I have watched with some interest the talk of protests, permits and arresting and fining protestors. I am proud to name myself as one of the 68 people arrested outside the Federal Building March 25th. I was arrested with fellow Nurses, Teachers and Students. It is called active Civil Disobedience. We know who we are. We are the people who "illegally" hid Jews and others in Germany from 1936-45. We "illegally" broke the Jim Crowe Laws here in this country and we "illegally" ran the Underground Railways during times of slavery. We know who we are and we are proud of it.
Some here talk of making "us protesters pay for our protests and the police presence that is needed" well I must agree with Michelle Gross, I would feel much safer with no police presence. Catholics in northern Ireland understand what the police are for, Trade Union activists know what the police are for, activists for Social Justice all over the world know what the police are for, the underserved communities of Minneapolis know what the police are for and it is certainly not our protection. Police are for the protection of the interests of the elite, the wealthy, the "middle-class".
Now, returning to arrests of protestors I must share my experience. After being arrested we were bussed into Hennepin County Jail. There this rabble of mainly white, middle-class activists were fingerprinted, photographed and questioned and then placed in holding cells. There we came into contact with "normal" criminals. Or as the authorities in northern Ireland call them ODC Ordinary, Decent Criminals. At this point the jail became nothing more than a University of Radicalization. We all talked and shared our various perspectives and experiences. Jails have always served this purpose from Civil Rights days in the 50-60's, to Ireland, South Africa and elsewhere. The experience at Hennepin was no different. Teach-Ins are now being planned at various coffee shops in the Lake St/Park Ave district.
So now we come to payment of fines. Did you stop to think that we already have that issue covered. Tactically it is covered from a variety of directions that I shall not go into here. However, I hope to see some of you April 3rd at Hennepin County Court. However, just for the record we had considered being arrested as Jane/John Does to tie up the system and bog it down, just as the Civil rights movement did in the 60's but (unfortunately) the group concensus decided against it, at least for now.
Paying for Permits for the "right" to protest has been explored by myself personally. As a member of the Counter Propanda Coalition fighting corporate media bias (the editors and owners of corporate media, not some of the noble journalists with integrity being shut out) I was in charge of obtaing a permit for our first rally. Others in the progressive movement had already made the decision to refuse permits but since we were new and wanted everything to be kosher at the insistence of some of our members we decided to apply. What a nightmare I found at Minneapolis City Hall. Even with the help of our friendly Councilman, Dean Zimmerman it was unbelievable. Without his and his assitant, Natalie's help I am not sure I could have found the right avenue. I am deadly serious about this. Upon applying, finding out about the need for insurance, need for another permit for speakers, need for insurance for speakers etc etc and then finding the cost of everything to be in the excess of $1,000 we decided that the other groups were right. We went ahead without a permit. Our rally, charging corporate media with complicity in propagandizing the war and shutting out the views of us, the Anti-War and Social Justice crowd was a success.
Those of us in the Anti-War and Social Justice groups and community tend to be of modest wealth. So trying to make us pay the prohibitive costs is effectively trying to silience us, using the excuse of being legal. We know that and we do indeed have contingency plans for this eventuality, if it were to occur although I don't think it will. I am confident that there are enough people with common decency and respect for us in this city to not allow it to happen.
As an aside, for a report of the event with a non corporate, Indy Media Journalist perspective please feel free to visit TCIndymedia.org and enjoy.
Michael Cavlan RN St Louis Park Green Party Counter Propaganda Coalition Flying Pickets Corporate Media, Corporate War Time To Do The Math
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