SMEDLEY D. BUTLER BRIGADE OF VFP: ACTIONS IN SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT OF "OCCUPY BOSTON" ON LATE MONDAY EVENING 10/10/11 & EARLY TUESDAY MORNING
At our monthly meeting last night, new VFP member and committed Occupy Boston occupier Rachel O'Neill came to give a report on that wonderful protest encampment of the past 10 days. She was delayed, so Smedleys discussed and planned an action for Wednesday afternoon in support of Occupy Boston. We decided to rendezvous behind South Station and march over to Dewey Square with all of our VFP flags and 10-20 pizzas to donate to the People. (A collection was taken for this purpose.)
However, about 7:30 p.m., after Rachel arrived but before she could speak, someone got a message on their cell phone that the Boston Police were planning to shut down the protest tonight; so we voted to stop the meeting, continue it later if needed, and go to Dewey Square to offer our support in the crisis of the moment. Pat called his wife in Andover to ask that she bring all the Smedley flags to the site, and she did; they arrived about 8:00 p.m. Some Smedley's car-pooled and others took the subway to the protest.
Members present, as far as I can remember (and not in alphabetical order) were: Pat Scanlon, Rachel McNeill, Bill Ashton, Jesse Perrier, Kathleen Hacker, Susan Somersby, Bob Funke, Lara Hoke, John Niles, David Fillingham, recent member David from Somerville who, I'm afraid got arrested, Winston Warfield, Henry Deeks, Bob Bowes, David Spinney and Bob Cable. (Apologies to anyone whom I have forgotten to list.)
When we arrived, the scene was calm in action but excited in feeling, and there was hardly any police presence. From our arrival at 8 PM until 11 PM some of us listened to the tail end of the nightly (7PM) "General Assembly." Others went off to get dinner for a while. At 10:00 p.m. another, "Defense" assembly was held because information kept coming in (to some people in the great mass, at least) that the police did indeed plan to evacuate the park at 11:30 p.m. of midnight. We were also told that electricity would be shut off.
The protest has/had actually overflowed Dewey Square and occupied another, similar park a block east of Dewey. This encampment evidently had not gotten any permissions,
so the police were expected to start there. At 11 PM we Smedleys went there; and we socialized with the protesters (who were very glad of our presence) as we held our flags in a row beside the street. Two media trucks were parked a stone's throw away. Two or three video cameras were photographing the park from across the street. A Globe reporter with 2-3 cameras over his shoulder was chatting behind us--but he didn't speak to us.
The story in the Globe this morning, which begins with a small picture and a short column in the lower right hand corner of page B1 and continues for about 1/3 of a page on B13 does not mention the VFP presence, which was prominent. We had at least a dozen members, carrying 8-10 of our flags on masts that raised them very visibly into the air. We stood along the street, facing "media" cameras for an hour. A number of young people took pictures of us and talked to us. We signed up a new member, Lyndon Hudson. We marched twice around the whole encampment as "H" Hour neared, eliciting many high fives and cheers. Finally, as agreed, we stood across the path that leads into the park, between the police and the protesters, as they finally moved in (at 1:20 a.m. according to the Globe) to evacuate the park. But they had started appearing half an hour earlier. They did not rush the shut-down.
We had linked arms across the path leading into the park, with big Henry Deeks on the far left, then me, then a husky young vet whose name I never got. Pat and Rachel were toward the middle. Rachel loudly and continuously led a chant of the Oath (I do solemly swear to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies foreign and domestic; but she alternated it with "We have a permit. It's called the Constitution" and also "This is a peaceful demonstration." When she momentarily tired, others continued the chants, but she would always resume.
The police, however, seemed unimpressed. After a 2-minute warning to us, followed by a 30-minute warning, a burly line of Boston police advanced against our line of Smedleys. They "made contact" without a word. I was prepared to be arrested, as I think the others were; but I never heard the words "You are under arrest," or anything like it. A police officer in his 30s and about half again as big as I was walked right up to me and pushed me over--not pushed me back, but pushed me over. I fell onto the pavement of the path and rolled against some kind of stanchion. Protesters immediately began asking me if I was all right and if I needed medical attention; and they helped me to my feet. I hobbled over to the side after rescuing my fallen flag and then sat out the rest of the action. My back muscles were strained so I couldn't stand very long, so I went across the street and sat down to watch; but all I could see was the protesters exiting the park and the police standing on the periphery of the park (above the sidewalk) in a long standoff.
At about 2 AM, as I limped back to South Station (which was closed at midnight and with the entrance blocked by four police) to get a taxi, I noticed "refugee" occupiers of the 2nd park slowly walking back to Dewey Square, where those occupiers had also lined the edge of the park, in a sitting position, and waiting for "the bulls."
That's all that I can report about last night's event. I hope it is helpful.
Yours for peace, justice and A Better Way (than we currently have),
Bob Cable
Associate Member, VFP