Weds. Aug 31, 2005

Police harassment extends to our Wednesday peace vigil

Another person put in handcuffs. Fortunately, a police Sergeant arrives in time to release the person

Yet another protester was put in handcuffs and thrown in the back of a police car, this time at our weekly Wednesday peace vigil. Police claim the protester "pushed" the officer - though this did not happen. In actuality, it was the police officer who grabbed and pushed the protester. The police were responding to a local gas station's request for all cars to be removed from an adjacent, empty parking lot.  Protesters complied with the request and a couple people expressed their feeling towards the gas station's employees.  When the police arrived they grabbed a protester and pushed her into the store, apparently in an attempt to discuss the situation.  Shortly thereafter, the police handcuffed the person and put her in the back of a police cruiser.  In the meantime, the police were threatening other protesters with trespassing arrests even though many were straddling the line of the public sidewalk and private property. Particularly egregious were the actions of one officer who, when asked to stop thrusting his finger towards the nose of a protester, stated that he (the officer) would put his finger through the nose of the protester if he so chose. Fortunately a more reasonable police Sergeant arrived at the scene and determined that the person who was handcuffed should be released. The behavior of the officers on the scene was one of intimidation and harassment and appears to be part of a continuing trend.  Hope was offered, though, in the form of the sensible police Sergeant.