When the government geniuses who plan these things announced a few months ago that the present G20 summit would be held in Pittsburgh, PA, they created a buzz about all the benefits this would bring to our city. Foreign dignitaries and media representatives from all over the world. International attention on our remarkably stable economy and success in the realms of education, medicine, and technology. Perks for local business-owners who would be serving the delegations and media reps. And, perhaps most importantly, a re-imaging from a dead steel town to a thriving, green metropolis.
Then came the months of planning, or, as far as most of us were concerned, months of waiting. Details of what roads would be closed, what transit routes rearranged, what classes would be cancelled didn't come until this week for most of us. It seems the best security plan local, state, and federal officials could come up with was, "Don't let the people know what's going on until the very last minute." And yet, they kept telling us, "Be prepared." How can we be prepared if we don't know what we're preparing for?
Then came the police. On Wednesday, the day before all these supposed dignitaries and media personnel were to arrive, security forces from god-only-knows how many different levels and jurisdictions swarmed the city. They were wandering around Pitt's campus, I guess trying to get a feel for the layout, looking like they were waiting for something. Three lanes of Fifth Avenue, a main road through Oakland, were closed for two blocks, full of buses waiting to transport police and other officials. Police cars and motorcycles were everywhere, going through any intersection they felt like because they had sirens and obviously needed to be somewhere more urgently than the rest of us.
Thursday morning, I went to class at 8:00. Campus was dead. I saw more police than students. A bus stop that's usually full of people was completely empty. For three days there have been firefighters sitting in lawn chairs in front of their trucks on sidestreets, just waiting for something to happen. I haven't been Downtown, but from what I heard and saw, most businesses were closed and boarded up. Employees couldn't get to work anyway, because of secured zones and mass transit disruptions. All the regular people of Pittsburgh closed up shop and stayed home, or left town completely.
One of the most powerful images I've seen from this week was a picture of a shop window Downtown, boarded up with a plank that read, in black spraypaint, "PLEASE DON'T SMASH OUR WINDOW. WE CAN'T AFFORD IT." If that doesn't speak to the true nature of Pittsburgh's economic and social situation, I don't know what does.
I went to visit a friend on Thursday night who lives at a corner where a security checkpoint was set up to enter Schenley Park, where the Obamas were hosting a dinner at Phipps Conservatory for the dignitaries and their spouses (and no, i won't say "wives" like every goddamn news source). It looked like trying to navigate a war zone: there were concrete barriers and ten-foot-high fences set up across the entire road, police and military personnel milling around for blocks. We sat on the porch and I couldn't tell if we were on the right side.
Then there were the riots. I'm not interested in the illegal march from Lawrenceville to Downtown that got broken up Thursday afternoon, but the situation in Oakland on Thursday night was absolutely ridiculous. From what I've been able to gather--keep in mind, I was stuck on the other side of Oakland last night when this broke out--it started with a small group of protestors gathering peacefully near Schenley Park. Since this was happening on a college campus, it drew out the college students, who naturally wanted to see what was going on. There were only about 300 protestors, but they were joined by about 1000 student spectators. Then the police decided there were too many people and started trying to break them up. Most of the kids who got into bad situations last night seem to have been innocent bystanders.
Riot police trying to "disperse" the crowds trapped a group of students in an outdoor stairwell, didn't let them move up or down, and threw tear gas at them. They were pleading to be let out, with one girl repeatedly yelling, "Please, I'm bleeding." They threw tear gas into a group of students watching from the balcony of their own dorm building. They told students to disperse and return home, then locked them out of their dorms.
Friday afternoon, there were riot police stationed on every corner of Forbes Avenue on campus. I've felt like I'm living in 1984 for the last three days, like I might be asked for my papers at any moment, like if I look at anyone the wrong way, rats will eat my face.
So what has the G20 really brought to Pittsburgh? Insecurity. Police brutality. Economic hardship for local business owners who must repair their broken windows after not being able to make any money for days. Frustration for residents who can't get where they're going or do what they'd normally do. Disruption to the lives and educations of countless children for whom school has been cancelled. Fear and distrust of police and military personnel. And all that international attention? It's not focused on the economic stability or the green development of Pittsburgh. All they see are boarded-up shops, deserted streets, and violence.
This is not the city I live in and love. This is a city under martial law, a police state. This is more like a war zone than a college campus. I'm sick of hearing the sirens. I'm sick of the helicopters that won't stop hovering--I'm used to helicopters, I live within walking distance of four hospitals, and these unsettle me. I'm sick of the city buses full of men with riot gear and weapons. I'm sick of feeling like I need to check the news to know that it's safe to walk outside and visit my friends. This is the United States of America, where we are told that we have the greatest freedoms of any nation on the planet. And yet, I don't even feel free to leave my apartment. I want my peaceful city back, and I want widespread admission of the reality we've created.
For some incredible photos of what it's really like to be in Pittsburgh this week, see here and here.
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