Lockdown

When I arrived at the Garden today, no one was being allowed in the press entrance. I waited, with a lot of other people, for a half hour before they opened the gates. A policeman explained that the Garden was “on lockdown.” It turned out that President Bush was doing his sound check for his speech tonight.
While I was waiting, I took the opporunity to film the area; it gives a pretty good idea of the overwhelming police presence that surrounds the convention. I would have filmed the actual security area, too, except that photography is discouraged there.
As I entered the Garden, I could simultaneously see four helicopters in the sky, and policemen (snipers, I assume) on top of the Post Office across the street.
Here’s the film; it’s short, but it includes a cameo appearance by an unusual Republican.