“Occupation” Day at the Capitol

I wonder sometimes what people must think of the State Capitol if the only time they ever visit is on a big protest day like today. They probably see the lines of police officers in riot gear and the helicopters circling overhead, and think “Wow, this must be a really crazy place to work”. Yes, sometimes it is.

But on the average day, having the bomb squad pull up to investigate an abandoned package on the West Lawn would have been the most notable thing to happen. Instead today, it was so overshadowed by the Occupy Education protests that hardly anyone even noticed the lunchtime closure of the north side of the West Lawn. At the North and South Doors, lines of people waiting to enter the building were out the door. On the historic first floor, the exhibit rooms and historic offices were closed. In short, it was an unusual day.