PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Pittsburgh Against the War Arrest
by gwen Sunday, Mar. 25, 2007 at 1:51 AM

PIctures of the March 24, 2007 Pittsburgh Against the War protest. This is part 2 of a series, the arrest of a man for disorderly conduct.

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This man was disrupting the first rally by loudly preaching the bible, and proclaiming that everyone was lying, including the speakers. Many left him alone, though a few tried to talk him down; but he remained angry.

Eventually the police came in to talk to him, creating more of a disturbance from the heated discussions. He was issued a citation for disorderly conduct at this juncture.

He stepped up on the ledge to preach some more, at which point officers were heard to say, "This looks like disorderly conduct to me, should we arrest him?" and "Yes, I'll arrest him for disorderly conduct."

He was then taken down and put in handcuffs. One of the rabbis then asked one of the officers to release him after getting him to the station, but it is unknown if that is what happened.

The arrest caused a standoff between the police and the marchers at the start of the march for a few minutes, but this ended when the man was taken away from the scene.

Arguing with the Veterans
by gwen Sunday, Mar. 25, 2007 at 1:51 AM

protest_03-24-2007_-_15.jpg, image/jpeg, 1200x798

Arguing with the Police
by gwen Sunday, Mar. 25, 2007 at 1:51 AM

protest_03-24-2007_-_16.jpg, image/jpeg, 1200x798

Preaching from on high
by gwen Sunday, Mar. 25, 2007 at 1:51 AM

protest_03-24-2007_-_18.jpg, image/jpeg, 1200x798

Being arrested
by gwen Sunday, Mar. 25, 2007 at 1:51 AM

protest_03-24-2007_-_21.jpg, image/jpeg, 798x1200

Being arrested
by gwen Sunday, Mar. 25, 2007 at 1:51 AM

protest_03-24-2007_-_22.jpg, image/jpeg, 1200x798

Being arrested
by gwen Sunday, Mar. 25, 2007 at 1:51 AM

protest_03-24-2007_-_23.jpg, image/jpeg, 798x1200

AWC Asks for Arrest
by ANON Monday, Mar. 26, 2007 at 3:02 AM

it's also worth noting that the AWC asked police to arrest this person. Apparently the dozens of police marshals that they had recruited stop protesters from confronting either military recruitment center along the march route couldn't contain this one person.

Curious
by Lardlad Monday, Mar. 26, 2007 at 5:01 PM

I have been wondering ever since that day what he was saying. Maybe they should have given him the mic. I tried to make my over to him but by that time he was taken away.

The AWC didn't ask the police to arrest him
by Pete Shell Tuesday, Mar. 27, 2007 at 2:02 AM

I am one of the AWC organizers of the march, and coordinated the peace guides. I was among the many organizers who tried to talk down the person who got arrested. We weren't able to talk him down. I talked with several other organizers, and none of us asked the police to arrest him.

Two of the organizers did ask the police to keep an eye on this person because he was disrupting the rally and it appeared that he was trying to take the mic. The police also tried to calm him down. I wasn't there when they arrested him but I was told by eyewitnesses and an ACLU legal observer that they eventually arrested him for disorderly conduct.

To anon: who are you? You claimed that an AWC organizer asked the police to arrest him but you didn't say who.

arrest request?
by gwen Wednesday, Mar. 28, 2007 at 2:57 PM

I saw the organizers talking to the police before the arrest, asking that they only keep an eye on him, don't actually do anything. Of course, the poilce just swarmed in on him, much to their chagrin.

After the arrest, they asked that he be let go at the station, not detained.

I witnessed both requests, since I was standing right there (hence these photos).

what he was saying
by gwen Wednesday, Mar. 28, 2007 at 3:00 PM

He was carrying a bible, and pointing to it while telling everyone that everyone was lying. There was a man baiting him near the front, though I was not clear on what that man was saying (someone told me later this was a pro-war Republican inciting him). I do know that the guy who was arrested was claiming that everyone speaking was lying, and anyone talking to him was lying. Even when he was asked to clarify how everyone was lying, he would only say that everything was lies and would loosely quote some bible passages.

photos
by mark Thursday, Mar. 29, 2007 at 5:16 AM

good coverage of the truth