It’s a Wrap

For better or worse, the humdrum rhythms of downtown life returned to Los Angeles on Friday as delegates headed home, work crews began dismantling the massive stage at Staples Center and a small army of police returned to normal duty.

After so much hype and tension, the Democratic National Convention rolled out of town, leaving the city unscathed.

The homeless, pigeons and street vendors reclaimed Pershing Square after five days of raucous demonstrations. Lingering Democrats wandered downtown, looking like the confused tourists who normally populate the city’s sidewalks. And officials collectively exhaled, relieved that the whole monumental production came off without disaster.

“We did it!” Mayor Richard Riordan shouted Friday morning as he kicked off a celebratory news conference.

Surrounded by beaming city officials, downtown business leaders and members of the Democratic National Convention Committee, Riordan proclaimed the week an unequivocal success.

“I’ve never been more proud of Los Angeles than I am today,” he said.

The mayor even offered his gratitude to the peaceful demonstrators who descended on the city--and whom he had recently criticized as “international anarchists” trained in “the strategies of destruction and guerrilla tactics.”

All the dire predictions of mayhem on city streets seemed to fade as the week passed. And on Friday, the Los Angeles Police Department began returning officers to their regular eight-hour shifts, removing barricades around Parker Center and moving horses back to their regular stables.

Next week, top department commanders will begin reviewing the LAPD’s performance during the convention. They will write a so-called after-incident report that will examine most aspects of the department’s convention plan, from deployment of officers to tactics.

While the ACLU and others have accused the LAPD of using excessive force--firing nonlethal “stinger” bullets indiscriminately and using pepper spray on a crowd of demonstrators and members of the news media--police officials say they are pleased with the department’s response to the rallies this week.

“Overall, it worked out fine, just fine,” said Cmdr. Tom Lorenzen, who oversaw the department’s convention planning unit.

But the mere presence of so many officers surprised many out-of-towners. Janie Young, 61, a delegate form Kokomo, Ind., was relieved to see the calm that drifted in Friday. She and her husband strolled up Figueroa Street to catch a glimpse of the city, without the protesters and hundreds of riot-masked officers facing off in front of their hotel.

“The first day I thought we were going to get hit by something,” she said. “I was thinking what the hell type of place is this? We thought it was a police state.”

But Gary Thompson, 66, a retiree who lives in downtown Los Angeles, was more than thankful for the extraordinary police presence, but he was even happier to have his park back.

To get out of the confines of his small apartment, Thompson sits and reads the newspaper in Pershing Square every day and was angered that the city gave up his haunt to protesters.

“I came here Sunday with my book. I was immediately set upon by a group of imbeciles, somebody from Seattle,” he said. “Thank God for the LAPD.”

He said he was going to complain to Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg, who had fought to secure the square for demonstrators. “I’m going to write her a letter, asking why . . . are you letting these people use our park?”

Some of the convention-goers, however, expressed admiration for the protest marchers. Checking out of Santa Monica’s Doubletree Hotel, David Mendoza of the Arizona delegation said the demonstrators were just trying to be heard.

“I saw the protesters climbing the 12-foot fence and it made me wish I had their energy,” he said. “I was wishing they would join the Democratic Party and not stay out on the fringe like they are.”

As Mendoza and others headed home Friday, Los Angeles International Airport became a hive of activity. The delegates were easy to spot because of their bright red “Convention L.A.” tote bags and exhausted-looking faces.

“I’m going to go home and soak my feet in some Epsom salt,” said Cordelia Lewis Burkes, 63, a union organizer from Indianapolis.

Delegates Visit Tourist Attractions

Other delegates were excitedly checking out more Southern California attractions. At the Marina Beach Marriott in Marina del Rey, many in the 102-member Maryland delegation and a large group of volunteers and party workers were remaining a few extra days to scuba dive off Santa Catalina Island, go to Disneyland, see Hollywood attractions and roller-skate along the beach.

Meanwhile, outside Staples Center, workers pulled down fence posts and rolled up the chain-link fence that had separated the protest pit from delegates. Inside, crews began dismantling the stage, ripped up bundles of wiring and clearing off the piles of streamers and balloons that had accumulated in the rafters the night before.

Some downtown merchants were happy to have weathered a week of slow business.

“We were at ground zero for this whole thing,” said Monte Peteson, general manager of Downtown Carwash. “We lost 70% of our business, and we’re happy it’s over.”