They're at the consulate now...too bad the IT gods here are omnipresent, otherwise I'd take a pic and upload it for you folks. It's peaceful, loud, but peaceful.

I'm amused that several of the protesters have bailed and headed to J-town, guess it got a bit windy and cold after the walk from the UN (that or they just paused to go pee).

Kind of ironic, that you show a pothole the size of Texas on a street in his district in the post below, and there he is at a free tibet rally. Worthy cause, but so is the job he gets paid for.

There you go again, Chris, calling this a crusade against Newsom, instead of just for human rights.

(From the email that the occasionally-useful PROSF forwarded:

For months, Gavin Newsom had been working closely with top Chinese government officials on preparations for the torch event in San Francisco. For the PRC, the San Francisco leg of the relay had a unique importance due to our economic role in the Pacific Rim and for our significant Chinese population. For Gavin Newsom, the torch relay was a ready-made opportunity to elevate his national and international political stature.

But the veil of secrecy under which this planning took place became increasingly apparent as the Board's resolution worked its way through the legislative process. Community groups and reporters alike were asking questions about the route and how protests would be handled. The answers were either not forthcoming (the route was not set) or the wrong ones (protests would be limited to "free speech zones"). Gavin Newsom also started to be asked about his position on human rights in China.

After the brutal crackdown in Tibet, it became increasingly difficult for Newsom to dodge these questions. One of Gavin's political mentors, Nancy Pelosi, took a strong stance on the PRC's crackdown, traveling to meet with the Dalai Lama in India. She said, "If freedom loving people throughout the world do not speak out against China's oppression in China and Tibet, we have lost all moral authority to speak on behalf of human rights anywhere in the world."

Pelosi's actions challenged Newsom to act with conscience, but instead he opted for the same line used by George Bush — politics, including China's crackdown in Tibet, should be kept separate from the Beijing Olympics.")

there's another nighttime rally:

http://racefortibet.org/sanfrancisco/

(Gere included) + Desmond Tutu!

Tuesday April 8th 2008
United Nations Plaza
Rally & Speeches 6:00pm
Culture / Music 7:15pm
Candle Light Vigil 8:00pm