Bradford Zink
All American Times
October 8, 2008
Members of WeAreChange Ohio were ejected from outside of a Joe Biden event at the Union Terminal in Cincinnati. As has happened numerous times in the Queen City, local security guards prevented the Change members from distributing pamphlets or holding signs. Despite being on publicly-owned property, the security team stated that the property was rented to a private entity and therefore they could restrict activities, even on a sidewalk.
This privatization of public space has become more common, at places such as the Riverfest event in August, and at the September 11th street action, where police shut down the activities of legendary activist Cody Deeds on Fountain Square. It is not clear when the sidewalk in front of Union Terminal became a “private” restricted zone, but it was only recently that Fountain Square found its way into the hands of the Corporatocracy.
When Ralph Nader came to Cincinnati on September 8th, he lamented the loss of public space in America, and singled out Fountain Square as a prime example of the restriction of freedom in the public realm.
Another troubling aspect of the action was the blank, robotic nature of the Obama supporters. Most of them refused to interact with the public, which is rather surprising in the middle of a Presidential campaign in the battleground state of Ohio. Multiple members of the staff insisted that they would not or could not talk to the WeAreChange members.
The Cincinnati Police force exhibited a professional demeanor at the event, but did not speak with the activists at any length. The WeAreChange members agreed to leave the property and held their anti-war signs along Western Avenue in Cincinnati. Before leaving the area, one of the members taped a “9/11 Truth Now” sign over the Obama-Biden sign as a reminder that the 9/11 Truth movement will not be stopped by any Presidential campaign.
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