Not surprisingly, there were more police than demonstrators. Protesters were not allowed to park near the detention center. In fact, the police blocked off all entrances to parking areas near the prison, but for the lot at the post office. The police designated a park as the area for the vehicles of the activists. That meant demonstrators would have to walk about a mile to get to the detention center. There were few sidewalks, so most of the marching in the slush took place on the highway or on the berm.

When I parked in the post office lot, a police officer yelled at me to move my car. I told him I had a right to go into the post office and he could not stop me. When I asked him if he took an oath to uphold the Constitution, he replied affirmatively. I indicated that means he should be upholding the First Amendment rather than making arbitrary decisions as to who is not allowed to park in particular areas. He shrugged and left as I entered the post office to buy stamps.

Many of the gendarmes were in riot gear, and men with guns were on the roof of the detention center. All entrances to the prison were patrolled by police, and a barbed-wire fence encircled the entire jail. There was a large immigration bus with bars on the window that was to be used should arrests occur. Inside the designated protest area, you were required to go through a search and not permitted to carry any bags or purses.

After observing the situation at the detention center, I drove off to find the Caterpillar Plant. Soon after I was pulled over by the police as I entered a mall parking lot. Unlike my earlier encounter, this police officer was courteous as he asked for my identification. However, I explained he had no right to pull me over, as I broke no laws. He indicated he received a call that I was acting suspiciously. I responded I was looking for a parking space and that I refused to park in a “designated area” about a mile from the detention center.

He explained that they had “intelligence” that skinheads were going to disrupt the protest. I suspect the “intelligence” was simply a cover to establish a fearsome police presence to intimidate those who might be inclined to exercise First Amendment rights. I offered my opinion that there would be no disruptions and that they should consider going home and spending time with their families. I eventually showed him my Goucher College ID. He gave it a cursory glance, and then left me in peace.

I drove over to Borders Bookstore to seek directions to the Caterpillar Plant, and an employee was gracious enough to assist me. In the bookstore, I spoke with an activist from York who gave up on the protest because of the parking difficulties. He told me that the police got very vulgar when another protester tried to park outside the post office.

Eventually, I parked surreptitiously in an automobile dealer’s parking lot some distance from Caterpillar. Again the police were patrolling the business areas to prevent any “suspicious” vehicles from daring to park near the plant. After marching through the snow, I tried to join the protest outside a locked gate at the Caterpillar Plant. I was told I could not be there with a shoulder bag and would have to stand, according to the permit, 100 yards away. So I trekked down the highway, again no sidewalks, to wave my War Is Not the Answer sign as traffic roared by.

Now an officer who indicated he was in charge came over and said I could not be there, despite my explanation that another officer told me what to do. I explained I have been to thousands of protests and was always able to carry a shoulder bag. He agreed with me that he had been around the block a few times, but that September 11 changed everything. He was not impressed that in Maryland there has not been one act of terrorism since 9/11. Finally, he asked if I would trust him with my bag. I agreed and my bag was placed on a police vehicle. After being frisked, I joined twenty others outside the Caterpillar gate. The entire plant was also encircled by barbed wire, there were men with guns on the roof, a security person videotaped us and another immigration bus was available to hold anyone deemed an “illegal.”

We now live under Ashcroft’s jurisdiction, where some dissent may be allowed within limits established by those in charge. I could not help but think that many of the police probably had family members who fought against fascism in World War II. Yet the police acquiesced in exerting unnecessary control over a modest protest, while protecting a prison holding people, in some cases, who were denied due process and a company that places profits over human life. The police strategy would be to claim that some infringement of rights is necessary, along with a heavy presence, to protect the protesters.

The criminalization of dissent is worsening, as police departments are getting federal dollars to be on the alert against “terrorists.” On the alert means to monitor and control peace and justice activities. In these troubled times, we must vigorously demand our basic rights and not allow police intimidation to deter us from speaking out on behalf of human rights.