The Duality of New York Values in the Street

The atmosphere at these demonstrations in the first few days after the election is one of impending apocalypse. It has a different feel than what I’m used to on college campuses and Black Lives Matter marches, which have the feel of a circus or Marx brothers comedy. The protests that are happening now go beyond the usual clowns who are always protesting, and this time it’s real people with real fear for the future.

It is important to make such distinctions between real people and rabble-rousing astroturf. Rabble-rousers can be disregarded, since they would never challenge the NYPD. But with real people, anger and fear can lead to real consequences — for themselves and the city. They should be taken seriously, and their concerns addressed.