The Rally at Tweed Video: Part 2

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8472301528763563153&hl=en
(Thanks to David B.)

NEW: Lots of good photos by John Lawhead at the ICE web site: http://www.ice-uft.org

It is clear that the UFT's actions around the rally created a level of anti-Unity caucus sentiment that almost matched the feelings against Tweed.

There's going to be more to come with some video I have from the UFT info meeting occurring at the same time, the meander up Broadway, mostly by the Unity hardcore, and the meeting of the two groups at Tweed.

On the way, Randi came over and suggested I turn over the tape to her because "people are upset" over my taping. She tried to make it seem the ATRs were upset over appearing on You-tube (in fact I had no intention of doing that and told her so). The extreme hostility of Unity (you will see that when I put up the video) was due to the fact that I was documenting their sell-out of the rally.

What was interesting was the level of arrogance Randi and Unity, which includes the entire UFT staff, have when they are in a room overwhelmingly dominated by them as it was at 52 Broadway (and is at Delegate Assemblies). Randi's open attack on me ("Norman, put down that camera") and the screams of outrage by the Unity throng was reminiscent of the same kind of attack she made on former NY Sun Reporter Elizabeth Green (now at Gotham Schools) at the October DA. But creating bogus enemies is a common tactic of dictators as a way of keeping their own supporters (there are enough honest Unity people who see the disaster the state of the union is in) pumped up with perceived threats from within.

It was a different ballgame when they got to Tweed, surrounded by demonstrators who had grown hostile by their absence and were particularly inflamed when they heard there were UFT staffers across the street directing people away from the rally over to the union. Some of them heckled Randi when she spoke, something she is clearly not used to.

Rather than put up my raw tape (a lot of shaky stuff due to the Unity harassment and attempt to block me from filming) David and I will edit both tapes into a 10-minute more watchable piece with excerpts from some of the speeches and a contrast to the wine and cheese munchers at 52 Broadway while the people at Tweed were out in the cold for hours.