govern from the center” meme on Brokaw’s show, but he’s not part of the actual team.
the LAPD has really making a huge effort to be cool with all demonstrators since the May Day Melee in McArthur Park,
You read this, right?
Yep. Still surprised.
Do you live in LA?
No. I’ve read quite a bit about the peroformance of the LAPD in the past, never saw much discipline in their approach to crowd control.
They have also gotten some fancy new gizmos which translate certain phrases into all the various languages spoken here.
I read that Chief Bratton’s name is on Obama’s cabinet list…forget which secy.
Baby steps. But, looking better than they used to.
That’s good to hear.
Thanks Lisa! Who would’ve thought the protests after the election would’ve been for equal rights for all.
ABC’s This Week unanimity Fareed Zakaria, Gergen, Cynthia Tucker, and Stephano all spouting the new Conventional Wisdom that Larry Summers is “the” guy for Secretary of Treasury. His sexism is blown off. In fact, they try to portray him as some kind of big time supporter of women’s rights. Only Stephano in a last second throwaway line mentions that Summers will face questions on his role in deregulation of the financial industry. The cognitive dissonance between him being just the guy to fix the disaster he did so much to create just passes them all by.
They also seem to want to keep Gates at Defense. One of them Zakaria I think does mention that this might send a confusing signal, keeping someone on who is tied to keeping troops in Iraq with Obama’s pledge to withdraw them but hey, coherence was never a big part of the CW or what made these guys’ careers.
This was on the morning network news so it’s now a National Stry.
new thread upstairs
hollywood does runs east west, the LAPD wanted them in the west bound lane.
I am very happy to hear that everything was peaceful on both sides! With more of these kinds of peaceful protest we can and will get the odious prop 8 nullified! Equality for all US citizens of this great country!!
Oops, typo fix’d late night, early up to load videos–But YES, I have been at a number of other demonstrations hre in LA from Feb on (several with over 500 people) and the LAPD has been overall very very nice, though an officer told organizers at one she couldnt shake his hand (I witnessed this) because the last time they did that the picture was posted on line and those being protested gave the LAPD brass grief over it!
Last night and Thursday at the Mormon Temple gave me an added insight into the LAPD and how they are really trying to be balanced and fair–though granted no one is throwing things at them at these demonstrations, there is no desire to torch a McDonalds, and they had a number of officers with video cameras as observers recording field operations at both demonstrations to make sure that there was accountability.
I may be just very Pollyannish, or have only had over all good or neutral experiences with my local cops, but I feel that the LAPD really does want to improve their image and their relationship with the citizenry–and their behavior last night..thanking the crowd for their patience, saying “please move back” instead of ordering shows this willingness…maybe it was just the crowd which sets the mood–and the crowd as outraged at PropH8, but not angry at authority. There was good communication, willingness on BOTH sides to make this happen.
The LAPD was doing their job: Supporting the right to free speech and free assembly–which effectively shut down Hollywood Blvd with 7 to 10 thousand people marching 3 miles on one of the city’s busiest weekend streets.
I’d like to ad that there were NO PERMITS for this march (number vary form 7ooo to 12500 marchers!) nor any others–and this is one of many great and glorious thing about this: As long as you floow the basic municipal codes–keep moving and dont damage property–you have the RIGHT to assemble and speak out, the police are there to insure you get it.
The LAPD also kept the yes on 8 counter demonstrators away from the equal rights marchers.
http://www.latimes.com/news/lo…..0800.story
The march’s organizers, the L.A. Coalition for Equal Marriage Rights and the Answer Coalition, did not apply for a permit, police said. The protest closed Sunset between Fountain and Sanborn avenues for about two hours as marchers moved west on Santa Monica, north on Vermont Avenue, then east on Hollywood Boulevard back to Silver Lake. Later a smaller group headed toward Hollywood.
Thousands of protesters march around the headquarters of the Mormon Church – from The Grey Lady
Keep doing this every night until the Courts toss Prop 8 and politicians get enough spine to remove their tax exempt status.
Oh and the Mittster can kiss 2012 goodbye …
When protesting at a Mormon temple, instead of placing protest signs on any building or structure (which might get you into trouble), why don’t protesters project “HATE” on the exterior of the building using a high-powered light…Batman style!
A few years ago, protesters in Washington DC used this approach when the Corcoran Museum backed out of a plan for a Mapplethorpe exhibit. The protesters projected the Mapplethorpe images on the exterior of the building!
Blue Texan is up at the Mothership!
George Will Suffering From Post-Obama Stress Disorder on “This Week”
maybe they were afraid of the leather daddies? ( I mean, were they afraid to write west-BOUND?)
oooh, Loving this idea.
Sadly, “CULT OF HATE – Bring your magic underwear” might not all fit, though.