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George, The upcoming Republican Convention in New York City likely will attract a wide range of protest demonstrations. Protests may be more likely to occur in New York than at the earlier Democratic Convention in Boston as a significant segment of the American public believes the party in power have misused their authority in unconstitutional ways to limit civil liberties and to make a wrongful war. Demonstrations may range from orderly to disruptive and will invariably attract the attention of the media. If they turn ugly, they will shift the media focus from the predictable coverage of staged events inside the convention to the unpredictable events in the streets of New York. Conventions that the networks have already told us, based on past experience, aren’t worth a lot of media time, could become prime time news events for weeks – and not good news, either. If the New York City police are forced to resort to tear gas and clubs, it will convey to a national audience the Republicans meeting inside are orderly while the anti-Republicans demonstrating outside are disorderly. As the night follows day, official Republican spokespersons will denounce those protesting, and there is no reason for them not to do so. However, it is no stretch to imagine them describing the protesters as “left-wing,” “fringe,” or “liberals” who reflect “un-American” values. In short, anti-Republican outbursts that trample civility will play directly into the hands of the GOP. It therefore behooves Democratic candidates in advance of the GOP Convention to urge publicly that protesters assemble peaceably, demonstrate lawfully, and remain non-violent. Demonstrators who incite violence should be condemned. Violence during the GOP Convention in New York City could also hurt Republican chances. Recall that after the violence during the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, the Kerner Commission concluded innocent demonstrators were mauled in a “police riot.” Even though only a handful of protesters were at fault compared to the vast, peaceable throngs, the image of the Democratic Party was severely tarnished by the ham-fisted approach of the police dispatched by Democratic Mayor Richard J. Daley. If Mayor Bloomberg’s New York City police also overreact, their conduct similarly could hurt the Republican cause. John Kerry would be wise to urge before the Republican Convention begins that demonstrators keep their protests civil in the spirit of “fair play” just as City officials should provide them an opportunity to be heard. Sherwood Ross (Electronic mail, July 19, 2004)
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