'The San Francisco Examiner' vom Freitag, 21.3.: 'Anarchy'

verfasst von Digedag, 26.03.2003, 00:28

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Publication date: 03/21/2003

'Anarchy': City's wave of protests

BY J.K. DINEEN
Of The Examiner Staff

An unprecedented day of social unrest brought business grinding to a halt in much of The City Thursday as tens of thousands of antiwar demonstrators blocked intersections and clashed with a police force that at times seemed overwhelmed.

By 8 p.m. cops had made more than 1,100 arrests and Muni buses continued to cart hundreds of cops in riot gear from one hot spot to the next as roving bands of protesters clashed with police from Union Square to the entrance to Sixth Street.

At an emergency press conference at the Office of Emergency Services Thursday night, Assistant Chief Alex Fagan said,"These people want to shut The City down and we won't allow it."

"What we saw today was a ratcheting up of demonstration from largely peaceful protest to absolute anarchy," Fagan said.

The antiwar actions began shortly after 6 a.m. as protesters filled intersections with newspaper boxes, discarded furniture, city garbage bins, and bales of hay, some of which were then lit on fire.

Just after 7 a.m., J.P. Ross of Oakland joined dozens of protesters blocking the entrance to the TransAmerica building, their arms stuffed into steal tubes to make arrest harder.

"We're here today to shut the Carlyle Group down," said Ross, referring to a consulting company with close ties to President Bush.

Nearby at Sansome and Market, three bearded men sat on overturned city trash bins as antiwar organizers brought them small bananas and shots of espresso. A white Ford Bronco slammed into a newspaper box, plowing it until sparks flew against the concrete.

A block away another group blocked an intersection and clashed with firefighters who were responding to a gas leak that turned out to be a false alarm.

"This could have been a medical emergency," screamed one firefighter."You might as well put a gun to somebody's head."

By 8 a.m. police began arresting protesters who had blocked off all entrances of the Bechtel building at 50 Beale Street, as hundreds of workers waited for police to clear the entrance.

Protester Judith Howell, 61, said she would continue to protest Bechtel, an engineering and construction company with many defense department contracts, including one to rebuild Iraq after the war.

"They are an example of murderous greed that is hard to match," said Howell.

Sister Bernie Galvin, also arrested there, said she'd be back.

"Absolutely, day after day," she said.

Nearby, lunch-truck operator Doug Wilson was stuck amid the protesters and cops, unable to make it to his next stops.

"This is a mess," said Wilson."These guys got a right to protest but I got to feed my family with what I make here. Whatever don't get sold today gets thrown away. I can't sell someone an old sandwich."

After noon, tensions flared up and down Market Street as cops clashed over and over again with mostly young activists blocking traffic. At one point a cop on a radio said,"We're doing very badly, we're out of wagons."

While the vast majority of activists either followed police instructions to clear the streets or were peacefully arrested, some battered cops with chains, bottles and rocks. Two police officers suffered minor injuries, Fagan said.

At Seventh and Market, protesters went after pro-war art student Christopher Courter, who was perched on his van with a"Go War" poster. A man ripped it out of his hand, upsetting the majority of protesters who insisted he give the now-crumpled poster back.

"They want peace but they bring this here," said Courter.

Nearby a crew of brick masons clashed with protesters after some of the activists crossed over into an area roped off for working. One mason grabbed a metal level and cracked protester Nelson Comerci over the head with it.

"He could have killed me," said Comerci, threatening to sue the mason.

Shortly after, the smaller bands of more militant activists merged with a giant group that held a noontime rally at Civic Center Plaza. At least 5,000 strong, the group then marched up Van Ness, to the approval of many drivers stuck in traffic.

"This is going really, really well -- everyone is so sympathetic," said Jack Casford, a nattily dressed 75-year-old former human-rights commissioner."I may look like a square, but I'm really a warrior."

By 7 p.m., as news came that 16 U.S. Marines were lost after a helicopter was shot down, thousands of activists continued to spread across The City, blocking an on-ramp to the Bay Bridge and facing off with cops at Union Square.

Fagan -- and many of the protesters -- said the police should be commended for handling the chaos with restraint.

"The City is functioning," he said."I just hope tomorrow is better."

The Examiner's Adriel Hampton contributed to this report.

<ul> ~ http://www.examiner.com/news/default.jsp?story=n.protestmain.0321w</ul>

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gesamter Thread:

• Besänftigen der nicht mehr schweigenden Mehrheit - Emerald, 25.03.2003, 21:05
  • Re: Besänftigen der nicht mehr schweigenden Mehrheit - Hallo Emerald - Jacques, 25.03.2003, 21:17
    • ....und - Praxedis, 25.03.2003, 21:24
      • Re:....und - Jacques, 25.03.2003, 21:34
      • Re:....und - rodex, 25.03.2003, 22:00
        • In San Francisco flattert die Trikolore - Praxedis, 25.03.2003, 23:01
          • San Francisco Cronicle: 'WAR ON IRAQ: The Home Front' - Digedag, 25.03.2003, 23:46
            • und noch ein bemerkenswerter Kommentar daselbst: 'In Praise of the Protesters' - Digedag, 25.03.2003, 23:56
          • und die etwas andere Sicht auf das gleiche Bild: 'The San Francisco Examiner' - Digedag, 26.03.2003, 00:10
            • 'The San Francisco Examiner' vom Freitag, 21.3.: 'Anarchy' - Digedag, 26.03.2003, 00:28
    • Re: Besänftigen der nicht mehr schweigenden Mehrheit - und schon wieder,,,, - Jacques, 26.03.2003, 21:33
      • Re: Besänftigen der nicht mehr schweigenden Mehrheit - und schon wieder,,,, - Euklid, 27.03.2003, 08:28