NYPD, protest group agree on rally site- - March route set for Sunday

[papau]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/26/rnc.protests/index.html

Sources: NYPD, protest group agree on rally site
March route also set for Sunday
From Jamie McShane
CNN
Thursday, August 26, 2004 Posted: 2:12 PM EDT (1812 GMT)



NEW YORK (CNN) -- The New York City Police Department (NYPD) and representatives for United for Peace and Justice have agreed on a site for a protest rally this weekend, as well as the route for the march that will precede it, sources familiar with the situation told CNN Thursday.

The rally, expected to be the biggest of 29 permitted protests scheduled around the Republican National Convention, will be held in Union Square Park, just north of the East Village area.<snip>

A projected 250,000 protesters are expected to take part in the event Sunday, set to start with a march that is to step off between 11 a.m. and noon ET.

The march is to move northward on 7th Avenue past Madison Square Garden -- in which the convention opens Monday -- and progress eastward on 34th Street to 5th Avenue.

From there participants are to march south on 5th Avenue to 23rd Street, then east to Broadway, and south on Broadway into Union Square Park.<snip>

[klook]

1. Map

http://mq-mapgend.websys.aol.com/mqmapgend?MQMapGenRequest=FDR2dmwjDE%3byt2l%26FDJnci4Jkqj%2cMMCJ%3aHOEvq%3bw7aq0a%3a%29zbw5z7%3a%26%40%24%3a%26%40t%3ada8%3aqa8%3aTD%15JFE%3aHOHQJ%3bw7aly2%3a%29zbw5fb%3a%26%40%24%3a%26%40%24w9f2%3a%2aE%14QXO%2a5uzrgl%40%5falfy5g%40%24%3a%26%40%24%3a%26f2w1%40%3aHO%1593bdWik1mf%3bNSC%12JDBJ%40r20azn%26%3dtxhr1l%26w%24l%266%24n%26y%245%264%24s%26y%245%26y%245%26y%24s%26z%24s%26z%245%26y%24s%26y%245%26y%24s%26y%245%26z%24s%26y%245%26y%24s%26y%245%26y%24s%26z%24s%26z%24s%266%24%2e9%407%3a%29u%24a%26%3d2s%26z%24%2e9y%24%2e0%40%5fs%26%3d2%3au

250,000 people on a Sunday should get some major press. Central Park would have been better, but this route will definitely be better than the West Side Highway.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

2. It will be impossible to fit that many people in that space

There is just not enough physical space to do it.
People will be splintered off into every side street if that many try to show up. And it is covered with subway entrances and exits and other obstacles and complications.
Horrible idea. Terrible site.

[nostamj]

3. I agree! it's only three blocks long...

the marches have been MUCH bigger than three blocks!

and it's crowded on weekends anyway.

look at the difference in area:

Union Square Park

http://newyork.citysearch.com/map?mode=geo&id=11433591&map_lat=407360&map_lon=-739905&fid=10&cslink=profile_map_noncust&ulink=profile_10_vitalinfo_1___map__1

Central Park

http://newyork.citysearch.com/map?context=generic&mode=geo&id=11349719&map_lat=407777&map_lon=-739692&level=8¢erlat=407840¢erlon=-739680&zoom=-1&click.x=218&click.y=102

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. I just checked the maps here in the office

From bldg face to bldg face the space measures 850' (north/south) x 600'(E/W). And that assumes all 4 surrounding streets will be closed to traffic, including 14th Street.
So that's only 510,000 SF before subtracting for all the encumberances and structures in the park. It is also full of retaining walls (the center of the park is a sort of platform raised 5 or 6 feet above street level.)
So at maximum density (2 SF per person) you might jam 250,000 people in, but it will be a mess.

[nostamj]

5. "a mess" is putting it mildly, IMHO

you can bet that less than half the marchers will get near the park, much like the pre-war march near the UN.

thank god it's a sunday... otherwise the traffic would be hopelessly gridlocked.