Gringo! Where were you??? I was looking all over the place for you. Perhaps it's been so long since we've met that I forget what you look like? I was in the North face windbreaker and the Boston Red Sox shirt. The official count by the way was 215 - so not too bad.
I was also involved in the fray with the misguided youth and was on that side of Park Square when they showed up and when PPD broke everything up. Perhaps I can shed some light.
At about 5:40, a group of kids in their late teens early 20's mysteriously showed up on Park Square. They were accompanied by an adult white male with a video camera. Initially, they were standing toward the middle of the southern lawn of the square - occasionally shouting: "Obama", but otherwise peaceful. I actually spoke to one of them briefly after he said we were all "racists". I walked over to him and said: "Listen, this is not about race - no one here is screaming anything about Obama - in fact, no one here is screaming at all". he replied: "Obama ain't goin nowhere - he's our President, so you have to deal". I then asked him: "So, I understand you support President Obama - in fact, I was happy that an African American made it to the White House - I am just not happy it's him". He replied: "Maan, you're just pissed cause your boy lost". I replied: "I'm not pissed at all - again, this isn't about race, my boy didn't even come close. If I'm pissed about anything, it's that our country is headed for a bad turn - we're going down the road to socialism. Can I ask you a question? Who is the Vice President of The United States?" No reply. "Can I ask you where President Obama is from?" "Hawaii", the young man replied. "Fair enough" I said, "but can you tell me where he was living when he became President?" Silence. "Can you tell me what he did for a living before he became President?" "He was a Congressmen", the young man replied. "Close, but he was a Senator from Illinois", I said. My last question was this: "Can you name one piece of legislation introduced by President Obama - either as a Junior Senator, or now sitting President?" He looked toward the sky and said: "Maaan, what kind of fool do you take me for?" I said, " I don't take you for a fool at all, I simply asked you a question that you cannot answer. Clearly, you voted for Obama because of his skin color and not because of his policies or plan for America - so who's the racist here?" He stared off into the sky and immediately after, his "Obama!" shouting cohort summoned him to the middle of Park Square.
In the middle of the youths was the camera man. I was too far away to hear what he was talking to them about, but it looked like a football huddle. It appeared he was giving them instructions. What followed confirmed that thought. They all spread out and began to push in between Tea Party goers and hold their signs in front of others and began screaming "Obama!" repeatedly, the leader of the pack even darting out into the street and holding his sign in front of cars passing by. We remained largely silent, but there were a few who were responding to the youths. The stopping point for me, was when three of them were taunting an African American woman who was protesting with us. They were standing behind her when one shouted: "Yo - you're no nigga - you're a ****** for the man". One Tea Party goer had enough and began demanding the counter-protesters to "back the f*** off". I headed over and put myself between this woman and another with a small child. The next thing I knew, one of the youths made a move toward the man who told him to back off and it was on. Shirts came off and a lot of posturing and screaming was going on between the two. The guy I was talking to earlier, was standing at the back of the pack shouting obscenities. Our eyes met briefly, and I just shook my head at him. He looked away and continued to shout: "Get him!". By now, it was nearly 6pm and people started to break things up. One of the Tea party goers calmed the frustrated protester, people began to disperse, (except the youths) and then Pittsfield Police came en masse. The chief complaints of the youths, was that we were all racists and were screaming about them being on welfare. Not true. Then they said we tried to keep them from voicing themselves. Not true. Then it was learned that the "cameraman" was a member of Acorn - he magically drifted away....
On my way back to my car, I crossed paths under the Crowne Plaza with 3 of the youths from Park Square. They were still screaming "Obama!" and followed me, (not seemingly intentionally), as I made my way to my car. One of them said something to me as I exited the parking garage and even though I was keeping them in my peripheral, I turned fully as I exited and a kid in his 20's, black hoodie, blue shorts, said something to the effect of "what the f*** you lookin at", as he grabbed his crotch and put his hand up to the brim of his Yankees hat, (f***ing Yankees fans). I replied: "Look, I'm heading home - it's over man. Yesterday would have been a really good day to f*** with me - I was in a great mood and would have let it slide - today is not the f***ing day man - go home for dinner". His buddy put his hand across his chest and said: "Let's go"....
I got in my car, drove home listening to some moe, smoking a cigarette and feeling the wind on my face as I leaned slightly out the window....The cheeseburgers off the grill were f***ing excellent....
EDIT: By the way, I have several pictures of this event on my phone, but am on dial-up. Will download them here tomorrow from work...