LSA Senior Zachary Schulman intended to spend last weekend participating in political demonstrations, but spent the night in a Washington jail using his shoe insoles for a pillow.
RC senior Paul Kuttner planned to protest most of the weekend, but was only able to march for 30 minutes before being arrested. He then spent 33 hours handcuffed with plastic ties on the floor of a gymnasium.
RC junior Mike Swiryn surprised his mother when she discovered a photo of him in the New York Times wearing the Winnie the Pooh boxers she bought for him.
All participated in a number of protests and demonstrations held in Washington last weekend coinciding with meetings of officials of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
In recent years, meetings of the above groups have been met by protestors who claim the organizations have advanced capitalism at the expense of working conditions, human rights and the environment.
“In essence we had two different demonstrations,” said Sargent Joe Gentile of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department. Gentile said some organizers had planned peaceful protests and had obtained the proper permits and others were planning to cripple the city.
“For weeks a group had been vowing to shut down the city. That is against the law and that endangers the citizens we are sworn to protect,” Gentile said.
Swiryn participated in a protest of sweatshop labor at a Gap clothing store in Georgetown Friday. On Saturday, he marched down 15th Avenue to the World Bank with a large group of demonstrators.
“We ended up winning and the cops retreated … it was more of a moral victory,” said Swiryn, who added the group attempted to disrupt the conference for several hours.”I think alternative forms of development are not only possible but crucial.”
Schulman and Kuttner were participating in a march that Gentile said police were targeting. Gentile said some protestors arrested Friday were charged with failure to obey, some with obstructing traffic.
“I was arrested before 8 a.m. on Friday,” Schulman said. He had marched for less than half an hour when the group was met by lines of police.
“We made it two blocks, maybe,” said Kuttner.
“I was going because I fundamentally oppose the policies and structure of the World Bank, the IMF and the World Trade Organization,” Schulman said. “I was there to let as many people know how these things affect people’s lives.”
After police closed in on the group, Schulman said he and Kuttner were placed in plastic flexi-cuffs and put on a city bus with 43 other people.
“It was hot and stuffy and people’s hands were turning purple,” said Kuttner. “Part of my thumb is still numb.”
The bus was taken to the police academy in southwest Washington where they were searched, photographed and finger printed.
“It was the slowest and least effective process I’ve seen in my life,” Kuttner said.
Schulman said they were the second of 10 busses to arrive at the police academy. After processing, he says they were handcuffed with their right hand to their left ankle and placed inside a gym. Police said they arrested 649 demonstrators Friday. Schulman, who said he insisted he wanted to see a lawyer and refused the opportunity to pay a fine and be released, was transferred to a city jail Friday night.
“It was a steel plate that had nothing. All I had was the clothes on my back and my shoes,” he said.
After traveling to a courthouse, the protestors met with lawyers from the National Lawyers Guild, the People’s Law Collective and the Georgetown Law clinic.
Schulman said he asked for a trial because he thought his civil rights were violated. Schulman has a court date set for Nov. 8.
“A lot of cases were totally dismissed because the paperwork was screwed up,” Schulman said.
“Since Sept. 11 and Seattle, police have been cracking down,” said Kuttner, referring to 1999 riots during World Trade Organization meetings. “It’s more important to get out there and shout.”