Reportback from Unpermitted March : Pittsburgh Indymedia

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Reportback from Unpermitted March
by ARA Pittsburgh and Columbus, RAG Monday, Mar. 03, 2003 at 1:02 AM
aracolumbus@antiracistaction.us

Reportback on March 1st Anti-War Demonstration - Pittsburgh, PA

Reportback on March 1st Anti-War Demonstration - Pittsburgh, PA
By Assorted Members of Pittsburgh ARA, Columbus ARA, and Roots Action Group

The breakaway march ended when the police dispersed without any violence or property destruction.

Today's anti-war demonstration in Pittsburgh started with a permitted rally at the University of Pittsburgh campus. The rally, which was about 500 hundred people strong, featured a diversity of speakers. They included Molly Rush of the Thomas Merton Center and Bridge Colvin from the Pittsburgh Organizing Group (POG), as well as Sanford Kelson, a representative from the Veterans for Peace. Bridget encouraged people to join the scheduled breakaway march, describing the Pittsburgh Police's ridiculous permit policy which states a permit must be applied for 45 days in advance. She said people would be making a strong statement if they marched without a permit against the war. After Bridget finished speaking, people got ready to march.

The Drum Corps started up and led the marchers to the corner of Bigelow and 5th, where we took to the streets. Activists on bicycles acted as scouts for the march, riding around watching police movements and taking note of people who looked out of place within the march. They also helped advise people in the front about the speed of the march.

A decision was made to march to the Petersen Events Center on the University of Pittsburgh campus, where a basketball game was in process. The idea was that this location would enable mass exposure of the anti-war movement and anti-war ideas to the people of Pittsburgh.

When we arrived at the Center, we encountered several pro-war people who screamed obscenities at us, while others called us traitors and told us to go get jobs. At the same time, there were a lot of people who were happy to see us, and were very much against any war in Iraq. One notable example was a presence of SEIU labor organizers who are currently trying to organize at the university, and were there handing out informational leaflets about the union. They were very excited to see us, and there was great solidarity between the marchers and the union members.

The march to the Petersen Events Center was the first time that we marched into oncoming traffic. It was also the first time that the police attempted to block the march. The police first tried to clear one lane of traffic. Then two cops on foot, with several squad cars directly behind them, walked through the crowd with riot batons out, trying to corral people onto one side of the street. Marchers filled the gap between the cops on foot and the squad cards, and kept marching in the entire width of the street.

During this time, police targeted one member of POG. When they attempted to arrest him, other members of the march thwarted the police action. The police tackled him, but other people came to his aid, pulling him up, and quickly returning him to the crowd so he could blend back in. When the march attempted to turn left on 5th Avenue, the cops escalated their response to the march. The front of the march became a shoving match between the police and protestors. The cops attempted to grab another marcher, a member of Pittsburgh ARA and Roots Action Group, but were rebuffed again. The police were also pushing people holding the banners away from the street. This all resulted in a short standoff, with more marchers gathering behind the two banners facing the police line. The cops offered the bus line for the march, but everyone refused and continued to Forbes, turning left and continuing the breakaway march.

On the way away from the Petersen Events Center on Daruagh, marchers remained in the oncoming traffic lane, lifting their banner over the cars, keeping the lane available for the march. One motorist grabbed the banner and tried to rip it away from the marchers. He accused marchers of scratching his car. Later, when the march returned to Forbes Avenue, this driver joined the march to find the people who he thought were responsible. He confronted one person who had the banner in her bag, putting his hands on her and pushing her around, trying to take her bag. He also spoke to the police, pointing out other people he felt were responsible. Eventually, he left the march when the marchers were alerted to his presence, and began to watch him and follow him to avoid any problems he may have wanted to cause.

The march then continued down Forbes, turning left on Bigelow, passing the Pitt Student Union. The activists then made a right on 5th Avenue, planning to march to the Software Engineering Institute (SEI). The SEI creates software for the Defense Department which is used in weapons of mass destruction, and thus a very real example of the military industrial complex in our own communities. The cops drove up on the left very quickly, hitting people with their cars, all in an attempt to clear the street. The march continued one block, turning right on Bellfield through heavy traffic. The marches were weaving between 3 lanes of traffic packed with cards. Some marchers attempted to turn left on a side street to get to the SEI, but not enough of the march followed. Somehow, the decision was made to return to the sidewalk and walk through the Pitt campus to the Cathedral of Learning. At this point, some of the march dispersed, including some members of POG who had organized the action.

At the cathedral, the Drum Corps continued playing while people were trying to decide what to do. After some discussion, it was obvious that people wanted to continue with the march, so everyone went back into the street and continued to march towards the SEI building. At this point, the breakaway march only had about 50 participants. The police became more aggressive, bringing out a paddy wagon, pulling their batons out menacingly, and once again using their cars to push people out of the street. The police were able to get everyone back on the sidewalk. At this point, a decision was made to stay on the sidewalk and obey the traffic signals. The march was still successful in blocking traffic, as the police walked in oncoming traffic while following marchers to the SEI. We turned left up Craig Street, went all the way to 5th Avenue, and turned left. We arrived at the SEI, and stood outside the building, chanting. The marchers then decided to cross the street and stand on the steps of the St. Paul church. .
The police formed a line in the middle of the street facing the protestors, accusing the marchers of blocking traffic when they were the ones really doing so. People were chanting, "What's the solution? People's Revolution! What's the reaction? DIRECT ACTION!" People also began to taunt the police about blocking traffic and their aggressive tactics. Marchers chanted at police "Dance, dance! We want to see the po-lice dance!" and "Move po-po! Get out the way, get out the way! Pigs, get out the way!" A woman on a bicycle, who had acted as a scout throughout the entire day, confronted the police about their batons and attempts at intimidation. They told her the marchers could not block traffic, to which she replied that at that point, it was only them, not the protestors, who were blocking traffic. She said they should disperse, and was told to get out of the street. She repeated that it was them blocking traffic, and also that she was on a bike, and was supposed to be in the street, not the sidewalk. At this point, the cops started putting their batons away and the commanding officer came down the line and said to wrap things up. All of the police got back into their cars and left the area. We were victorious in our dance-off with police, seeing as the protestors were the only ones remaining outside of the SEI.
Most people dispersed at this point, but some people decided to continue marching, and planned on returning to the area around the Petersen Events Center.

PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center