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Hoping to catch a glimpse of a charismatic president

E-mail|Link|Comments () October 23, 2009 05:54 PM

Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

What the crowd at MIT missed: Obama speaking inside Kresge Auditorium.

By Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff

A large crowd gathered today at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a visit by President Obama, lining up peacefully behind security barricades on Massachusetts Avenue, hoping to get a glimpse of the president, but ultimately not succeeding.

The crowd of about 4,000 people along Massachusetts Avenue was dominated by young, college-age people, with those hoping to simply catch a glimpse of the charismatic president vastly outnumbering protesters.

Fifteen to 20 people held signs that said "Obama's policy on Iran" at the top and "Do Nothing" or "Ignore" in bold in the center. Nearby, six others held signs with graphic images of dead bodies that said, "Condemn the coup, killing, and violence of Ahmadinejad-Khamenei dictatorship regime against the peaceful protesters in Iran."

A young woman at a folding table handed out posters of Obama with an Adolf Hitler-type mustache. The woman, who appeared to be in her 20s, also passed out round pins that said, "Stop Obama"

But other people passed out literature more supportive of the president's agenda. One woman with a crate on wheels handed out red, white, and blue posters with windmills to promote clean energy. Other signs read. "Clean energy now" and "Bring clean energy to Massachusetts" And a man passed out regular posters of Obama without Hitler mustaches or other disparaging additions.

Some were able to to watch Obama's speech inside Kresge Auditorium from their laptop computers, propping them up on the barricades.

Lauren Kuntz, 19, an undecided freshman from Pittsburgh, watched the speech from her laptop and said, “This is really an exciting time for the school, it says a lot about MIT that he would choose to come here. This school is a leader in the energy debate and his presence here reflects that.”

A group from Barcelona also watched the speech from a laptop. They said that Obama is hugely popular in Spain, referring to the president’s visit to their country about a month ago.

Sarah Roche-Mahdi, 59, of Cambridge, showed up as part of the peace activist group, Code Pink. She and another woman, Susan Nye, 67, of Watertown, wore pink wigs, pink sweaters, and pink socks. Roche-Mahdi said, “We’re here for several reasons. We’re saying no to the war, justice for the Palestinians, and get the troops out everywhere.”

“We’re promoting national health care, not international warfare,” she said. “I think the president will get a great reception here in liberal Cambridge.”

The entire crowd was gone by 1:30 p.m., leaving behind only the steel barricades as evidence of the president’s visit.

Several hundred people also gathered later behind barricades at Copley Plaza, with hopes of getting a glimpse of the president, who was headlining a Democratic party fund-raiser there.

About 100 members of a group that wants Obama to push harder to make good on his promises on gay issues, including the elimination of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, gathered at Dartmouth Street and Huntington Avenue.

"I believe Barack is doing a pretty good job so far, but we want to make sure that he continues to follow through on his promises," said Matthew Dimick, a 24-year-old Boston University freshman who is in the group.

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