The Greatest Protest

Based on a true story

By Thelma Mary Caroline

The parking lot was blocked off.  A contractor had bought it to bulid condominums on the waterfront.

The lines were faded, the pavement full of potholes.  Hardly anyone parked there, seeming afraid it would fall into the bay.  Hardly anyone, except college students that would park there and eat lunch.

They were angry.  It was their lot, thank you very much, and they liked it how it was.

The morning of the construction, one student came up with an idea.  Word quickly spred throughout the school, whispering as though they wanted no one else to know.

Around noon, the parking lot began filling with cars. 

"Hey, kids, you can't park here anymore.  We're going to start construction soon!" the (leader?) contractor said.

No one listened.  More cars filled the lot, driving through the blockaids.

They were old cars, mostly, covered in scratches and scrapes and bruises.  But some were new, shiny and expensive. 

Cop cars surrounded the place, their lights flashing as though parking in a lot was a crime.  They yelled through their loudspeakers for everyone to move their cars.  No one did.

The students acted as though it was a cheery campout.  They bulit a huge bon fire and roasted marshmellows.  Someone brough grahm crackers and marshmellows to share.

A tow truck came in and began hauling cars away.  But even as they hooked the truck up to a car, more vehicals came in.  More and -- still more -- surrounding the tow truck so that it couldn't even leave.

The police questioned everybody, trying to find out who had orgainized the mess.  No one really knew, or if they did, they didn't say.

They began to arrest people, though the students protested.  This was their lot, not the contractors, so they didn't have to move, even if the police told them to.

But finally one of the students aproched the contracter.

"This is my fault," she said.  "I started this.  But seriously, why would anyone want to buy a condo here?  They'd all think it'd fall into the bay!"

"Yeah!" several other students agreed.

Finally, he gave up.  The parking lot would stay, potholes and all.