War protesters not too thrilled about their night in S.F. jail

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 3/22/03 | Henry Lee

[GSWarrior]

Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer Saturday, March 22, 2003

War protesters not too thrilled about their night in S.F. jail
They say police were rude, food and bedding inadequate

Anti-war protesters emerged tired, hungry and, in some cases, tearful Friday after being held overnight in a San Francisco jail.

They weren't exactly treated like royalty but said they would be willing to get arrested again.

Most of the 1,400 demonstrators arrested by police Thursday were cited and released either later in the day or Friday on misdemeanors, including blocking traffic, unlawful assembly and disturbing the peace.

Five people arrested on Thursday and one on Friday face felony charges, most of which involve battery on a police officer. They will be arraigned Tuesday.

"Our interest is to distinguish between those (who) practice civil disobedience and those intent on violence and destruction. The latter will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said Mark MacNamara, spokesman for District Attorney Terence Hallinan.

Among those facing felony charges is Asaf Achitoov, 34, of San Francisco, who allegedly threw bottles at police on horseback at Powell and Market streets, and Mink Kim, who grabbed another protester in a bear hug near Van Ness Avenue and Fell Street in an attempt to thwart an arrest of that man, police said.

Ian Walker, 39, of San Francisco was arrested for allegedly grabbing an officer's billy club near Fourth and Market streets, prompting police to hit him with batons.

Those who were released Friday whooped it up as they reunited with their friends outside San Francisco County Jail on Seventh Street. A group of women hugged and cried. Many declined to give their real names as they ate hot cereal and drank tea provided by supporters.

"I'm free -- no charges, no papers. Bonjour, mon ami!" exclaimed one man in a bright yellow sweatshirt.

Protesters were less pleased about how they had been forced to spend the night.

"We understand that we were not on vacation, but it was unacceptable the way we were treated," said a protester who gave her name as Pancetta, 24, of Berkeley.

Some protesters said a few officers and deputies were cordial and accommodating, flashing peace signs and responding to their requests quickly. The complaints, however, were more widespread.

Some arrestees said that their hands had been bound too tightly and that police had ignored their complaints.

Brian Henderson, 19, a UC Santa Cruz student, said police had used "scare tactics" on a protester who wouldn't give her name, including threatening to withhold bathroom privileges.

"That is not right," Henderson said.

Overnight, some protesters slept fitfully on the ground in small holding cells that housed 25 each. Others slept on mats with blankets in a gymnasium.

Some women were addressed by deputies as "little girl" or "hon," one protester said.

They griped that their requests for water or food were ignored or delayed for hours. When they did get fed, they got cheese or peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches that didn't taste great.

"They didn't give us any water at all," said a woman who wished to be identified as Venus, 23, of Berkeley. "One (deputy) looked at me and turned away, and another said, 'I just got on duty, I don't know about water.' "

Chris, 25, of Berkeley said their complaints were met by derision by deputies, who said, "This is what you get for protesting. Next time, don't protest."

Carolina Dolimite, 20, of Oakland said of the jail conditions, "Just because it's expected doesn't mean it's right."

Sheriff's spokeswoman Eileen Hirst said that those arrested had been processed and housed according to department policies and that anyone was free to file complaints.

[geedee]

Hehehe

[KneelBeforeZod]

liberals are idiots.

I was on another forum where a guy went into the argument about "if we care about liberation, why don't we do anything about____________"

So I asked him... if he thinks we are wrong for going into Iraq...which the UN opposes...

does he think we are right for not going into the countries he lists, which the UN doesn't even address?

Of course he didn't bother responding to either of my posts to him...although he kept fighting with everyone else.

[xm177e2]

Some women were addressed by deputies as "little girl" or "hon," one protester said.

"you chirping bird..."

[arthur003]

A group of American anti-war demonstrators who came to Iraq with Japanese human shield volunteers made it across the border today with 14 hours of uncensored video, all shot without Iraqi government minders present. Kenneth Joseph, a young American pastor with the Assyrian Church of the East, told UPI the trip "had shocked me back to reality." Some of the Iraqis he interviewed on camera "told me they would commit suicide if American bombing didn't start. They were willing to see their homes demolished to gain their freedom from Saddam's bloody tyranny. They convinced me that Saddam was a monster the likes of which the world had not seen since Stalin and Hitler. He and his sons are sick sadists. Their tales of slow torture and killing made me ill, such as people put in a huge shredder for plastic products, feet first so they could hear their screams as bodies got chewed up from foot to head."

[LauraJean]

I must really hate myself. I'm just about to fix lunch for myself and deciding if I wanted a cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Maybe the pb&j, white bread with the crusts nicely cut off and a glass of milk. yummy

[jetson]

I think spraying the protester terrorists with a good hosing of fish emulsion in the jail cells would shut their feeble little spoiled brat mouths. They definitly would'nt be hungry after that.

[Mark17]

War protesters not too thrilled about their night in S.F. jail

They should all be given the thrill of having a cell mate named Bubba.

[Don Corleone]

Red diaper Doper Babies says it all!

[AlaskaErik]

What a bunch of weenies.

I'd like to run them through USMC recruit training. They would really howl in misery.

As a former Marine, I take umbrage at your suggestion. They are not worthy and would only desecrate our hallowed grounds.

[LibKill]

As a former Marine, I take umbrage at your suggestion. They are not worthy and would only desecrate our hallowed grounds.

Sorry, you are completely right about the 'hallowed grounds'. I don't want them stinking up San Diego or Paris Island.

Maybe we could take them to some place else and let Gunny Ermee have a go at them.

[baldy]

Imagine how they would be treated in Iraq.

[Dan from Michigan]

It's called JAIL! It ain't the Hilton.

[CyberAnt]

Can you believe these people ...?? ROTFLOL

Having been a Deputy and worked in a jail setting, these people got more than they deserved. I don't care for the rude treatment - because it's wasted effort. But ... I do believe these people need to understand the police are not maids or butlers who are just there to wait on them hand and foot.

As for food - what about the budget for the SFPD to FEED 1500 people at a moment's notice - of course they never think about that. They're lucky they didn't get a plain piece of bread and a cup of water.

[Office Manager]

Dan, you're being rude and anti-1st Ammendment. If you have the courage to poop and puke on the streets of this country, you deserve the honor of the penthouse suite in the nicest downtown Hilton.

What's your problem? You don't like the protesters? You're just a Bush-loving, Saddam-hating, Communist!

(It's fun just to pretend to be one of them! Forgive me!)

[185JHP]

Wait'll they find out those mean old jailers shut down the Starbucks wing just before they got there...

[PhilDragoo]

Jailed protestors were raped and pushed through shredders--no, wait--that's what they were protesting for.

O the Peanut Butter!

[CARepubGal]

I think some of the Old Corps could handle business! The DI's are a bit busy training the recruits that WANT to be at PI & San Diego (Hollywood). :-) R Lee Ermey and friends could handle these misfit pukes quite easily without desecrating the homes of the Corps. :-)

[LibKill]

R Lee Ermey and friends could handle these misfit pukes quite easily without desecrating the homes of the Corps. :-)

Yeah Skippy! I'd love to be one of Gunny Ermey's junior Drill Instructors as we ran these pukes through some desert training.

[Dan from Michigan]

R Lee Ermey and friends could handle these misfit pukes quite easily without desecrating the homes of the Corps. :-)

Ermey to lefties - "You're so ugly, you're a modern art masterpiece!"

[Joe_October]

They had to drink TAP water. The horrors!

Well at least they kept their gym and internet pornography priviledges while in jail.

And they got to visit with their lawyer friends.