Purple Gate 2009 - a short documentary

Thank you to everybody for your comments. I would love to include your stories since there are so many and re-edit the documentary. Please upload a video response or you can also email me at purplegate2009@gmail.com
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Thousands of people with official tickets were denied entrance to the Inauguration. After surviving huge crushing crowds these purple ticket holders weren't told anything by police or any government officials. And after waiting for several hours in tunnels and streets, most of them gave up and left.

People came from all over the United States, eager and excited to see our new President get sworn into office. Words cannot express the disappointment and sadness felt throughout the crowds as they were cheated out of a historic moment.

However, congratulations to President Obama and we are excited to have him lead our country. We hope that that this disorganization does not happen at his next Inauguration. It would be nice to see it in person next time.

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Shot by Raymond J. Lee & Robbi Kearns
Edited by Raymond J. Lee & Cynthia Wang
Song "Tattered" by Emily Methangkool

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Obama
• Inauguration
• 2009
• Purple
• Tickets
• Ticket
• Gate
• Blue
• Silver
• Yellow
• Gates
• Disappointment
• Capitol
• Washington
• DC
• Maryland
• Virginia
• White
• House
• Tunnel
• of
• Doom
• PurpleGate
• Barack
• Michelle
• President
• Long
• Lines
• Crowd

[RaymondJLee]

thank you for all your comments everybody. please keep them coming. I would love to hear about your own personal stories - whether you were able to see the Inauguration or if you were denied entrance.

[Binageach]

I am from Michigan. I feel bad for all of those holders who were denied access. Everything for me went so smoothly. I met with friends that morning. They manages to find me in the crowded streets.There was singing and chanting an everyone was just in a good mood. When we realized that we weren't going anywhere, we decided to turn left, even though it looked empty. Turns out, the crowd we were in went into the tunnel- since we turned left we got in with no problem after asking security for help.

[etteilla12]

No diss to those who think this important. But I searched for Raymond Lee Washington and this was the first hit. No significant other hits. Come on we gotta do better yall!!!

[Munnville]

Well done!

[MichaelMWelch]

VERY sorry to hear of your lousy experience. 8-( In fact, the Purple Gate *did* open when it was supposed to at 8 (not at 9; tix said 9, but they announced the week before that it would be 8). I got in the Purple Gate line at 5AM and was fairly close to the front (only maybe 200 or so people in front of me). It opened at 8 on the dot for wheelchair-bound. That took 20 min or so, then the regular line moved in A-OK, no problems up through where I was. Dunno why it broke down further back. 8-(

[msolis6924]

I got in with my purple ticket at 11:00 a.m. when they opened up the purple flood gate.

[asauter2]

I also was waiting in your line, right by you (I think but who would know?). I just know that intersection well. Thanks for the documentary, it was really to the point. Good thing is..with all of the puching and poking, we couldn't get too cold, right?

[haley9210]

Thank you for that. I had a bad experience as well.

[eddivinity]

Count yourself at least a little lucky that you weren't stuck in the tunnel for 4 hours. We flew all the way out from California with purple tickets from Nancy Pelosi. We eventually made it in after they opened a gate sporadically while the crowd was surging. Only minutes before the actual swearing in.

At the end of the day, while the ceremony was disappointing for a lot of people, it's still nice to know Obama is Pres.

[Steele360]

Having a purple ticket went from making me happy as hell to disappointed as hell. thanks for the video

[MissFrickster]

This guy is a good communicator. At least the video is something productive came out of it all.