GC: We'd always like to have more people with more diversity at everything we do, but overall, we were quite pleased in terms of the Convention with both the product of our People's Platform and process of trying to authentically engage individuals in shaping the proposals addressing the problems affecting their lives and communities. More than 25 local organizations representing a wide variety of issues and constituencies sponsored both the People's Convention and End Poverty Now, March for Economic Justice events. Press coverage was good to mediocre: good from the alternative, non-corporate press; mediocre from the corporate press, who were more interested in the sensationalism of what might be violence in the streets over the critical issues and proposed solutions the marches, rallies and conferences like the People's Convention were actually trying to publicize.
JB: I'm assuming everything went smoothly. I didn't hear of any violence by groups outside the hall. What was the police presence like? You're a local so you can best gauge if there has been a qualitatively different tone in that department - or not. What have you observed?
GC: There have been as of now two dozen arrests and a few people charged with assaults against officers, but nowhere near the degree of chaos or carnage local activists were being asked about by corporate media over the last couple of weeks. The police presence has been overwhelming in numbers. Uniformed officers have been brought in from as far away as California. New gear (purchased in part with the $50 million cash infusion from the federal government for security) now includes officers on bikes more often than horses. The bikes can quickly be used as a barricade when placed end to end. Officers were also decked out with cameras attached to helmets -- which may be in part why they seemed to be relatively speaking behaving themselves. Where groups of different ideologies have faced off, officers quickly appeared and form layers. Bystanders caught in the sandwich of blue/black clad officers couldn't pass through the line, even to exit from the center of tension, but rather must go around the lengthy lines. It's been surreal to see both officers and media often at times outnumber demonstrators.
JB: Is this just par for the course of the overall militarization of our police or was this a super-duper dose in honor of the Republican Convention? What I mean is, will everything go back to "normal" when the delegates go home?
GC: The scale of militarization is qualitatively different. The Cleveland Police Department has lobbied to keep as much of the hardware, much of it heavy duty, as possible. I believe the feds are open to this or have already agreed. I suspect the bikes and cameras on helmets will stay. Many who live in African American neighborhoods are very concerned of police militarization, based on the recent history of police overreaction to perceived threats, resulting in the tragic deaths of Tamir Rice, Timothy Williams, Malissa Williams and Tanisha Anderson.
JB: So, Cleveland's gift to its residents from the Republican National Convention is a hypermilitarized police force. Lovely legacy. Do you all have plans to take your activism on the road to Philadelphia and the Democratic National Convention next week, Greg?
GC: The national office of the American Friends Service Committee is in Philadelphia. They are working with others to sponsor something similar to the Cleveland People's Convention. I will not be able to attend it, but our People's Justice & Peace Platform will be delivered to the Democratic National Convention.
JB: It'll be interesting to see what kind of reception the non-convention convention receives in Philly. Anything else you'd like to add before we wrap this up?
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