Bennington Banner from Bennington, Vermont • Page 41

nual bwigei of $200,000 raised from contributions), the1' PBC began publishing books and a regular magazine, developed educational materials arid workshops for schools and community organizations, and produced a daily radio show Voices of '76" arid an independent TV series. Despite vigorous opposition from town officials, the PBC obtained a permit frorh the National Park Service to hold a rally on the hillside overlooking the Old North Bridge from midnight to 5 a.m. on Concord's Bicentennial morning. The PBC termed it an economic protest, aimed at what it considers the King George ill of Bicentennial America the giant corporations. organizers touted their rally's theme as "Send a Message to Wall Street' but most people in Concord wish ed the PBC would find some other place for its mes Ai, ki 'l da.1i' ci'.

explained, "The town had been planning for years', and then at the last minute, we were faced with this thing (the PBC rally): That was the' main concern not nec essarilythe political philosophy of. the Peoples' group," On the eve of the main celebration, Mrs. Anthony. Pagano snl insjde the Concord armory at the gala Minute Man Ball wearing her borhernade, colonial style their, cries increased with sound of the President's words. Bui Ford's speech even hit a sensitive nerve with the crowd on his side of the bridge.

His talk about the tradition of American military might had little meaning for people who now saw their country stained by the Wood of Vietnam and beset by economic woes. After the President had departed for the motorcade to Lexington, the parade from the center of Concord started to pour over the Old North Bridge authentically costumed Revolutionary militias and fife and drum corps; modern day military units, and uniformed high school bands. Several hundred PBC protesters wanted tn join the parade at the bridge, but they were held hack hy club wielding police. A brief, tense confrontation en Hied, before officials allowed the PBC people to enter the parade ranks from the hillside above. The protesters, many with a huge American flag draped oyer their heads, e'ro ssed the bridge directly in front of a U.S.

Army marching band. A few hours later, most of the Bicentennial crowd had left, and Concord had quieted down. The townspeople expressed relief. The weekend had not lived up to their worst fears. About 200,000 visitors, less than anticipated, had turned out, but extensive towing or cars and the closing of access roads had prevented any massive congestion in the heart of town.

Trash, mostly in the form of beer cans, covered the streets and the rally site. But no serious vandalism or violence had occurred. The locals, the tourists, and the PBC had at least proven they could to exist. PRC organizers claimed. the party atmosphere had not detracted from the significance of their rally.

"The Patriots in Boston never used to go out to the Liberty Tree until they got tanked up on Tavern Row," said Randy Barber, of the PBC. "So who's to say we're any different?" Ted Howard, coordinator ofihe PBC, called the rally the "only truly educational experience of the whole weekend" and said, those who "thought it wasn't dignified enough" did not "really understand what the Revolution was all about." Rut, for me, the true spirit of the Revolution was lost somewhere, amidst the beer drinking and dope smoking an the hill and the hollow rhetoric and ceremony at the bridge. Hopefully, America can recapture some of that spirit as it approaches the climax of its Bicentennial in 1976, LJ' Much to the disappointment of many on the hill, the PBC stuck with its plans for the rally interspersing the protest music with the oratory, trying to hold the crowd's Actors gave dramatic readings of the fiery words of the American Revolutionaries Sam Adams, Tom Paine, Abigail Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. The impressive lineup of speakers who, five years ago, at the height of the protest movement, would have commanded interest included: Barry Commoner, the environmentalist, who insisted, "The revolution is not over yet;" Richard Chavez, of the United Farm Workers, pushing a boycott of. Gallo wine; and Nobel Laureate George Wald, of Harvard, who pleaded with the young not to abandon the revolutionary struggle, But the message 'felt largely on booze deafened ears.

One of the most enthusiastic crowd responses of the night came when folksinger Phil Ochs proclaimed, "We can't have any real 200th birthday, until we find out who killed John Kennedy." Perhaps that symbolized the rally's underlying problem. With the Khmer Rouge in Phnom Penh; the Viet Cong on the. outskirts of Saigon, and Richard Nixon out of the White House, the protest lacked a focal point. For the PBC, the issues were clear the need to rekindle the revolutionary spirit of the Founders and to challenge the power of corporate America through increased citizen But apparently that's too esoteric an issue to stimulate a crowd in 1975: The symbol of a young black standing on an unemployment line doesn't arouse the same passion as the specter of a nanalmed Vietnamese infant. As dawn approached and the hard core party makers drifted away, the mood changed.

Some on. the hill were just hung over and tired, but others had stayed to heed the urgings of PBC organizers who wanted to "Send a message to Gerry Ford." Down at the bridge, another Bicentennial crowd had gathered families with young children, American Legionaires armed with cameras. As they waited, for the President, the Concord Independent Battery fired a cannon salute from atop Buttrick Hill the blasts resounded in the chill roaming air, the smoke swept over the heads, of the protesters, The hillside was swarming with the stalwarts of the PBC rally, who held aloft PBC flags with the 1776 slogan, "Don't Tread on Me," and carried signs with messages like "John Hancock Never Sold Life Insurance" and "Lay Off Profits, Not People." The volume of cap arid, long dress. In the morning, her husband, a member of. the town's Revolutionary era artillery nn.n 'iAM h.l Krm a raium al Ul.llnb Hill ClOnal ing the start of ceremonies at.

the Old' North Bridge. "The people in town have been building up to this now for seven years, Mrs. Pagano said. It like the Stanley Cup playoffs honest to God." Then, referring to the PBC rally, she added, "Most people are afraid afraid of the unknown:" Those fears had been fueled that afternoon, as the Bicentennial throngs started to jam the center of town. Photographers and reporters, like myself, who at this point outnumbered the tourists, roamed the streets, hounding the passersby, searching for some "local color." Hawkers, who looked as though they'd taken, a dav off from Fcnwav Park, ceraded with their, flags and patriotic souvenirs, crying, "Bye centenniat, but tons and The banner bedecked shops were bustling, especially the package stores, where the old came to huy liquor for the preliminaries to the Minute Man ball and.

he young came to stock up on beer and for the midnight rally. Out at the bridge, the tour ists ciustcrco arouno uanici vnesicr rrcnen minuic Mail statue, Jean iclad youths, with sleeping bags and six packs, of Bud bulging from their backpacks, trekked toward Buttrick Hill. Ry the lime a late night drizzle started and the' rally was about to begin, more than 35,000 people had gathered on the hillside, huddled under ponchos and each other, enjoying the drink and. the dor. Although' the' PBC had emphasized that this was intended as a political rally, a protest against the nation's economic structure, most had come For the music and to be part, of a unique event a la 'Woodstock.

Where else could you hear Phil Ochs. Ario The Persuasions, and. Pete Seeger for free'' Rumors circulated through the crowd that Crosby; Stills and Nash, maybe even himself, would join thie "Dylan don't like to announce his appearances anymore," a woman as: sured me, as she cradled a jug of wine aider her rain; cuot. "It's too much of a hassle for him all that publicity." A University of Rhode Island student, who sal crunched against me ori the wet ground, explained he'd come to. Concord his father to sell balloons.

Once they arrived, though, they found pill they needed a vendor's license, The. father. went home, but the son decided to stay" for the rally, "What the hell kind or crap Is this?" he kept asking as the PBC's program go! underway. What are all these speeches? thought this was a concert." My 1975 Downtown Concord iotlowing Iht idrbralion. 23..