If you looked down Fifth Ave this past Sunday, a beautiful day, a gift from heaven, with an estimated 35,000 in attendance you wondered where the spectators were? Where were the expected crowds on such a beautiful day?
Allow me to speculate.
Who basically marched in the Parade?
According to an Haaretz blogger http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/
"As has been the case in recent years, young, Orthodox marchers from yeshivas and religious schools far outnumbered all the rest, many sporting the orange-colored shirts that have become de rigueur among right-wingers since the protest against the 2005 Gaza Disengagement. The audience also seemed to be made up mainly – though not exclusively, by any means – of Orthodox Jews."
Let me tell you my first hand experience in this year's Parade.
The barricades kept all the spectators away from 5th Ave.
It was the most bizarre thing.
Personally, I arrived at 51 Street and couldn't get to 52nd Street. In order to cross to the other side of 51st Street I needed to be herded with a bunch of other spectators within the barriers set there by the New York City Police Dept. and wait for the cops to allow us to finally cross in between marching groups. And then there was absolutely no way to get to 52nd Street since the barriers were blocking us and the options were to go all the way to either 6th Ave. on the West Side or Madison Ave. on the East Side of Fifth ave. and back again to 5th Ave. It was the most frustrating thing. Actually, I wanted to walk towards 72nd Street down the sidewalk of 5th Ave watching the Parade as I did in previous years according to my recollections, or alongside a group but that was almost impossible! AFter all it seemed to me that unless you were part of a group with the proper T shirt you couldn't walk or march down 5th Ave or even barely get to the sidewalk without crossing a barrier.
The crowd control really ruined the Parade for me as a spectator! I never recall such ridiculous use of police at what should have been an enjoyable event primarily for spectators and for the marchers as well. Was it my imagination to think that if you weren't a marcher this year, they didn't really want you to enjoy/participate in the Parade. Was this a way to get back at all of us right wingers who protested and who said that we would be at the Parade but not march? Were they afraid of the crowd booing some of the organizers for allowing the BDS groups or perhaps that they were afraid that we would be spreading literature to the over 200 groups, mainly right wing groups according to Haaretz, that were marching as to the dangers of BDS and our indigenous rights to Judea and Samaria. Am I being paranoid? Or was this simply a matter of security as everyone assumed??
Perhaps it is the cynical side of me that guesses that primarily it was their concern to keep control of the message of the Parade rather than the Security aspect that guided their decision making process in putting up all those barriers.
So I finally walked down Madison Ave. to get to 72nd Street taking detour to 63rd Street and 5th Ave on the east side in order to touch base with Rabbi Abadie's group and Richard Allen of JCCwatch and AFsi.
How disappointed the marchers must have been not to have the usually crowd cheering them on. Most of the Spectators were either herded with barricades on street corners or walking down Madison or 6th Ave. missing the entire Parade.
The worst part was coming to 72nd street, the only corner where one could cross for several blocks, from the east side to the west side and being part of a huge crowd of people sandwiched like sardines in between the barriers waiting for the cops to allow the crowd to finally cross the Street. It was claustrophobic and the feeling that overcame me at the moment was "Is this the way my parents and grandparents felt when they were herded into the Cattle Cars in Europe?
What a totally depressing moment.
The few minute I did get to watch the Parade was enjoyable as usual. Too bad it was just for a few moments.
I'd like to share pictures sent to me of Signs in support of Judea and Samaria marching down 5th Ave.
Let me single out ZOA who had the best signs and T shirts! Their slogans
"HEBRON The First Capital of the Jewish People ZOA (Zionist Organizaiton of America)
Jews have continuously lived in the Land of Israel for 3,500 Years
The Land of Israel was called "Judea" under the Greeks and Romans because it is the Home of the Jewish People
Jerusalem has been the Capital of Jewish People for the past 3,000 years since the Time of King David (see attachments)
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