The most lame political protest ever?

(If you look closely, you will see a "drone" by this protester's ear. The "border wall" is in the background.)

The press release from a group called Michigan United announcing a protest at Congresswoman Candy Miller’s Shelby Township office portrayed the Wednesday event as an elaborate effort to express support for immigration reform. The liberal groups that organized the demonstration said the “visuals” would include swarms of drones and a border wall.

I pictured a crowd of chanting protesters, model-airplane-style drones buzzing overhead, and a small replica of the wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Instead, the few media people on hand were treated to a bizarre PR show designed for TV, though no TV cameras showed up. The “wall” was a long white tarp with black bars painted on it, which was apparently an attempt to portray a jail-like iron barrier, though it actually looked more like a giant piano keyboard.

The drones were homemade cardboard cutouts similar to the old balsa wood gliders that we tossed around as kids. One piece of cardboard for the body of the plane, one piece of cardboard for the wing. And each demonstrator used puppet strings to hold their drone aloft. The cardboard was spray-painted gray, making the cutouts look more like a bomber aircraft than a drone.

One other miscue in this comical attempt at getting media attention: At the scheduled 11 a.m. starting time, only one participant was in attendance. Nearly a half hour after the start, two of the speakers and three protesters finally arrived. The demonstration became an impromptu press conference in an asphalt parking lot, in stifling heat, for three reporters. Nearly 40 minutes after the start, about a half dozen others showed up with the wall and drones for the scenery.

I have been to plenty of amateurish press conferences through the years – events where the single visual backdrop was a placard that looked like it was designed by a fifth grader; events where a couple people standing by a noisy highway or Dumpster read their little speeches without ever looking up; events where I was the only reporter present and the speaker wrapped up his comments and said, “Now we will take questions from the media.”

But the event at Miller’s Office topped them all. Their message will be lost in my memory bank in no time. But the cardboard cutouts will stay with me forever.