A rally is just getting started at the VanAndel Arena here in Grand Rapids, Mi. Seats 10,834 for Griffins Hockey. The ice area is now seating, so maybe another 2-3000 people. Maybe 13-14,000 inside. They have a JumboTron and a lot of large speakers outside. The arena is surrounded by another few thousand people up to a couple blocks away. A lot of them have set up camp chairs in the streets around the arena
GRPD, Sheriff, MSP, and a couple other community police departments and the city of GR have done a magnificent job of traffic control. Like clockwork. Streets around the arena closed as are most of the parking ramps. Parking outside the immediate downtown area is served by free busses to the arena. A couple local radio guys are estimating maybe 100,000 people. I think that's quite a stretch...probably more like 30,000+..but that's a huge # anyway. The protesters are the usual clownish looking people with purple hair, weird clothes, metal all over their faces etc. along with stupid signs. A few older people demonstrating but I think they are old hippies as we have a pretty good community of old hippies and present day Leftists who claim to be "Progressives" We have several colleges and Grand Valley State U, so there is no shortage of Marxists running around too. Interesting.
I am ensconced safely at home after going out to buy some bird seed. I'm high up on a ridge about 9 miles NW of the Arena. Maybe watch a bit on local TV.
