Saturday April 25th, baseball night, two days later, I heard helicopters circling my apartment building. My friend texted me “are you OK” I turned on the local news feed. By blocking just four intersections (one of which was directly in front of my apartment) protesters had effectively shut down the city. Police watched the protestors in their storm trooper outfits and from the backs of horses. Every so often they would run out and grab a particularly unruly protester. When the order to disperse we’re given, Instead of surrounding the protesters, and arresting everyone, as was done to the non protesting college students at the end of Pittsburgh ‘s G20, they allowed them to disperse.
A small group of about 15 high school kids broke off the back of the group and ran through downtown breaking everything they could. The helicopter news team followed them through the streets. They looked like elemental beings unbound by the rules of man. They were having fun! If you have never destroyed anything before I totally suggest it -it’s a great time (do it responsibly). The helicopters allowed us to live vicariously through them. I felt excited, jealous and fear as one who only survives as the result of a functioning society. That Sunday morning I woke up to a broken window at street level along the side of my apartment building (don’t worry, I lived on the 8th floor) a burnt plant and a looted 7eleven. It was inconvenient and a little dumbfounding. News isn’t supposed to happen in my neighborhood.