Drummer Boy

The end of Week Two of the strike affecting the hotel across the street from our apartment.  I remain sympathetic to their desire for a better contract, but I must admit I am more than a little tired of the constant noise.  Protesters start at 7:00 a.m. and continue until 7:00 p.m., banging orange buckets (see above) with sticks, blowing vuvuzelas and whistles, yelling slogans through loudspeakers, and shouting nonstop.  The only people they are inconveniencing are the ones who live here, or who would like to stay at the hotel, who have no say or control whatsoever in what the Marriott hotel group chooses to do with their workers' contractual demands.  All they are doing with their spirited din is making people angry.  I hope this does not escalate into something uglier.  This picture shows the last of approximately 200 drumming, vociferous protesters who were bused in to picket directly outside our front door, but who are now "sharing the wealth" by moving on to protest outside another Marriott-owned property for a short spell before returning here later in the afternoon.  For the time being we are "enjoying" just the regular strikers.