[NYTr] Albuquerque Police Harrass Peaceful Protesters

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Albuquerque Journal via Michael Moore's website - Sep 15, 2007
http://www.abqjournal.com/news/metro/594937metro09-16-07.htm
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10233


Anti-War Rally Turns Testy

By Jeff Proctor
Albuquerque Journal

Anti-Iraq war demonstrators gathered Saturday at the gates of Kirtland
Air Force Base for what turned into one of the more contentious war
protests in Albuquerque during the past several years.

Between 150 and 200 people passed through the protest site at the
base's Truman Gate near the intersection of Gibson and San Mateo SE
from 11 a.m. to just after 1 p.m.

They carried signs saying: "Impeach Bush and Cheney!" "Bring the Troops
Home Now— No More Wars" and "We Are All Iraqis."

Several other cities across the nation held similar events on Saturday.

In Albuquerque, police and protesters engaged in several heated verbal
exchanges.

Demonstrators hollered at police to "get a real job" and "arrest some
real criminals." One protester yelled: "This is real patriotic,
hassling a bunch of old hippies."

One officer told a woman to "shave your armpits and call me later."
Another told a man to "take a bath."

Six APD officers marched their horses down a sidewalk packed with
people. Several vehicles bearing bumper stickers with anti-war slogans
were slapped with parking citations on an adjacent street where there
were no signs visible saying parking was prohibited. Two vehicles with
no stickers parked in the same area were not cited.

And a woman wearing a burqa— a garment worn by women in some Islamic
traditions for the purposes of covering the entire body— was asked by
police to remove it. After speaking to an APD sergeant, she was allowed
to put the garment back on.

Local activist Rob Chavez was the only person arrested, event organizer
Bob Anderson said.

"I don't know what the charges are, but I heard he kicked over one of
the little police barricades," Anderson said. "Right before that, the
police had gotten very provocative and pushy with him when he went over
to talk to them."

The atmosphere was markedly different from protests of similar size at
the same location the past few years. Many demonstrators said they felt
afraid and described an increased police presence; some of the 15 or so
police officers on hand seemed tense.

"The police came here with a definite different approach today,"
organizer Jeanne Pahls said. "It took us completely by surprise. We
spoke with the police beforehand, and the protests we have here are
always quiet and peaceful.

"The way (police) are treating people out here today amounts to
suppression of free speech. They want to intimidate folks into not
coming out in the future."

APD spokesman John Walsh confirmed the arrest. He also said a police
vehicle was "damaged by protesters."

Speaking to the charged vibe of the event, Walsh said: "Our officers
are held to the highest standards. If there is a problem, we have a
component within our department to handle that, which is Internal
Affairs of the supervisors on scene."

The demonstration was part of a nationwide protest asking the military
to "stand down" following Gen. David Petraeus' report to Congress, in
which he recommended U.S. troop levels remain roughly the same in Iraq
until next summer.

Also on Saturday, Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., was the featured speaker
at a Welcome Home Warrior Citizens Event at the New Mexico Veterans
Memorial Park on Louisiana SE.

"As a community, New Mexico welcomes you home," Wilson told a crowd of
about 100 returning National Guard reservists and their family members.
"We're glad you're back."