U.S. Capitol Police arrested dozens of protesters who blocked Independence Avenue for short intervals during rush hour this morning, part of a demonstration intended to voice a broad list of complaints about global warming, war and sexism.
Demonstrators from an amalgam of organizations sat down in the road about 8:15 a.m. near Independence and New Jersey avenues, arms and legs intertwined, snarling the usual line of Monday morning commuters.
Police reopened the street after arresting 26 people, prying them apart and dragging them face down to the sidewalk, where they were searched, handcuffed and loaded onto a waiting bus.
But a few minutes later, another small wave of demonstrators stepped onto the asphalt and blocked traffic again. Police took an additional dozen people into custody and reopened the street within about 30 minutes. Demonstrations continued on sidewalks and green spaces nearby, but had shrunk considerably by 10 a.m.
The protest -- involving an estimated 200 people at its peak -- was part of a series of disruptions and demonstrations that have taken place since Friday, the first day of the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Earlier today, police arrested about a dozen people who were blocking the entrance of the Cannon House Office Building.
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Dear Organic Consumers & Polar Bear Protectors,
Dressed as a polar
bear I was incarcerated for lawfully demonstrating at the US Capitol at the No
War No Warming protests Monday, October 22. The No War No Warming Coalition is
a new group which includes the Organic Consumer Associaion and numerous anti-war
and environmental organizations. All the polar bears arrested are planning to
fight their charges on November 15 when we appear in DC Superior Court on
charges of unlawful assembly. The direct action of simply singing and dancing
is not a crime. Police shouldn't be so overbearing--just because it’s time to
step it up on ending war and global warming before its too late, is no excuse
for cracking down on the lone voices who a few years from now will be the ones
who got it right, just like the groups (I among them) who protested the war in
Iraq 6 months before it started. The war and global warming are totally
connected and the consequences are bearing down on us. Did you know the US
military annually uses more oil than the entire nation of Sweden? The so called
security we get from oil wars is a farce if the war's carbon emissions put us
under water twenty or thirty years from now. Now, I'm not saying we need solar
powered tanks! We need a huge shift away from the carbon economy and to a
renewable/sustainable model. This can't be done while fighting a war over
oil.
PAWMI, (Polar Bears Against Wars and Melting Ice) is looking for a
few good polar bears. We make the costumes ourselves in our own home based
sweat shops. We are growing as a 100% volunteer group and having a blast. We
are looking to write more songs and do fun activities after work so all you 9 to
5ers (me included) can participate. We want to do lots of direct actions over
the fall and winter in warm fake furry costumes. Not into it, but wait, See
PAWMI in action at http://hempaficionado.blogspot.com/
it’s really fun and no one will know its you. Want to do it now? then drop me
line at adam@mintwood.com
But read on please....
I was arrested
yesterday after rapping the following with my fellow Polar Bears. It is the
song we are going to perform at more actions.
We want answers!
We
got one chance here!
The world could be burning!
We've got to be
turning
to the solutions to war & pollution!
Phase out coal & oil
& gas!
Safe nuclear power? Clean coal? My ass!
Reduce and then recycle
and reuse!
Conservation first then renewable fuels!
Green jobs, good
health!
Spread the wealth!
Corporations down to size!
Let workers
rights rise!
Money for health care, not for war!
Tax the rich to help the
poor!
Homes not jails, books not bars!
Bikes not bombs! Clean fuel
cars!
Jobs in organic, wind & solar
help the poor while we're helping
the polar!
Jobs in solar, wind & organic
help the people while we're
helping the planet!
The police took lots of property from us, a tactic
used against activists time and time again to discourage effective protests. In
this case our effective PA system which made it possible for people to actually
hear what we had to say was taken along with the the following:
Item
Taken by USCP Cost/Value
One
Large Wagon (Red Metal and Wood trim).........$60
One 250 watt powered
speaker.................................$800
One
Microphone.......................................................$100
One
Pitch control CD Player..................................... $40
One 1500
watt mobile power battery and inverter.......$440
Approx 60 music
CDs............................................... $900
One Large Chrome
Courier Bag w Purple Fur............$120
Various XLR and RCA
Cables......................................$60
Approx 20 handmade paper
mache polar bear masks...$200
Approx 6 Handmade Polar bear
hoods..........................$90
Approx 4 pairs of handmade Polar bear
gloves..............$80
One Stainless Steel Thermos
.......................................$20
Two Stainless Steel Water
Bottles.................................$20
Two dozen Alpsnacks snack
bars................................. $50
TOTAL Value/Cost
basis..............................................$3,100
We are
fighting to get it back...
Future Washington, DC Actions Polar Bears will
be at.
October 31: Fair Trade Tick-Or-Treat (Trick-or-Fair-Trade) in
Adams Morgan
November 3: Step It Up
November 5: Power Shift on the
Hill
November 16-17: RAN--Day of Action Against Coal Finance
December 8:
International Demonstrations on Climate Change
January 31: Focus the
Nation
ONWARDS,
ADAM EIDINGER
Aka Polar
Bear "Iorek"
More Cool info at http://priceofoil.org/oilandstate/
