Peace activists complain about police

Wednesday, March 26, 2003

Peace activists complain about police
Licata organizes a round-table discussion; police won't attend

By CHRIS McGANN
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Peace activists told three City Council members yesterday that police intimidated and harassed them during the past week's permitted protests downtown.

Police changed the rules daily about what was allowed in the protest area on the plaza outside the Jackson Federal Building, protest organizers said. They blocked the sidewalks and did not allow people to return to the plaza to join the demonstrations. They ticketed passing motorists for honking in support of the protesters. They corralled protesters on the street, then accused them of blocking traffic.


		Meryl Schenker / P-I
	A protester is arrested on First Avenue during confrontations with Seattle police as she attempted to march in downtown Seattle during an anti-war rally Saturday.

And above all, organizers said hundreds of police in riot gear intimidated and stifled legal dissent.

"It's been like a military zone, a war zone out there," said K.L. Shannon who leads the civil-rights group the People's Coalition for Justice. "The police have been very nasty."

Police spokesman Duane Fish said in an interview that officials negotiated before the recent peace protests with organizers, including continued negotiations up until an hour before a peace march Saturday.

He added that any individual can contact the department's office of professional accountability to file a complaint against an officer.

The goal for police, he said, was to ensure that demonstrators had a permit for their march to ensure officers would be available and that disruptions to motorists and others be kept to a minimum.

Seattle police have arrested more than 40 people since the demonstrations began last week. All but one have been released on their own recognizance.

At the public forum yesterday, Alice Woldt, executive director of the Church Council of Greater Seattle, one of five sponsors of the weeklong peace vigil at the Federal Building, said the large police presence incited some while keeping others away.

"(The government) is scared of dissent -- and they're scared of crowds," she said.

City Councilman Nick Licata said he invited the organizers and protesters with complaints to a round-table discussion in the City Council chambers because of the overwhelming number of complaints he has received.

Licata said Seattle police officials declined an invitation to take part in discussions.

"I don't think they think that there is a problem," Licata said. "In their estimation, the problem is over. No one got hurt. Unfortunately, they don't see protesters as a legitimate constituency; that's what I fear, that they see them as a bother."

Fish, the police spokesman, said "on this particular issue, the decision was made between the chief (Gil Kerlikowske) and the Mayor's Office that we just weren't going to send a representative to this hearing."

Chris McGann can be reached at 206-448-8169 or chrismcgann@seattlepi.com Reporter Hector Castro contributed to this report.

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