Subject: my arrest at the Port
Date: Tue, 23 May 2006 10:26:36 -0700 (PDT)

I got a call from a comrade to go down to the Port of Olympia yesterday
because Stryker convoys were making their way into our city. I sent out a
call to action on a few list serves, made a sign, and grabbed my
anarcho-syndicalist flag and headed down to the Port.

I walked around for quite some time between the observation tower and the
Port entrance but couldn't find anyone aside from one protester who was
just as lost as I was. I climbed on some higher ground and saw some
military vehicles already driving in the inside of the Port. I jogged over
to the entrance and stood there for only a few minutes. A few undercover
police cars and regular police cars drove by and then a convoy came out of
nowhere, speeding around the corner of Marine Drive. I let a few vehicles
pass and an image of the lone rebel standing in front of the row of tanks
at Tiananmen Square popped in my head. I felt that the only thing I could
do at the time was the same as him.

The convoy of 10 or so vehicles came to a halt. I stared down the soldiers
in the Stryker vehicle in front of me, saying nothing. I tried to imagine
what would happen if we were in Baghdad and I was an Iraqi. I imagined
what they would do then. I zigzagged around other vehicles in the convoy,
looking at the other vehicles and the soldiers. Most of the soldiers I saw
were faces of the modern military in the USA - Latinos, poor whites -
victims of the poverty draft no doubt.

A cop car pulled up and two police grabbed me, brought me to the sidewalk
and put me in cuffs. The convoy continued on its way and most of the
soldiers just stared at me. The cops brought me to the city jail and
booked me. One officer told me I had a right to protest, etc. but can't
interfere in the way that I did. (Just a note to people: if you ever find
yourself in a position like this, NEVER EVER GIVE INFORMATION TO POLICE.
The more you say, the more they know. Even if it's just "friendly chat",
it's really meant to extract information out of you. Of course, if you
don't give them your name or give them a false name you could find
yourself in more trouble.)

I was sent through pretty quick and was released. My arraignment is set
for next week. I made my way back to the Port and ran into several people
at the corner of Plum/East Bay Drive and Olympia Ave. Some folks from
OMJP, CISPES, IWW, Olympia SDS and others were present. I ran into four
people from Tacoma SDS too who came down to help. They all took part in
blocking of vehicles too but weren't arrested because they were crossing
crosswalks.

Police cars and undercover cars drove around the Port all day. Security
officials at the Port were filming the protesters. A few convoys made
their way through Olympia to the Port during the day and a number of
trucks with military supplies. By the evening I counted a total of at
least 50 shipping containers in the port and a few dozen vehicles. The
Port is expecting a total of 300 vehicles this week to be put on the ship
which will most likely arrive later this week. Some of the soldiers made
belligerent and chauvinistic remarks and expressions, especially to the
female protesters. Contrary to what The Olympian says, a total of 30
people or so throughout the day protested.

As dusk came, I realized the potential we as a community have to block
these convoys and disrupt the war machine. I knew that my actions only
slowed down the convoys momentarily but with enough people and enough
will, we can send them packing. I kept on thinking back to the community's
response to the Nazis coming to town in light of the community's response
to the military coming through our port. As individuals, Nazis can be a
threat but they pose no threat collectively to the balance of power in
this country. As bad as they are, they are not sending weapons and
armaments through our port to Iraq. They are not building detention
centers, prisons and internment camps across the USA. They are not
invading other countries, killing 100,000s in the process and destroying
their culture. As a community, we need to reevaluate our focus in the
social justice movement.

People will be down at the Port all day today, Tuesday, trying to throw a
wrench in the gears of the war machine. People's lives are on the line in
Iraq and we need to save them. An injury to one is an injury to all.


hope to see you at the port. folks will either be at the observation
tower, the entrance to the port or the corner of Plum/East Bay and
Olympia. Struggle on and listen to FRO 98.5 for updates.