With hundreds of parties, protests, marches, cultural events, and rallies in late August, there’s no lack of activities. The largest event will be United for Peace and Justice’s march around Madison Square Garden and rally on the West Side Highway Sunday, Aug. 29. UFPJ says it decided to end the battle over gaining access to Central Park because it was detracting from organizing efforts. Nonetheless, UFPJ representatives say they are encouraging “feeder†marches to the protest going past the Garden and the rally on the highway near Ground Zero. A call from youth and student groups has already gone out “to begin exercising our rights to the fullest, recreating our democracy, and reclaiming the public space that is Central Park.†They are publicizing many places in the park where people can assemble earlier in the day. Check nyc.indymedia.org for locations to gather in Central Park and through the city to feed into the main march on Aug. 29. A call for a “Mouse Bloc†has been issued for the evening of Aug. 29 when some 13,000 Republicans descend on Broadway for Disneyfied fare like “Beauty and the Beast†and “The Lion King.†“We will remind the forgetful old elephants that they are not welcome in this town,†one mouse wrote on the NYC indymedia newswire. “They will not be able to have fun at our expense without facing thousands of pissed off mice in the streets.†One of the most militant actions is being organized by the Kensington Welfare Rights Union. They are holding a permitted rally at Dag Hammarsk near 45th St. and 1st Ave. on the afternoon of Monday, Aug. 30. The New York police denied them a permit to march past the United Nations to Times Square then south down 7th Ave. to Madison Square Garden. KWRU organizers say police officials have told them anyone attempting to march will be arrested, but the organizers are undeterred. They expect more than 10,000 people to attend the rally including contingents of disabled, the blind, hundreds of families living in poverty, international human rights observers and clergy. KWRU representatives say while, “We are not looking to be arrested, we are willing to risk it. We are going to march right up to the front doors of Madison Square Garden.†Many direct action proponents say they plan to participate in the more militant events, but are also preparing their own welcome for the Republicans on Aug. 31. The first meeting for direct action took place in a humid warehouse in the industrial bowels of Brooklyn on July 20. An impressive showing of some 150 activists gathered to plot a day of nonviolent, mass action during the RNC. There were representatives from the War Resisters League, the Pagan Cluster, Food Not Bombs and dozens of other groups committed to militant, nonviolent action. Most attendees were from New York, but there were people representing groups in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cleveland, the San Francisco Bay Area and cities throughout New York State. One could sense the frustration in the room with how organizers are being forced to play legal games just to gain a permit to march or rally. Many nodded in agreement when one speaker noted that a point of unity among participants was "no negotiations with police." There was also broad support for creating a festival-style protest, to use music, theater and art throughout the city. Ultimately, many seasoned protesters are also telling people, “Do your own thing.†They point out that because you don’t need a permit for any public protest of less than 20 people, you and your friends can hold your own speak-out, rally, music bash, performance or action in any public area as long as it’s not impeding traffic.