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Two Arrested; The Procession for the Future and March Harassed by Fundamentalist Christians By Phillip Reynes

August 26, 2008 by phil

It was 10:09 am and I had just arrived at the Civic Center Park for the Procession for the Future Street Puppet March. It was hot and like many there in the park I could not help but gravitate to the shade which was in short supply. On the stage was a folk singer singing protest songs as people prepared for the march. Signs where being worked on, and floats readied; the atmosphere was relaxed. A hundred or so individuals sat listening to the music and watching the preparations for the march as others distributed pamphlets to the onlookers. Just west of the stage the food not bombs group where feeding all who came by, I had a toasted raisin bagel.

Sitting down in the shade I watched a group of Christian Fundamentalist seven or eight strong waving signs approach the stage area. They had a bullhorn and loudly proclaimed that the demonstrators hate America. There banners had slogans on them that where designed to provoke the crowd. One sign read “Homo Sex is a Threat to National Security,” another read “Trust in Jesus” and still another had a pro military slogan. There leader a short, pudgy man with a bull horn proceeded to shout at the protesters and onlookers. He disrupted the music and drew a crowd of people all loudly voicing there disagreement with his fundamentalist message.

Up until this point the police presence had been refreshing subdued but as two officers approached the fundamentalist Christians others where moving in from both the direction of the library (to the south of the stage) and from across Colfax. The Christians called people “fornicators” and said that the people in the crowd where all going to hell.

As the crowd took up the chant “racist fascist go away, racist fascist anti-gay” as a woman with her infant son strapped to a baby sling confronted the Christian group. The leader loudly proclaimed that because of the mother’s lifestyle her baby was cursed. These where militant fundamentalist Christians, I had seen this same group Sunday at the Planed Parenthood demonstration and watched as this same man had singled out a small child (maybe 7 years old) and yelled to the child “your mother kills children your lucky she did not kill you.” I was relieved when they moved from the corner of the stage to a place farther away from the marches staging area.

I wish I could say it ended there. From there new location farther down the fundamentalist continued to harass the crowd. The stated that women where meant to be subservient to men. The called the demonstrators perverts and made jokes about what demonstrators where wearing. I sat in the shade and watched from a distance near a line of riot clad police who laughed at what the Christians where saying about the demonstrators. It was obvious to anyone near me that the police enjoyed watching these fundamentalist wacko’s as they harassed the crowd. I was disturbed by what I could only perceive as these officers seeming delight in the taunting of a peaceful group of people.

Suddenly people started running toward the Fundamentalists group and I knew something had happened. Something was bound to happen with these Christians hurling insults and harassing demonstrators for what seemed like a long time (in reality only about 20 minutes at this point). I moved forward like the rest of the press and the police. The chanting was load and when I got up close I saw a lone demonstrator surrounded by police half walking and half dragged. Horse mounted officers screened the police from the crowd who shouted “Let Him Go, Let Him Go.” As the police and the detainee where moving toward the west side of the park the crowd grew and the detainee was heard to yell over the crowd, “look at the dirt on my face, look at how they are treating me.” Passions where high, as well as the noise level, when the police reached the street and the waiting electric cart into which they stuffed the hapless protester. Riot clad officers formed a circle around the cart there batons held at the ready in a position that the military calls ‘port arms.’ The crowd pressed in and I watched an officer strike a young woman with his baton knocking her to the ground. The young woman was sprawled on the asphalt her pink dress in an unflattering position, batteries rolled across the ground (I know not from what) and she was clearly dazed and looked injured.

I moved closer hoping to talk to her but as I got up next to her a group of officers rushed up and arrested her as well! I was intimidated at this point. Police pushed people back roughly and barked commands to get on the sidewalk, as I looked up to see a pepper gun pointed right at my face. I complied and moved back. The women had done nothing other then not being able to move as fast as the police wanted.

At this point someone in the police ranks got a clue and the police formed a line and backed off. The violence had ended but questions remained in my mind. I could not help but wonder as I walked back up to where the march was staging and again heard the Christian Fundamentalists taunting the protesters why the police had not made them move farther away. It was obvious to any observer that the police could have prevented this incident had they only either blocked the Fundamentalist from the crowd by putting officers between the crowd and the Christians) or by making them move farther away. I reflected on the snickering officers in there riot gear before the incident and felt that they had enjoyed watching the demonstrators being taunted and harassed.

Well the march went on the puppets and the floats and the people started out. A large banner lead the way stating ‘procession for the future’ followed by drums a mach constitution, then code pink signing a familiar Christian him, and so on. I could not help but feel the irony in there song with the cry’s of intolerant fundamentalist still ringing in the background.

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Comments

Free speech isn't just for anarchists

August 26, 2008 by Anonymous, 1 year 12 weeks ago
Comment id: 506

I hope you have a strong sense of irony, because this article is full of it.

nonsense

August 26, 2008 by Anonymous, 1 year 12 weeks ago
Comment id: 512

what the hell is free speech?

Police conduct inappropriate

August 26, 2008 by Anonymous, 1 year 12 weeks ago
Comment id: 518

It is standard procedure for police to separate two antagonistic groups in order to prevent such conduct as occurred here.

The police are poorly trained. I hope those involved will follow up with a protest over inappropriate police conduct or, if necessary, a law suit.

irony

August 27, 2008 by phil, 1 year 12 weeks ago
Comment id: 530

I do have a strong sense of irony. Consider however that I did not advocate that the police silence the protest by the fundamentalists I advocated them protecting both groups by putting officers between the two groups to prevent trouble. These Fundamentalist came to cause trouble there intent was not speech but provocation. This is ok but when it happens people need to be protected. If the fundamentalist where white supremacists and the crowd black I bet the police would have formed a line between to two groups to keep the peace. The officers would not be snickering at the taints of the supremest comments either. The fact is how can we have the freedom to decent when the people who protect that right for us all do not act responsibly?

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