Austin Demo

[J Cullen]

Austin, Texas, turned out several thousand people (organizers claimed 
10,000, though it was probably closer to 5,000) in chilly, overcast 
but dry weather for a rally at the Capitol. About a dozen speakers 
ranged from US Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) to local Greens, 
University of Texas Campus Coalition for Peace and Justice, local 
church people and somebody who I think was identified as a socialist, 
although I didn't catch her name or which flavor of socialism. 
Speeches and musical interludes ran about two hours, which was about 
an hour too long, as some in the crowd began to chant "Less talk, 
let's walk!" after about an hour and a quarter. Then the boisterous 
but orderly crowd marched the mile or so down Congress Avenue to Town 
Lake on the Colorado River. No problems with police (at least that I 
saw).  The only counter-demonstrators I saw were a couple of guys 
with a John Birch Society "Get US Out of the United Nations" banner.