It was basically a Palestinian nationalist rally. If there were speeches I couldn't hear them, and we were less than a hundred feet from the platform. All we could hear were chants celebrating Palestine and the Intifada. Signs about your tax dollars financing Israeli aggression. Evidently the Palestinians want to try to make this a major issue. They had a mock-up of an income tax form claiming a refunded credit for aid to Israel.
I saw no anti-jewish displays, and not all that many references to zionism per se. Nor any references to imperialism or capitalism. Like I said, a nationalist rally. You could say the (liberal) implication was that U.S. foreign policy had been hijacked. Remember the old debate, Vietnam as a "mistake"? Everything old is new again.
There was a clutch of Hassidim from NYC, from the "Israel is an abomination" jewish school of thought. I don't know how many of them are left. I had occasion to attend one of their mass meetings twenty-odd years ago in Madison Square Garden, which they filled. Yes, now you know; I was a hassid. My friend saw them 'address' a Saturday rally. Since they are not permitted to use electronic equipment on the Sabbath, they made their remarks to a Palestinian, and he or she relayed them over the microphone.
At one point a little group of eight in tight formation and some kind of hammer-and-sickle insignia marched into the crowd with some ultra-militant chant. It was quaint. Nobody paid them any mind.
Police presence was huge; the demo was completely hemmed in on three sides. It was about 300 feet from the hotel. The only trouble was when some attendees to the AIPAC conference went out of their way to get into some verbal exchanges with demonstrators. Police and demo marshalls kept them apart.
Behind the hotel is an elementary school where my wife teaches third grade. They let school out at noon. The police said they couldn't guarantee their safety. I guess they could only guarantee AIPAC's safety.
There was a good story about the gathering in the Post this a.m. In fact, in general Post coverage of the weekend in my book was outstanding. The police were also pretty good, as far as I've heard. Which shows you don't have to break windows to be noticed, at least not all the time.
mbs