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Protest Prevention
Kirby's Korner · May 12, 2000

The blossoms have dropped off the cherry trees in the tidal basin near the mall in Washington, a sign that spring is here.

Those of us in the Washington area are already facing the next sure sign of spring -- the first of several protests that will disrupt downtown traffic and inconvenience out-of-town visitors eager to check out government buildings and the abundant museums that dot the inner city.

This weekend it's a protest against the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, what people are characterizing as an extension of last December's "Battle in Seattle" against the World Trade Organization.

There's a "Speak-Out on Democracy and the Environment" demonstration at the U.S. Capitol on April 21.

On April 30, it's the Millennium March on Washington, in support of gay rights. That same day also finds a demonstration celebrating the 25th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.

It's enough to make a tourist cringe.

Most people, no matter how deeply held their political beliefs, take a vacation to get away from reality. They may not come to a major metropolitan area like Washington expecting a bucolic paradise, but they also don't expect to be slapped around, even figuratively, by protest movements.

What can they do to protect themselves as they plan their trips? As best I can tell, Frommers has not yet published Protest on $15 a Day, giving travelers fair warning that events may conflict with their vacation plans.

The Internet isn't much better. The Net has been a boon for activist organizations, letting everyone from the Green Party to the Militia of Montana have their say on the day's events.

But if you don't care about the message and want to know only the timing of activities, you're pretty much out of luck.

Local convention and visitors bureaus aren't going to tell you to stay away. Neither will destination guides on Expedia.com, Fodor's, or even ultra-hip Lonely Planet.

Travelers might check out the online version of local newspapers before they make a trip. Nearly every rag worthy of the name has an Internet presence, some much better than others. But unless you plan at the last minute, these won't give you much warning.

Local activist organizations often have Web sites that list upcoming protests. The site from the Metro DC Committee of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism was helpful in filling me in on events mentioned at the top of this column. These groups can be difficult to find, however.

The one centralized calendar of protests I've been able to locate is severely limited. Protest.Net groups actions by location and also offers related news. But it has a clearly leftist tilt; I doubt you'll find notices of impending Nazi rallies, or even of more mainstream protests such as the annual march on the U.S. Supreme Court building against the decision in Roe v. Wade.

Protest.Net also doesn't offer any solid indication of how intrusive an upcoming event is expected to be.

But until something better comes along, the site may be worth bookmarking before you plan a trip to Hyde Park.

David Kirby is the editor of Interactive Travel Report. His column appears on Friday. You can reach him at david@ticked.com.