We spent over an hour on the side of the street where parade entrants were lined up waiting for the parade to start. Many families with eager children also lined the street.
As parade passed up by, we heard calls of support, encouragingly from children walking and on floats. We also heard children’s questions about our message that parents need to answer. Once the final float carrying Santa and Mrs. Claus passed us by, we made our way to the parade route to fall in after the 2-motorcycle police motorcade. We didn’t get far. A line of police and the 2 motorcycles formed a barricade in front of us.
Police finally agreed that we could continue down the parade route on the sidewalks.
As we continued up the street, we began chanting our messages: “Stop the War Machine” “What Do We Want? A Future For Our Children. When Do We Want It? NOW!” “No War, No Warming”
Once we reached the parade stage and turned to make our way down the 2nd parade street, the police stopped monitoring our position and allowed us to take the street. We were able to walk down broad Patton Ave., a main route into Asheville’s downtown, creating our own little parade. We continued to chant and walk. We received enthusiastic support from the bystanders along the street. They could see us and our banners and hear our chants much better than the crowd on Biltmore Avenue, the 1st parade street
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