thompkins square park.
thompkins square park. new york city. people gathering to remember. the
bloody brutal battle with police five years ago. when the park was shut down.
and riot police stormed in. it is daytime. people walking about. a stage
with a band. setting up. tables. describing glass house. squatting. the
homeless. the riots. trying to make people aware. later. as the last band
plays. throwing metal off stage. drumsticks appear. so others can join in the
drumming. anything. being banged. thrown against the ground. to make noise.
add to the chaotic rhythm. then. suddenly police coming in. circling round
the stage. clearing out the metal. any people near the stage. so someone
grabs a bottle and starts drumming against the ground. i grab something else
and join in. as people all around find things to drum on. a rhythm now.
beautiful rhythm. people begin to dance. show them we can have fun anyway.
like the frog people. so long ago. finally they leave. but the drums drum on.
and the dancing increases. someone begins to pull people into the circle.
to dance as well. finally i tell rachael. take your shirt off. its legal.
lets shock the fuck out of them. then dancing around. wild. other women
begin. dancing only in bras. a fire is set. a monument. a burning pyre to
remember. and people begin to dance around it. as the drums continue. and
others throwing things into it. coaxing it along. suddenly it begins to rain.
pour. as hundreds of riot police storm in. 'get anyone you can.' every man
for himself. run. i grab my bag. one foot on a park bench. the next over a
fence and running. over the next fence. then out of the park. find rachael.
watching as people sit down in the street to block traffic. then police come
out of the park. 'arrest them.' and people run away again. finally. a group.
ten. twelve maybe. moving down st. marks. at the end. police barricades. to
stop cars. placing them in the middle of the street. stopping cars ourselves.
add to the chaos. as we move down first. each time finding the blue
barricades. using them. more chaos. finally. splitting up. wandering around
the rest of the night until it is safe to return to the car. parked on
thompkins square.
muse@musespace.com