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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tejek who wrote (198152)	8/23/2004 10:16:09 PM
From: i-node	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1573850

>> Israeli soldiers kill 9-year-old boy Pitiful. I wonder how many 9-year-old boys have been killed by suicide bombers?

To: tejek who wrote (198152)	8/24/2004 1:31:48 AM
From: tejek	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1573850

New York is hoping a few perks will appease protesters Jennifer Steinhauer NYT Thursday, August 19, 2004 NEW YORK If only the Romanovs had thought of this. . In a transparently mercantile bid to keep protesters from disrupting the Republican National Convention this month, the city will offer "peaceful political activists" perks like discounted buffalo chicken salad from Applebee's or cheaper tickets to see "Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding." . Law-abiding protesters will be given buttons that bear a cartoonish rendition of the Statue of Liberty holding a sign that reads "peaceful political activists." Agitators can receive discounts at selected hotels, museums, stores and restaurants around town during convention week, which begins on Aug 29. . "It's no fun to protest on an empty stomach," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Tuesday when he announced the program at the city's tourism office, which will distribute the buttons to all comers to its Midtown office. . People can present the buttons at places like the Whitney Museum, the Museum of Sex, the Pokemon Center store and such restaurants as Miss Mamie'sSpoonbread Too and Applebee's to save some cash during their stay in the city. . Protesters can also get the buttons from groups that have a legal permit to rally. But Bloomberg conceded that not everyone who wore a button would be strictly vetted for his or her peacefulness. "Unfortunately, we can't stop an anarchist from getting a button," he said, though he doubted any of them would want to wear one. . The discount program comes at a time when Bloomberg is under increasing pressure from the largest protest group, United for Peace and Justice, which is demanding the right to hold a rally in Central Park, a request the city has repeatedly rejected. As a result, the city faces the prospect that the largest demonstration, planned the Sunday before the convention, will be an illegal gathering. A spokesman for the group, Bill Dobbs, dismissed the city's discount program as a publicity stunt. . In offering the discounts, the city also has its economy in mind. Officials want to make sure that hotels and restaurants are as fully booked as possible during the convention week; many have reported reservations are off. . The discount program for protesters is modeled on one for delegates to the convention, and there are some notable differences. Protesters are offered $5 off admission to the Museum of Sex, while delegates are not. But delegates get $3 off the space show at the American Museum of Natural History, a discount not offered to protesters. The Republicans get "Rent," the people who oppose them get "Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding." . Bloomberg also said that the police officers and firefighters who have been holding loud demonstrations at his public appearances in the past few weeks would qualify for discounted restaurants, plays and trinkets. "Most times, people try to keep protesters from coming," he said. "And they certainly don't go out of their way to accommodate them." . Joe Miccio, a firefighter who came to hector the mayor, fingered the button presented to him by a reporter with some confusion. "We are peaceful political activists," he said, puzzling over the notion of discounted hamburgers and office supplies (at Kroll's Office Products, free Magic Marker included). "We'll take a look at it." . At least 200,000 people - both out-of-towners and the indigenously aggrieved - are expected to protest around the city before the end of the convention on Sept. 2. As Bloomberg pointed out, they will need to eat. . Continued......... iht.com