Welcome back everyone!
In case you missed part one and two, this is a continuation of my experiences last weekend at my first protest. So far I've covered traveling and the march itself. This diary will cover the civil disobedience that took place at the Capitol Building.
I would also like to take the time here to thank everyone who went all the way to Louisiana for the Jena 6 protests. It may not seem like people know what is going on down there, but many of us do. Word travels very quickly. There were leaflets and information at the march in DC about it. Everyone who goes to these things spreads the word to their friends and family, who then spreads the word and so on and so forth.
I saw it made some headlines also, and was also subject to the same media "spin" stating that "thousands" had shown up to express their displeasure. I wrote MSNBC (the only MSM media site I still sometimes check) to let them know I was disappointed with their coverage with the Jena 6 protests and lack of ability to look at a picture and see how many people were there.
I got an email from ANSWER and found out the Washington Post got an earful in their opinion section about misrepresenting the numbers in DC. Just need to keep up the pressure.
So now, onto the arrests at the Capitol Building.
MindWideOpen and I have worked our way to the front of the barriers on the West side of the Capitol Building. People have completely surrounded the Capital, and at this point the largest crowd is directly in front, the die-in is taking place and a few people have been arrested already.
I think the majority of the people marching filter out at this point. The crowd that stays is still pretty large, I'd say about 10-15,000 when I first get up there.
I understand why most people don't stay. I saw a lot of families there. Not everyone can put themselves in a situation like this.
But many people are there.
The die-in is supposed to represent a mass grave of the soldiers and Iraqi civilians that have been killed so far in Iraq. After the die-in the people are supposed to take their message directly to the Congress.
Although at the time I was a little confused because everything I read beforehand said that the participants of the die would be arrested, and said nothing about the Capitol being barricaded against people entering.
I found out later that the die-in was allowed to peacefully occur, while the message to Congress was blocked. It seemed as if a decent amount of people in the crowd were upset about the Capitol being blocked off, as was I. Especially since we own the damn building.
There are police standing all along the inside of the barriers. This is a picture of our side, and the police who were guarding us. I put a heart above Walter because all the girls thought he was "dreamy".
I will explain later.
At this point everyone is just yelling. Some are yelling insults at the police, which I disagree with.
Many people are yelling that the police work for us and that the Capitol building is paid for by taxpayer dollars.
Some yell questions about why we aren't allowed on the steps, and if they think they're protecting the right people.
At this point I start to notice people a few people are getting arrested. I think I see one person in uniform, but I'm not sure what is going on at this point.
The crowd starts to sing again.
"All we are saying, is give peace a chance".
To me this was the most amazing part of the choas at the Capitol. The police standing all in a row, shields ready and game face on, sporadic arrests. While the people sing to them for peace.
A group of "young people", including the girl I talked about earlier who lost her friend in Iraq, start trying to reason with the police.
Asking them if they agree with the war, if the paycheck is worth it. A paycheck that by the way, our taxes are supplying. One policeman winks on cue to let us know he disagrees with the war.
An elderly woman behind me is desperately yelling that they are arresting the wrong people. Arrest George Bush, arrest the scoundrels! I'm afraid she is going to loose her voice or pass out from how long and loud she yells.
The people are all telling them we are unarmed, and to put down their shields and weapons.
One police officer, not totally in riot gear, drops his shield and walks away from the line. He looks confused, and unsure of what to do. He soon disappears behind a large group of officers and I don't see him again.
The rest stand silently and stoic in front of us.
Look us in the eyes. We just want the war to end. We don't want to be here any more than you do. It's a Saturday, the weathers nice.
Someone then yells out, "We're here for the tour!"
The crowd joins in and we are chanting "We're here for the tour!".
Nothing. They all stare blankly ahead.
Everyone but Walter.
He can't help but smile.
The people see this and soon Walter has hundreds of people chanting his name. A young woman yells to an officer chewing his gum with his mouth open
"I know your Momma taught you better than to chew your gum like that!"
Everyone laughs, including the police.
They eventually take Walter away because we were causing such a commotion with him. Much to everyone's dismay.
I'm very happy that the crowd is non-violent.
By this time though the arrests are starting to mount.
People start steadily crossing over the barriers and into police custody. The majority just hop over, lay down and go limp. They are handcuffed with plastic zip-ties and led away or carried off past the rear line of cops.
Soon, the officers there run out of zip-ties. I hear the radios going off requesting backup and more handcuffs.
A few officers now appear dressed in full riot gear with some donning tear gas on their chests. They stand with them in full view of the people, showing off the canisters of gas with a wave of the hand and a firm smile. After assuring that everyone has seen them, he perched himself up on a ledge by the steps and watches over us.
Next to me there is a man in a wheelchair, he comments that if they tear gas us someone needs to help him out of the area. Everyone around him agrees to help out.
Surprisingly, I'm not really nervous or scared.
The riot shields and gas are intimidating. But so is our government.
The people are angry, but relatively calm. I mentioned to someone a couple days ago that it seemed like an understood situation between the two groups.
We were there to do our thing and they were there to stop people from making it to the Capital building. Everyone did their part.
In the words of my personal hero, Kurt Vonnegut:
"And so it goes."
I would guess at this point about two dozen people have been arrested. Sometimes the crowd cheers, and soon everyone is yelling in unison
"Arrest George Bush!"
"Arrest George Bush!"
"Who do you serve? Who do you protect?"
Even more people are crossing the barriers at all sides as the police rush around trying to keep up with all the arrests. A line is starting to form in the center of all the people with their hands behind their backs, each escorted by a police officer.
I am starting to get kind of upset at this point.
They really are arresting the wrong people. No one there had started a war, tarnished America's standing in the world, or looted our treasury. They're just unhappy The yells become louder and people are visibly becoming more agitated.
And then the reinforcements are called in.
Dozens of police in full riot gear, helmets and all, descend down the Capitol steps.
It does look like a scene from a bad futuristic movie.
They fall in line and the same girl (she was really on her game that day!) teases the man that he looks like Darth Vader. Someone starting singing the Empire Strikes Back. Everyone giggles, even one of the riot police, as we very loudly sing to them.
It was hilarious.
But the mood changes quickly.
The chants move from "Tell me what democracy looks like".
To "Tell me what a police state looks like?"
This is what a police state looks like.
And then I see a soldier in uniform being arrested.
Then another, and another, and another.
They are all in a line now, being led across the platform.
I yell out No! Without even realizing I had said it.
It feels wrong. It just does.
The crowd starting booing and jeering.
Shame!
How could you arrest veterans, and leave George Bush in office? Simone yells out that they are arresting the real American Heroes. And soon we are all cheering
"American Heroes!"
"American Heroes!"
Because they are.
There are at least 7-8 veterans in uniform at this point all being dragged away in hand cuffs.
Some people are being carried off by 3-4 riot police after they go limp on the ground.
After they are led away dozens of people start pouring over the barriers. Handfuls at a time at the front, a few dozen from our side. A woman dressed in black and pink, an elderly man, "young people", men and women.
The noise from the front of the Capitol start growing louder. I look over and the people are pushing forward so hard that the barrier is almost at a 45 degree angle. MindWideOpen and I stand next to each other. He looks over and yells out, I think they're going to push down the barrier!
I tell him I'm glad he came up with me. I'm glad I was there to see this.
People are stacked on top of each other, hanging off the light posts and sporadically falling over the pile into the hands of the riot police.
A line of riot police with shields up run over and form a shoulder to shoulder semicircle. The mass of police and shields create a wall. Some people on the top of the crowd are pushing as hard as they can towards the shield line. The police have more leverage, and start pushing back in unison. I think this is when a man got pepper sprayed. I saw video of some of it later, and this was the most chaotic part.
Although, to give credit where credit is due, the police all acted very professional and there was no intentionally mean or over zealous actions or brutality that I saw. I'm not sure if anyone who went there that day really wanted to cause a problem. And no one wanted to see violence. It was supposed to be a peaceful day. And overall it was. Oddly enough.
The barrier was very, very close to being knocked flat on the ground and they were about to have at least 5 thousand people all rush forward to the Capitol Building. I think they diffused the situation well.
It was exhilarating in a few interesting ways.
I think if the crowd really would have gone for it, they would have knocked down the metal fencing and made it pretty far into the line of riot police. There were enough people there that I'm sure a couple hundred or more would have gotten past and literally bum rushed the Capitol Building.
I'm also sure at that point the police would have ended it in a cloud of tear gas and other crowd control nonsense and could have gotten out of hand very quickly. And possibly even stretched out into a scene arresting a bunch of people sitting in the Capitol lobby or something.
If it had been rushed immediately upon arriving there it could have easily been done. A few people ask the police later if we could have taken it. They laugh and say no, but what else would you expect them to say?
I don't think either side knew quite what to expect. Originally there were only about 20-30 police officers and only a couple had riot shields.
But at this point there were 50 or so full riot gear "squads", plus the regular police, plus some Hollywood looking "Team Leaders" dressed in khaki pants, blue shirts, khaki vests and white curled earpieces.
I know, I know. Fashion shouldn't matter with something like this. But it was cheesy and I'm not the only one who laughed at them being all and "undercover" on casual Saturday. They even whispered down the line of police at one point, tapping each on the shoulder. Part of their "secret undercover" language?
Operation Stop the Hippies!
Ok, Go!
Ha! I crack myself up.
But I digress.
Actually, a hippie does get arrested. He has luscious dreadlocks stuffed underneath a huge Erica Badu camouflage head wrap. He struggles some, and police rush around him. He is dragged on the ground for a few feet which looked unpleasant, but they got a couple people to carry him the rest of the way.
After that particular arrest though the crowd in the front started throwing their signs and water bottles at the riot line. Many of us yelled to stop throwing shit. Large groups banded together to try and communicate with the front not to be violent.
After a little while the crowd backs off from trying to force their way over, and people continued to cross over the barrier in fairly large numbers for another hour or so.
I'm proud of everyone actually for causing a ruckus to just the right degree. It was enough to get the other side worried and in a tizzy. The people there made their point without the use of violence. It was in all accounts, an exercise in civil disobedience.
I was very proud to have witnessed it first hand. I've never seen it action before, I've only read about it in books.
It always made me proud to read about how sometimes the actions of a few can bring attention to their issues. I tend to root for the underdog and the anti-heroes. They risk themselves for the greater good when others need it most. Good for them.
I think it was effective.
I don't even know if the media would have reported on it at all if there had not been a lot of arrests.
Breaking news of OJ Simpson came back in the news a few hours later and pushed it off the front pages.
Curious huh?
After all this I hate the media almost more than ever before. I guess it took for me to witness first hand what happened, then read about it later to fully understand what useless pieces of shit our media has turned into.
How the hell do you fix that?
I'm working on figuring that out. But for now I'll keep writing to do my part.
The arrests continue and a girl squeezes past me and says "I think I'm going to cross over." I tell her that the woman in the bright green hat is a volunteer lawyer and to talk to to her first. She does and prepares for her big moment while everyone wishes her luck and the police help her over.
MindWideOpen over hears her talking to the lawyer and tell me "I'm really thinking about crossing over."
I'm not sure what to say.
The lawyer says something about him being a minor as she asks if his parents know he's there. "My Dad's the one who brought me here!" he answers. It's the first time I realize he's not yet 18.
So there I am.
Victory Coffee.
Protesting the war and corrupting the youth of America.
Sigh.
I really am a nice person. I swear.
I tell him I want to also, but I'm waiting to see how things go. I can tell he is really close to actually doing it, so I ask him to at least call his Dad before to make sure it is ok. Of course, he says. What a good kid!
In the end we both decide not to. I think it was a good call.
I felt as if I could be doing more though. I feel guilty for standing by and hoping others will stand up for me.
I'm still not sure if I would want to face arrest. I think though if at that time and place I felt it was the right thing to do, I would do it. That I felt I had no other option but to take that stand, then I will. Or at least I would like to think I would.
For my first time that might have been a little much for me. I plan on continuing to get out there after this, so there is still time :p Check back for Episode 10: My Trip to Prison......
Things start to slow down and we are still there causing a scene. The police presence loosens and I notice a cop is pointing a video camera at me. He smiles and waves at the crowd who is video taping him back. Great, so now I'm on some police video tape too.
Can't wait for that to come up 30 years from now.....
I also see a young kid, about 13 or 14 get arrested. I groan, because he is so young.
They finally bring Walter back and the crowd erupts into cheers for Walter. The girls all flirt with him and try to pass their phone numbers to him. A man with a bullhorn in the back thanks Walter and apologizes for the shit his co-workers are going to give him later. The elderly woman from before steps up to get a glimpse of Walter. She coos about how lovely his smile is and agrees he is a very handsome young fellow.
All of a sudden OPOL find us and I realize we had been gone for some time now. Neither of us are quite ready to leave, although after another half hour or so I'm tired and starting to feel sunburnt. I wonder over to sit in the grass and join the small search group consisting of CTLIberal, DemMarineVet and OPOL.
Eventually MindWideOpen joins us and we talk about the day and as I stumble away from all the noise I start to feel very tired. Everyone wants to get some dinner and I opt to tag along. Led my DemMarineVet we start to head toward the Metro station.
When explaining the whole "Walter" thing OPOL mentions that during Vietnam none of the cops were on their side. It's definitely a good advantage to have. I think everyone is so tired of hating each other that we all just need a break.
I'll finish up next time with some post protest fun, the trip home, final thoughts and a few tips.
Next time.....
Adventures in Activism: Episode 4, Now what?