Monday, May 1, 2006
Police cars blocked off several routes to “free-speech zones” – designated locations for protesters – on April 21 in downtown San Jose, frustrating many protesters. “Every time we turned a corner, there were [police] cars,” said Gail Sredanovic, a member of the Peninsula Raging Grannies Action League, an activist group.
The alternative route provided by officers forced the Grannies to get back on the highway and walk from another direction, said Granny Ruth Robertson. Two hundred protesters got to the “protesters ghetto” – what the Raging Grannies call the freespeech zone – said Sredanovic. Others got frustrated and demonstrated at a nearby intersection.
By the time the Raging Grannies got to the protest, they had walked a mile and lost one Granny, said Sredanovic. The oldest Granny is 89.
“She never even complained. She’s a real trooper,” said Sredanovic.
The San Jose Police Department and the Sheriff’s Department cooperated with the Secret Service to provide security, said a spokesperson for the San Jose Police Department. Several hundred police officers and Secret Service agents patrolled, said Sredanovic.
One man was arrested for jaywalking, after praying in the middle of a street, said Robertson.
“Pretty odd considering there was no traffic,” said Robertson. Slogans chanted included “Move out the way, Bush! Move out the way!” “Bush is a war criminal!” and “1-2-3-4, we don’t want no f–king war! 5-6-7-8, stop the killing, stop the hate!”
The Grannies, however, didn’t participate in the last chant. “We keep Granny demeanor in order to help our message get out,” said Sredanovic.
At least in public, she said.
