Poor to Put 'Bushville' Tent City at NY Convention

[Dover]

Poor to Put 'Bushville' Tent City at NY Convention
By REUTERS


NEW YORK (Reuters) - A group fighting poverty announced plans on Thursday to erect a tent city called ``Bushville'' during the Republican Party convention in August, one of several demonstrations expected in a summer of political protest in New York.

The Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign will put up the tents for five days before the Aug. 30-Sept. 2 meeting, which will nominate President Bush to run for a second four-year term in the Nov. 2 election.

The group said it will also demonstrate at the Democratic Party's national convention in Boston at the end of July, but had no plans to set up a symbolic shantytown there.

``We will be marching because both Democrats and Republicans alike have failed to address our real life and death issues,'' said spokeswoman Cheri Honkala. She said the political establishment neglected poor and homeless people and issues such as health care, housing and farm workers' rights.

Honkala, a formerly homeless mother in Minneapolis, Minnesota, said the group will provide ``reality bus tours'' in rundown areas of New York, Philadelphia and New Jersey from the tent city. She declined to disclose its precise location.

The group plans a march on Aug. 30 from U.N. headquarters to the Madison Square Garden convention venue, she said.

Other planned events......cont'd >

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/politics/politics-campaign-poverty.html

[drb]

1. And I'll bet the NY police will have the first tents...

...either torn down or burnt to the ground before the last tents are even up.

[Rebel_with_a_cause]

2. What a terrific idea

SUPER!

[RT Atlanta]

3. awesome!

This is a great idea - brings to mind shades of Dr. King's 'Poor Peoples' Campaign' that he didn't live to see come to fruition in the summer of '68.

Do it and draw as much attention to the working/non-working poor as we can. Best of luck to them and everyone who is able to stand beside them during the convention!

[Dover]

4. I think they should set it up on the dock next to the GOP luxury

cruiseliner...housing all their elite members.

[Bandit]

5. These people need to beat into bloody pulps

I'm sure that is what the freepers are saying. This is reminiscent of Martin Luther King's Poor People's March on Washington in mid sixties. It got major national attention then so I hope these folks do as well.

[Mixxster]

6. This is a dup

[southpaw72]

7. just another reason why bush = hoover

"Hooverville" was the shanty town that unemployed vets built in DC in the 20s.

[Moderator]

8. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=374227&mesg_id=374227