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CNN Live Saturday
Dealy Plaza is Largely Unchanged
Aired November 22, 2003 - 16:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: It was about this time exactly 40-years-ago that some traumatic news out of Texas was spreading across the nation like a wildfire. President Kennedy had been shot and killed while his motorcade was winding through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas. Right now, thousands are gathered there at the familiar landmark for today's anniversary. Our National Correspondent Kelly Wallace is joining us with a live report.
Kelly, it's been an emotional day there in Dallas.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It certainly has. You can just look at the expressions on people's faces who are gathering here. You see sadness. You see anger. You see disbelief. People have been gathering here in the middle of the street throughout the day. This is Elm Street, and police barricaded this street. It is the exact place where the presidential motorcade passed through 40- years-ago. Also, what we've been seeing throughout the day, people talking to and reading various conspiracy theories. Everyone has different theories about what happened, and so many people who came here today seem to have questions, not believing that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.
You see also tributes to the late president, people leaving flowers, some people leaving cards, leaving various tributes to John F. Kennedy, who would have been -- was the 35th president of the United States. The biggest crowd of all was at 12:30 p.m. Central time, 1:30 p.m. Eastern time, and that is the exact moment when shots rang out here in Dealey Plaza 40-years-ago, bringing an end to President Kennedy's life. Now, there was no official ceremony here in Dallas.
Instead, you had various demonstrations, a silent march by people who do not believe the Warren Commission report that Oswald acted alone. You have had speeches and speeches going on throughout the day. Again, people raising questions about what happened. We actually had to look pretty hard to find people who came here who do believe that Oswald acted alone and that there was not a greater conspiracy. It does seem, when you look at polls and you talk to the people gathered here, Catherine, that most of the American people are not satisfied and can't seem to accept that one man, one single man, a 24-year-old man, could have assassinated the president and caused such a national tragedy -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: Kelly, we did talk to you live during that noon hour when so many people were there. When we talked a little bit about how, when you step into Dealey Plaza, it's almost like it's frozen in time.
WALLACE: It is. You look at the situation and the buildings around here, and they look almost exactly like they did 40-years-ago. In fact, that building right there, that is the former Texas School Book Depository building and the sixth floor window where Oswald is believed to have fired the fatal shots, the building looking almost exactly as it did in video clips and in photographs. Also, you can't really see it or you can, you have the grassy knoll area and the fence long seized on by conspiracy theorists who believe a second gunman could have been hidden behind the fence, behind the grassy knoll, and could have been involved.
But the area looking almost exactly as it did. That's one of the main observations from people who come here for the first time. And the other observation, Catherine, is that it looks so much smaller in person. It looks so much larger in video clips and photographs. And the other thing you get from people, no matter what they believe, no matter what questions they might raise, this place stirring strong emotions. It is a very solemn place. Again, remembering President Kennedy here -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: A small location, but certainly the impact of what happened there is still being felt 40 years later.
Thank you, Kelly. That's Kelly Wallace in Dallas.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 22, 2003 - 16:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: It was about this time exactly 40-years-ago that some traumatic news out of Texas was spreading across the nation like a wildfire. President Kennedy had been shot and killed while his motorcade was winding through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas. Right now, thousands are gathered there at the familiar landmark for today's anniversary. Our National Correspondent Kelly Wallace is joining us with a live report.
Kelly, it's been an emotional day there in Dallas.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It certainly has. You can just look at the expressions on people's faces who are gathering here. You see sadness. You see anger. You see disbelief. People have been gathering here in the middle of the street throughout the day. This is Elm Street, and police barricaded this street. It is the exact place where the presidential motorcade passed through 40- years-ago. Also, what we've been seeing throughout the day, people talking to and reading various conspiracy theories. Everyone has different theories about what happened, and so many people who came here today seem to have questions, not believing that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.
You see also tributes to the late president, people leaving flowers, some people leaving cards, leaving various tributes to John F. Kennedy, who would have been -- was the 35th president of the United States. The biggest crowd of all was at 12:30 p.m. Central time, 1:30 p.m. Eastern time, and that is the exact moment when shots rang out here in Dealey Plaza 40-years-ago, bringing an end to President Kennedy's life. Now, there was no official ceremony here in Dallas.
Instead, you had various demonstrations, a silent march by people who do not believe the Warren Commission report that Oswald acted alone. You have had speeches and speeches going on throughout the day. Again, people raising questions about what happened. We actually had to look pretty hard to find people who came here who do believe that Oswald acted alone and that there was not a greater conspiracy. It does seem, when you look at polls and you talk to the people gathered here, Catherine, that most of the American people are not satisfied and can't seem to accept that one man, one single man, a 24-year-old man, could have assassinated the president and caused such a national tragedy -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: Kelly, we did talk to you live during that noon hour when so many people were there. When we talked a little bit about how, when you step into Dealey Plaza, it's almost like it's frozen in time.
WALLACE: It is. You look at the situation and the buildings around here, and they look almost exactly like they did 40-years-ago. In fact, that building right there, that is the former Texas School Book Depository building and the sixth floor window where Oswald is believed to have fired the fatal shots, the building looking almost exactly as it did in video clips and in photographs. Also, you can't really see it or you can, you have the grassy knoll area and the fence long seized on by conspiracy theorists who believe a second gunman could have been hidden behind the fence, behind the grassy knoll, and could have been involved.
But the area looking almost exactly as it did. That's one of the main observations from people who come here for the first time. And the other observation, Catherine, is that it looks so much smaller in person. It looks so much larger in video clips and photographs. And the other thing you get from people, no matter what they believe, no matter what questions they might raise, this place stirring strong emotions. It is a very solemn place. Again, remembering President Kennedy here -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: A small location, but certainly the impact of what happened there is still being felt 40 years later.
Thank you, Kelly. That's Kelly Wallace in Dallas.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
