Some of the police would have been good recruits for the SS. They seemed to take a special joy in harassing the vigil.
I can get specific on that. For the most part they appeared professional enough, the JBS guy, the one with the blond buzz cut and dark glasses, and, yes, real jackboots, loved the attention and his role as a comic book villain. Professional as they were, they saw us as the enemy, the threat.
But one of them earned my sympathy. He seemed like a real honest Joe who was probably sold a bill of goods on why they were there. I would see him frequently, always say "Hi." and he would smile warmly. Other times when nobody noticed, he would look sad, distressed, and a couple times I saw his eyes red and tears welled up. I think of him often and wonder how he fared afterwards.
I was hoping you would. But I was hoping to hear of more kindness from the policemen. When we were kids, there was a clear understanding that the police were part of the community they served. Now they call us "subjects" and treat everyone as the enemy.