[Imc-newsroom] Freedom of movement curtailed by U.S. armed forces.

[Sascha Meinrath]

The author talked with Green Party Organizer Nancy Oden about her recent
experience of being detained by military personnel, refused service by
American Airlines, and finally banned from flying on any airline at Bangor
International Airport. Airport staff have refused to comment on the
situation.

http://www.ucimc.org

November 3, 2001

Freedom of movement curtailed by U.S. armed forces.

by Sascha D. Meinrath

Urbana, Nov. 3 (UCIMC): On Thursday, November 1, 2001, Green Party USA
coordinating committee member Nancy Oden was searched and detained by
National Guardsmen and airport security after being flagged by airport
computers. She was then prohibited from flying on any airplane, on any
airline from Bangor International Airport. She stated she had no idea what
list she was on or, initially, why she was searched. Airport security
refused comment; however, Ms. Oden stated that she allowed a thorough
searching of her bags.

Bangor Airport staff members Rebecca Hupp, Interim Airport Director, and
Peter DErrico, Special Assistant to the Airport Director, were unavailable
for comment as of press time. A phone message left with the Bangor Airport
was not returned, and the airport staff member who answered the airports
immediate assistance line refused comment stating all the people who make
press releases are not at the airport.

Ms. Oden was scheduled to fly to Chicago, IL to interview candidates for a
new Green Party office. She arrived at the airport dressed conservatively,
wearing a long dark skirt, matching jacket, and turtleneck sweater. She
wore no political paraphernalia, and, as a middle-aged White woman, does
not fit any known high-risk profiles. An organic farmer, she drove 100
miles to get to the airport and arrived at roughly 11a.m. She described
the airport as under military rule with few people and lots of national
guardsmen carrying machineguns. She said no one was laughing and no one
was smiling.

She went to the American Airlines counter and checked in. The counter
agent asked for her name, but never requested a photo ID. She stated that
the agent was on the computer for a long time and eventually did give her
a boarding pass with a large S on it. As she turned to leave she asked the
agent if this was a random check, the counter agent responded that she had
been flagged. The counter agent also informed her that the S is for
search.

Her trouble started in earnest when she passed through the boarding area
security area and was met by a man Ms. Oden describes as a short national
guardsman with a black eye [and] carrying a machinegun who told her to put
those bags over there. Ms. Oden stated that two women went through her
bags and that she was searched using a handheld metal detector. When one
of the zippers got stuck on her bag she reached over to aid the security
personnel at which point the national guardsman yelled, get your hand out
of there! She turned to face the national guardsman at which point he
forcefully grabbed her arm, pulled her away, and started speaking loudly
to her about his pro-war views. According to Ms. Oden, the national
guardsman stated, Dont you know why we have to go to warwe need to kill
them before they kill us. Ms. Oden was deeply disturbed that he knew both
who she was and what her political beliefs were and that her treatment by
the guardsman was connected to her personal beliefs.

She responded to the national guardsmans physical restraint by stating
dont touch me and took a step away from him. He reached for her again and
again she told him not to touch her. Ms. Oden stated that the national
guardsman then looked at the security supervisor who nodded to him to back
off. According to Ms. Oden, the national guardsman then spoke into a
microphone saying, dont let her on the plane. She was then waved through
to the boarding gate.

At her gate, an American Airlines boarding counter agent informed Ms. Oden
that he had been instructed not to let her on the plane, you didn't
cooperate [with the search] so I can't let you on the plane. The agent
then stated that she might be able to get booked on the 4 p.m. flight.
However, Ms. Oden was then surrounded by multiple gun-wielding national
guardsmen and told that because she didnt cooperate with the search she
would not be allowed to fly at 4 p.m. or on any flight on any airline. Ms.
Oden stated that because she refused to be physically restrained while the
national guardsman stated his pro-war perspective she was refused service
on every airline flying from Bangor International Airport. Furthermore,
American Airlines has thus far refused to refund her airline ticket.

She stated that this raises major questions about the repercussions for
people who stand up for their civil rights and the arbitrary nature of the
military control of Americas airports. No charges have been filed against
Ms. Oden. Asked what she plans to do now, she confirmed that she has
contacted a civil rights lawyer and is looking into her options.

Ms. Oden stated that she was probably flagged at the airport because of
her long-term political activism. In the 1960s and 1970s she was involved
in the anti-Vietnam War movement and the womens movement. She has also
been an active union member. She is currently a Green Party USA organizer,
an organic farmer on a small 7-acre plot, and a self-described
environmentalist. She stated that she was targeted because she is fighting
for real democracy where we the people make the decisions that affect our
lives and that this stance has gotten her labeled as radical and a threat.

Ms. Oden has worried about the media coverage of the U.S. military actions
in Afghanistan and fears that because of the demands placed on editorial
staff by corporate owners, the truth is not coming out in the corporate
media. She stated her major concern about her airport experience, you can
go along doing nothing wrong and all of a sudden you're treated like a
terrorist.

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