Six Protesters Arrested At Baywalk
 (Including three teenagers, one aged 13)
We will again be at Baywalk on Saturday, August 13th from 7:30-9:30pm -- please bring video cameras and digital cameras, if you're able.

An injury to one is an injury to all.  Two St. Pete for Peace members were being arrested without cause, when instead of just allowing this injustice to happen, a small contingent of members chose to try to prevent their arrest through nonviolent civil disobedience.
Baywalk Arrests St. Petersburg Aug 6, 2005 St. Pete for Peace Free Speech
Photos captured from video
(Courtesy of Joe Porter, Len Schmenge and Mike O'Neill)

Anti-war protesters say police should not have made Saturday night's arrests. Police have said they're just trying to keep the area safe for pedestrians.
Watch
(Read Story)


Listen to WMNF's coverage


Listen to Mike Malloy's coverage of Saturday's arrest on Air America Radio
Six people were arrested at Baywalk on Saturday night, August 6th.  Baywalk and the city of St. Petersburg have become more insistent that protesters are causing safety problems and hurting local businesses. 

On Saturday evening a 13-year old boy was arrested for being on the PUBLIC sidewalk and “blocking pedestrian traffic.”  The young man was not carrying a sign nor was he attempting to interfere with anyone.  He was just going from one end of a public sidewalk to the other.

During the past several weeks police officers have become more numerous and more aggressive.   They have set up barricades on the public sidewalks in front of Baywalk to keep us pinned in and divide us from each other.  The night of August the 6th, and the Saturday before, police have brought out a van to transport prisoners in anticipation of arrests.
Afterwards, another protester was videotaping near where the 13-year old was arrested.  Police then arrested the second protester, who was later charged with trespassing.
The remaining demonstrators made their way down to the police van holding the two detainees.  Some protesters attempted to stop the van from driving those arrested down to the police station by locking arms in front of it.

Four of the protesters were then arrested and charged with blocking a roadway and disobeying a lawful command.  The remaining protesters returned to Baywalk and chanted, sang and shouted slogans at the police until after 11pm.  The juveniles were released a few hours after they were arrested.  The three adults were brought down to the police station and were released on bail early the next morning. 
The cops want to intimidate and harass us.  The cops’ use of barricades is to force protesters onto Baywalk property where they can proceed to arrest us.  They are set up in such a way so that people cannot walk down the public sidewalk without either going out into the street or walking onto Baywalk property.
Media misrepresents event
The St. Petersburg Times ran an article that made it sound like the night’s events were planned by the protesters.  They misquoted one person saying that he advocated breaking windows and causing trouble.  The truth was that the person said the media didn’t give protesters attention because diligence is not a news story.  The article’s author then said that maybe more attention would be given to protesters if they did things like smash windows.

"Arresting Dissent" - Carol Schiffler, Citizens for Legitimate Government, 8/8/05
"Despite arrests, protests to go on" - St. Pete Times, 8/8/05
"BayWalk disturbance results in arrests" - Bay News 9, 8/7/05

Story Background
Baywalk and the City of St. Petersburg are trying to take away the rights of protesters to stand on the PUBLIC sidewalk in front of Baywalk.  Click here to read the St. Pete Times story.   Click here to watch Channel 10's coverage. Click here to read a recent article in The Weekly Planet (scroll down to "Baywalk Barricades").

Our understanding is that Baywalk and the city of St. Petersburg are testing barricades on weekends to see if they improve pedestrian safety.  One option being considered is the construction of permanent barricades.  If this were to happen we would not be allowed to protest on the north side of the sidewalk in front of Baywalk.

In addition to the unsubstantiated claim that protesters cause a safety hazard, Baywalk management says our protests are bad for business.  According to Sembler CEO Sher: "Many patrons stay away from Baywalk because of the congestion caused by the protesters."  And Bruce Rabon, owner of Hurricane Pass and Metropolitan Outfitters claimed, "when the protesters began, our Saturday night business ceased to exist."   Tom Silverberg, owner of Jess Jewelers (one of the stores in which we protest near) recently said:  ".[the protesters]..are abusing the privilege of free speech, [and] are jeopardizing my freedom to run a small business."
Baywalk Free Speech
We're asking people to call or send email regarding the unjust arrests of protesters and Baywalk's attempt to take away our First Amendment rights.  Please contact:

Mayor Rick Baker
(727) 893-7201
mayor@stpete.org

  City Council
(727) 893-7117 council@stpete.org

Your letter can be as simple as one sentence or as detailed as you choose.  Please just let the city know that you don't want Baywalk to gain control of the public sidewalk and that it is time for the barricades to be removed.
  • If these barricades stay in place, anyone needing to exit Baywalk quickly in an emergency situation would face a tangle of metal gates that could prevent their safe escape.  This is ironic, particularly in the context of the rationale for the barricades:  public safety.  This also adds credence to our assessment that the true motivation behind the barricades is Baywalk's desire to stop our protests on the public sidewalk in front of the entertainment complex.  Greg Sembler, Vice Chairman of the Sembler Company (which owns Baywalk) has essentially said so:
"I still think we need to own the sidewalk" - Greg Sembler (May 3, 2005)  
The City of St. Petersburg has implemented these barricades at the request of Baywalk management, following a study done by a group called the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, Inc. The problem is that, on the Executive Committee of this group is
Craig Sher, President/CEO of the Sembler Company.  Obviously, this is a conflict of interest.  Not coincidentally, the group's long-term recommendation is to give Baywalk control of the public sidewalk. (SP Times Interview Mar '05)
No public hearings, no discussion -- they're just taking taxpayer property.  Last year they tried to set up "no protest zones."  Earlier this year they tried to buy the public sidewalk.  Now, Baywalk and the city are reportedly planning on constructing permanent barriers and saying protesters won't be able to stand on the PUBLIC sidewalk!
Interview on WMNF over barrier controversy (begins at 5:45 minute mark)

Mel Sembler's STRAIGHTS:
"His Own Private Abu Ghraib"
(read article)
 "Mr.Sembler's Neighborhood" (read article)
The reason given for these barricades?
Pedestrian safety. 
However, we've been demonstrating at Baywalk nearly every Saturday for 2 1/2 years and there have been
ZERO pedestrian accidents during our protests.
Civil liberties have been under attack in the U.S. for quite some time, and our government has a long history of repressing the voice of dissent:
And many others around the country are feeling the wrath of our system:
Click here to watch Tampa Bay's 10 coverage of recent  protest.  Click here for info about our free speech struggle with Baywalk last year.  Click here for general info on our protests at Baywalk.