For those of you who don't know, I had a "fun" day yesterday working the polls for Kucinich -- I got arrested!

Booked, fingerprinted etc. -- rides in paddy wagons, handcuffs -- unbelievable.

Here's what happened:

I had a polling place at Chase House in Baltimore. It is a big high-rise apartment bldg -- I think seniors only at Cathedral St. and Chase St..

Dennis [Livingstone] and I arrived early around 7:30 am to post Kucinich signs. As we were putting a sign in the ground by the sidewalk, a staff/management person from Chase House came out and said we couldn't post any signs. (We of course placed them outside the designated "no electioneering point.”) She said the sidewalks belonged to Chase House. We informed her it was just for a day and anyhow the sidewalks were owned by Baltimore City not Chase House. Dennis leaves and I stay to hand out literature.

I and a Green Party member were handing out literature when a cop car comes up, parks and out hops an officer who comes over to us and says: “Why are you picketing?" We say "huh? -- we are handing out campaign literature". He goes to talk to the Chase House staffer and then into the polling place. He's gone for a while -- The Green Party person leaves as her shift was up and so it was only me handing out literature. Clearly the Chase House staffer called the police.

When the cop comes out of the polling place, he comes over to me and says: "you are illegal.” I say : "how come? I'm outside of the posted election signs?" He says "you have to be 100 feet from a polling entrance and therefore you are illegal.”

I say, "well I’m going by what is posted -- if you think that the signs are incorrect and want to move them then I will move also." He gets cranky but moves the sign to Timbuktu (easily more than 100 ft). I move to the other side which is a bit closer to the entrance to the poll. I tell him I feel harassed by him and that I want his badge number and name. He gives it to me -- and then his buddy jumps out of the police car and says: "I want to see your identification." I say: “Why?” He says: “Because I want to see it." (Where are we? South Africa -- I didn't say this I was only thinking this).

I say: “Am I under arrest?’ He says: "No."

I say: “Am I free to leave?” He says: "Yes." At that point I take a few steps back and start back to handing out campaign literature. At that point he says: "That's it you are under arrest!" I said: "For what? He says: "for not obeying an order?" I say: "What order?” He replies: "when I told you you were free to leave you did not go!!!!!! And you are loitering!! You can't stand still in one spot, you have to keep moving.” I got his name and badge.

Next thing I know -- 6 of Baltimore's finest (1 a woman to "pat me down") have handcuffed me and put me in a paddy wagon taking me to the detention center. The woman officer was nice enough to go across the street to the Waxter Center to tell the Kucinich worker there I had been arrested and to call Dennis and Rob.

At the Detention center, still in handcuffs I watched as the arresting cop makes out a report -- his buddies were helping him -- they had to explain to him what campaigning is: "Geez you know campaigning is like: holding a Dole Yes sign" . I suspect Office Pinkosz is not the sharpest knife in the drawer as my mom used to say.

Anyway, they take me to see a detective. The detective starts to ask me questions and I tell her I choose not to talk to her without a lawyer present.. That did not please her.

Next, still handcuffed and 1.5 hours later they put me in another paddy wagon and take me to Central Booking where I lose my sweater, jacket and personal items, including boots (very dangerous weapons, you know), they even threw out my bottled water (don't ask me I don't know why) and outfit me with (I'm not making this up) green slippers with "happy
faces" on the toes. I had to laugh. They then fingerprinted me and took my photo and put me in a very small, stuffy , dirty concrete holding cell with one shared - out in the open toilet and 5 other women -- 3 of whom were sick and coughing and feeling pain from withdrawal of drugs? Something? They were all very nice to me. "Fist time here? don't
worry you'll be out by morning-maybe earlier." I wasn't given water or anything to eat. The others had a bag lunch but I was booked too late for lunch and the officer who put me in the cell denied my request for a drink.

I was wearing my Kucinich for President T'shirt the whole time and the reaction in the jail was interesting. I got nicknamed: The Election Lady. Ha.


After a few hours, a knock on the cell window tells me the states attorney's office has dropped charges. Another hour wait in another cell and then along with 4 others I was given back my stuff and shown the door. (Dennis had called ACORN who had called AFSCME, who represents the jailers, and others who called the states attorney’s office -- otherwise I would probably still be there).

I was so mad I could have spit nails. Can you believe this?!

I plan on suing them.

carol higgs