August 30, 2004
New York's theater district sees protesters putting on a show
Protesters and police put on a Broadway show Sunday night, with rallies and mass arrests throughout the theater district where Republicans had gathered for a night on the town, reports Scripps Howard News Service.
"Hundreds of activists converged outside shows like "The Lion King," "Phantom of the Opera" and "Aida," hoping to put their anti-GOP messages right in the faces of delegates on the eve of the Republican National Convention.
One gay rights group, Queer Fist, staged a mass "kiss-in" at Times Square, with dozens of same-sex couples affectionately holding hands and kissing in the heart of the theater district.
After the the police gave the crowds a 15-second warning to disburse or be arrested, a game of cat-and-mouse throughout the theater district occured.
Police kept moving from theater to theater, threatening to arrest groups of protesters who didn't move. The young activists used text messaging on their cell phones to dispatch groups to more theaters where Republicans were spotted, or to come to the aid of people caught in more group arrests.
The impromptu street theater protests on Broadway were organized by a group called the Mouse Bloc, taking its name from the little critter who is a legendary menace to lumbering elephants, the Republican Party mascot.
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