OMFG-20 (1/?)

[adiva_calandia]

Campus this morning was very, very quiet, if you don't count the half-dozen police I passed on my way to class. There was a cool haze over everything; I couldn't decide if it was atmospherically appropriate or not. The artistic shantytown that's sprung up by the Fence looked like it hadn't woken up yet. Compared to yesterday, when all the people living in the shantytown were outside playing accordions and guitars and hanging out shirtlessly, it was . . . rather eerie.

Yesterday I walked by an orange-shirted ACLU Legal Observer. That unnerved me more than the cops. The ACLU shows up to make sure nobody's rights are being taken away, which made me think I was more likely to have my rights taken away than the mere presence of police did.

Anyway. The first sign of protest I've seen all day is a Free Tibet parade I just saw walking down Forbes. When cars started to honk at them, and drivers waved and gave thumbs-ups out their window, I realized for the first time -- this is a big deal. The buses driving by display 28X -- AIRPORT FLYER -- PITTSBURGH WELCOMES THE WORLD.

I feel, suddenly, that I should be doing something. I don't want to be in a riot, but I want to be -- I want to lose myself in a collective briefly and be part of something bigger than myself.

There's an art parade tonight at 5, starting at the Fence. I have a meeting at 5:30, but . . . I can spend fifteen minutes raising a cheerful noise.

Comments

[crisavec.livejournal.com]

OMFG-20?

[adiva_calandia]

Well, G-20, really. It's a summit of the 20 most economically powerful countries in the world, discussing economics and climate crisis and whatnot, and it's in Pittsburgh from Wednesday to Friday. The world leaders will be having a dinner at Phipps Conservatory, which you can see is right next to CMU campus. The Secret Service has been sweeping the campus all week, and they closed a few buildings that are in, I don't know, eyesight of the Conservatory. (Porter Hall sure ain't in any kind of shooting distance, but. Apparently they have to have a 3 mile clear area or something?)

[crisavec.livejournal.com]

AHhh...ok. I know what the G-20 is, i just could not for the life of me parse OMFG-20 into G-20.

[e-mily.livejournal.com]

What is this omfg-20 thing? I saw brief mention elsewhere.

[adiva_calandia]

*points upthread!*

[e-mily.livejournal.com]

aaaaah.