Marches on Washington are an art and a science
What makes a successful march on Washington? Although most marches won’t change policy, organizers and participants say these are the key elements:
❚ Organization: Marching on Washington sounds easy. But where do you rent an ambulance and hire paramedics? How many portable toilets does the National Park Service require per 1,000 people? How long does it take to erect a stage? Do you march on a weekday, when Congress is in session, or on the weekend, when more people can make it?
Planning a march is a complicated, expensive undertaking best left to those who’ve done it before. Many groups hire consultants to get the permits and handle details.
❚ Eloquence: Not every march has a Martin Luther King Jr., but there are always King wannabes. “Everyone wants the three minutes that will launch them to stardom,” said Donna Dees- Thomases, organizer of the Million Mom March in 2000.
She said that by not speaking herself, it was easier to keep those who didn’t belong on the podium off it.
Organizers must control what’s said and for how long. If a speaker drones on, managers must be quick to “play them off” with music, like at the Oscars.
❚ Drama: The most compelling marches usually have an undercurrent of tension or unpredictability. The 1963 civil rights march occurred in a summer of demonstrations and civil disobedience across the South. Washington just before the march looked like an armed camp; the White House was prepared to authorize martial law in case of a riot. After the march concluded peacefully, it seemed all the more successful.
In contrast, a Vietnam War march arguably was too dramatic. In 1971, “Mayday Tribe” demonstrators, who tried to shut downthe city by blocking commuter routes, alienated people they needed to help them stop the war.