Boston Police Crack Down on Walking, Looking, and Stopping

By Beth Henry

Editor’s note: Axis of Logic participated in and covered the ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and Racism) march on the DNC in Boston on July 25, 2004. See Axis of Logic’s comprehensive report, with interviews and full audio-visual coverage.

"LET HIM GO! LET HIM GO! LET HIM GO! LET HIM GO!"

"Why did they grab him?"

"I have no idea."

In all fairness, the line of BPD officers who stood between us and the man who had been pulled out of the July 25 march in Boston displayed remarkable poise. About twenty of us, separated from them by a chest-high barricade, chanted "LET HIM GO!" and demanded an explanation for the young man’s detention.

Finally, one them said we would have to wait for the officer who had detained him to find out what his offense was, saying he didn’t know, either, and adding, "We’re just soldiers."

As it became obvious that no explanation was forthcoming, we joined the march again. By the time we returned to Boston Common, the word was out among all the protesters that someone had been detained. A bit later, we were all relieved to find that he had been released with no charges.

So why did they nab him in the first place?

Basically, Vijay Shah, of Cambridge, told us later, he was detained for "walking, looking, and stopping."

He had heard that security was going to be really tight, and wanted to check out the infamous "pen" built for protesters in the security zone in front of the Fleet Center. He was not familiar with the area, and began to walk toward Tobin Bridge, then stopped to listen when he came upon Amy Goodman interviewing someone.

That was when the police took him into custody.

They explained that he had "raised their suspicions" with his inquisitive behavior.

In describing their treatment of him, he said that they did not threaten him with any physical harm, describing their behavior as sort of a "good cop/bad cop" routine. "You seem like a good guy, we want to help you, we don’t want to be here, either..." There was a clear message, however,that he was expected to "cooperate," and that the consequences would become more and more serious if he didn’t. He was in detention, they said, because he hadn’t cooperated immediately. If you had cooperated, they told him, you wouldn’t be here.

I did not find out exactly how it was that he had not initially "cooperated" with the police. I do know that if I were just walking down the street, looking, and stopping, I would certainly not be amenable to giving an accounting of my actions to the police. I would not even be inclined to give them my name, unless they could first tell me what had sparked their interest in me. But then, being a middle-aged white woman, it is highly unlikely that they would show any interest in me, even in the "hard zone" established to shield those doing the people’s business from the people themselves.

As we marched past the iron mesh "pen" designed to contain all the free speech in Boston during the convention, we chanted "Show me what fascism looks like!" "This is what fascism looks like!"

Yes. This is what fascism looks like.

Steel fences and barricades, razor wire, and surveillance helicopters, protecting the government from the scrutiny and voices of the people. Police cracking down on "suspicious behavior," detaining people for "walking, looking, and stopping."

A "war on terror," waged against the people, by the rulers of the people, who find nothing more terrifying than the voices of the people.

This is what fascism is.

Beth Henry lives near the Texas Gulf Coast with her husband and two children. She is an Axis of Logic Founding Member and Contributing Editor. She has worked as a technical writer and security analyst for NASA contractors, and but now has a much more pleasant job at a bookstore that sells and donates used books. She does not hate neo-conservatives; she just feels better when they’re not in charge.

http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_10487.shtml