As I waited on July 4 for a troupe of anarchists to march loudly through downtown Spokane, other folks were eating elephant ears, playing in the fountain, waiting for the fireworks.

Earlier I walked to where demonstrators had burned American flags three years ago – a grimy skate park under the freeway. There were no burn marks left on the cement, and no sign of demonstrators.

Last year 17 demonstrators were arrested. Police surrounded the demonstrators who were trying to have a picnic.

This year, the police escorted the anarchists to their Riverfront Park picnic. A permit was obtained for the march through downtown Spokane.

As they walked by all the vendors, by a Pizza Rita stand and some nuns, by a radio station booth blaring its music through an SUV, the anarchists shouted phrases like, "Show me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like!"

People stopped and stared, the only sounds were the chanting of the demonstrators and the occassional counter-protestor. One man blew raspberries at the  march with his thumbs pointed downwards.  A  woman, who represented a native american organization, shouted "Get off our land!"

The marchers settled on some grass near a stage featuring acoustic performances, the steady beat of one marcher's snare drum briefly disturbing a quiet set on stage.

For an hour the demonstration became an innocuous picnic, a dinner of a variety of salads and some hummus. Any passersby curious enough to walk close by were handed copies of Crimethinc.'s Fighting For Our Lives and other literature, and were offered food.

No police were visible, except for two bicycle police at the top of the hill, who probably would have been there anyway. A little different from the ring of police that surrounded the demonstrations of previous years.

The event in Riverfront Park didn't last long, though – plan-it-x band Ghost Mice were about to play a show in some North Spokane backyard, so demonstrators became concert-goers, and nobody was arrested.

Watch video of the Ghost Mice show! Big Deal!