It took hours of hard work and gallons of
sweat, but the tent city on the Trinity River
bottom finally began taking shape.
A private company from Houston is providing the
work in the tents.
A company spokesman says it's one of the
biggest jobs they've had got 35
different tents going up here.
We've got two large tents and then 30 medium
sized tents and a couple of small tents.
Square footage wise is probably around
30000 square feet of footage.
Among the many tents are six that really stand
out. Giant Texas flags on canvas
were made, especially for this event.
It's going to cost fifty thousand dollars
to put up the city.
The bill is being footed by the fifteen hundred
people expected to show up, mostly from
the poor and middle classes.
People like these members of ACORN, a
community activist group who oppose Reagan
policies. I remember are not Kampen people.
So, you know, we're talking about usually
we have had our conventions and colleges in the
state and the other. But clearly with in
Dallas and with the Republican convention,
our members felt this is the best way, the most
powerful way for them to do what they thought
they had to do with this administration.
The protesters, indeed, will have to put up
with the smell from the river, the heat
and mosquitoes.
The tent city will officially begin accepting
its residents on Saturday.
Soon after that, the rallies and marches begin.
The demonstrators promise that President Reagan
and the Republicans will become very aware
of the protesters presence when the convention
begins. Victor Solis, Channel 5 News, Dallas.