Key West celebrates quarter century of secession after "rebellion"The Conch Republic has their own website but they are having bandwidth problems. Very cool! Posted by DaveH at April 22, 2007 5:28 PM
Residents and visitors are celebrating the 25th anniversary of this island city's mock secession from America.
Monday marks a quarter-century since the U.S. Border Patrol established a checkpoint at the top of the Florida Keys Overseas Highway, touching off cries for rebellion. The republic's original founders will re-enact their secession Monday.
The Border Patrol was ostensibly searching for drugs and illegal immigrants when it set up the roadblock on U.S. 1 in Florida City in 1982. A resulting a traffic jam stretched for miles on the road, the only one that connects the island chain to mainland Florida. The roadblock infuriated local officials as well as residents, many who were dependent on the area's tourism industry.
"It definitely made us feel like foreigners," recalled Dennis Wardlow, the mayor of Key West in 1982 and the first prime minister of the new republic. Recalling the decision to secede he added: "If they're (the federal government) going to treat us like a foreign country, we'll become a foreign country."
With tongues firmly planted in cheeks, Key Westers protested by hoisting a Conch Republic banner in Mallory Square April 23, 1982. They declared war on the United States by ceremoniously bopping a Navy sailor on his head with a loaf of stale Cuban bread, and then promptly surrendering and applying for $1 billion in foreign aid. The fiscal assistance never came.
The roadblock eventually ended, but the popularity of the Conch Republic evolved with passports, ambassadors and "embassies" around the world.
The Conch Republic Independence Celebration started Friday with a flag raising. Saturday was the Great Conch Republic Drag Race, a charity event featuring female impersonators in high heels who sprinted down Duval Street. Celebrations will continue through April 29 and include events like a bed race and a sea battle with vegetables and water cannons as weapons.
As I often mention at my shows, I came down to the "Conch Republic" for a long weekend in September of '99 from the Jersey Shore....it's been a helluva WEEKEND!
...Long live the "CONCH REPUBLIC"
www.calendarhome.com/cal/alfonse
Posted by: Alfonse at April 26, 2007 4:22 AM