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Pershing park police militarization { April 7 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.theeagleonline.com/section.cfm/113/2/5148http://www.theeagleonline.com/section.cfm/113/2/5148
Disecting a protest arrest
By STOKELY BAKSH
Contributing Writer
Monday, April 7, 2003
For most college students in the District, the current anti-war and anti-globalization protests have exposed them to the dynamics of a demonstration from planning, practicing resistance and being arrested. For others, going to protests have become a natural forum for their public expression in various social movements.
Since the Vietnam War, college students have been a prevalent component in many demonstrations by using their first amendment rights to voice their opinions about social justice.
Just last week 11 AU students, including juniors Andrew Willis and Shauna Stribula, were arrested after blocking off part of Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown Washington, D.C. for nearly an hour. The group involved had handcuffed themselves together using PCP piping.
"We were out there because we want to show D.C. that they can’t go about their lives as normal while we are at war," Stribula said.
According to Willis, compared to Capital and Park police, the Metropolitan Police Department acted professionally especially since many cameras were around.
"They wanted to expedite the process, so they wouldn’t have to deal with us," Willis said. "We were left in paddy wagons handcuffed for an hour and taken to a gym but it wasn’t harsh. But for some reason, they still love to insult protesters, I guess it makes them feel cool to intimidate people."
Although, many fear that their parents would be upset by being arrested or charged, fortunately for those like Willis and Stribula, that is not the case. They and other demonstrators were only charged a fine of $150 for blocking the street and failing to obey police orders.
"I’ve been expecting to get arrested for awhile now but I’ve been lucky," Stribula said. "Best yet, my parents are ok with it and are proud of what I am doing."
The thought of being arrested can be very intimidating for a student protester.
"I went to an A.N.S.W.E.R. protest that was not permitted, a couple of days after the war started," freshman Caroline Rose said. "I was right in front of the march and was really scared of the cops, so I was always trying to get away from the cops if there were to be any conflicts."
Rose is one of many students who believe that they should protest, yet are still concerned about the risks involved like being arrested.
"The police have a harder time when people start to perform illegal stuff. It is their job to stop them, so I don’t have much of a problem with them as long as they are doing their jobs," Rose said. "But I’ve heard some stories from friends that are unflattering about the police."
Currently there are several different cases charging that police officials violated protesters’ constitutional rights during the mass arrest at Pershing Park during the International Monetary Fund/World Bank Organization protest in Sept. 2002. Plaintiffs include the American Civil Liberties Union of the National Capital Area, the National Lawyers Guild D.C. Chapter and a GWU professor Jonathan Turley.
"The police violated first Amendment right of free speech, freedom of assembly and eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment," Chair of the Demonstration Support Committee of D.C. Chapter National Lawyers Guild Mark Goldstone said.
According to Goldstone, the "Ramsey Plan" is designed to prevent people from exercising their rights by preemptively arresting people. The steps are: to militarize the police, scare the local business community, clear out the streets so that only protesters and police are on the streets, arrest anyone who intends to protest, detain them under harsh conditions to deter them and claim that the protesters are losing momentum when the numbers on the streets are lower the following day.
"Chief Ramsey should have resigned since 2000 when [more than] 13,000 people were victims of mass arrests. He’s a show boat and really likes the media," said Adam Eidinger, AU alumnus, member of the D.C. Green Party steering committee and long time activist. "He uses the media to spread lies about protesters and sometimes portraying us like terrorists. However, things like that shouldn’t scare you from participating."
Goldstone also said that the Ramsey Plan was hatched after the 1999 Seattle protest and Ramsey swore that what happened in Seattle was not going to happen in D.C. Since Seattle, protesters have had issues and problems at the large mobilizations, Goldstone said.
Eidinger said, "Today’s system of civil disobedience or direct action is like a ballet. The protesters and the police know the ground rules and have their own dance steps, it’s choreographed."
Currently Eidinger is a plaintiff in three cases that include the April 16, 2000 World Bank protest lawsuit, the Jan. 20, 2001 Inauguration Protest lawsuit and the Pershing Park mass arrest on Sept. 27, 2002 Iraq Protests.
"With the Pershing Park incident, most people weren’t falsely arrested but rather treated badly," Ediniger said. "We sat on buses for 14 hours with handcuffs on and then taken to a police gym where we were hog-tied, wrist to ankles. The police tricked demonstrators into paying fines and admitting guilt because they didn’t want to go court."
According to Goldstone, protesters complain about the lack of food, water, handcuffing wrist to ankle, lying to people about their rights, denying access to counsel, as well as incidents of police brutality at the mass sweeps.
Paul LaValle, spokesperson for the Corporation Council, declined to comment on police tactics or the cases pending in court.
Eidinger said that he believes that the police will be more tolerant of protesters.
"My guess, with the protests that are going to occur in the future is with the number of students and protesters that are out there now and negative publicity since 2002, they will be more tolerant with individuals protesting without a permit," Eidinger said.
Willis agrees.
"People shouldn’t be that nervous about the police. The police have had bad press, public scrutiny, but they understand that we are out there peacefully. Just come out….keep an eye out for what is going on, bring a bottle of water and go with a friend."
Eidinger also recommends protesters to remain calm and don’t assume if the police give you an order that you have to do it, most of the times, these are unlawful, direct orders. Also, he said, that sometimes it is best to refuse to pay fines and admit guilt and take it to court. At his hearing about the Pershing Park, charges were dropped.
"Basically the only permit you really need to protest is the first amendment," Eidinger said.
Perhaps the best advice Eidinger can give is to always have a friend outside who knows what you are doing, carry identification, remember certain phone numbers like the D.C. Justice Solidarity, go for legal training, don’t carry contraband items and most importantly know your rights.
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