[Peace-discuss] getting malled in america

[Paul Mueth]

Group Protests N.Y. Peace T-Shirt Arrest

By DAMITA CHAMBERS

Associated Press Writer

March 5 2003, 2:52 PM EST

GUILDERLAND, N.Y. -- About 100 anti-war demonstrators
marched through a mall Wednesday to protest the arrest
of a shopper who wore a T-shirt that read"Peace on
Earth" and "Give Peace a Chance." 

"We just want to know what the policy is and why it's
being randomly enforced," said Erin O'Brien, an
organizer of the noontime rally at the Crossgates
Mall. 

Protest leaders were scheduled to meet with the mall's
manager after the rally. Calls to mall officials were
not immediately returned. 

On Monday, Stephen Downs, 61, and his son were asked
by mall security guards to remove their peace-slogan
shirts or leave. Downs' 31-year-old son, Roger, took
off his shirt. But Downs refused. 

The guards called police, and he was charged with
trespassing and pleaded innocent. 

Police Chief James Murley said: "We don't care what
they have on their shirts, but they were asked to
leave the property, and it's private property." 

The men had had the T-shirts made at a mall store and
wore them while they shopped.

Eight anti-war activists arrested in Townsontown Mall
Demonstration 


Sunday, March 02, 2003

On Saturday, March 1, at 4:30 p.m., eight anti-war
activists were arrested in the Townson Town Center in
Towson, Maryland. They were among 18 activists
representing the Iraq Pledge of Resistance, Baltimore.

The eighteen arrived at the very crowded mall at 3:30
p.m. and began handing out leaflets peacefully. Most
of the activists had taped pictures of Iraqi children
to their clothing. The leaflets argued that the Bush
administration 
should not attack Iraq. Fifteen minutes into the
leafleting the mall security and local police arrived.

The police told the activists not to continue
leafleting or risk arrest. The activists continued to
leaflet. This continued for about 45 minutes. Finally
the police told the activists that they could either
leave the mall or be 
arrested. The eight stayed. At about 4:30 p.m. they
were subsequently handcuffed and led away. As they
were led away some patrons were heard joining the
applause begun by the ten activists who were not
arrested.

The eight arrested are Max Obuszewski, Maria Allwine,
Levanah Ruthschild, John Dornheim, Marcel Estevez,
Donald (Donny) Gann, Mark Giffen and Ann Forno. They
were each released on recognizance between 5:45 and
6:30 a.m. on 
Sunday, March 2. They have each been charged with
trespassing, failure to obey a police order and
disorderly conduct. They are going to trial on June
10th, 2003.

This was the second nonviolent civil disobedience put
on by the Iraq Pledge of Resistance at the Towsontown
mall. On December 23, 2002, a group of about 10 people
handed out leaflets until the police forced them to
vacate. No one was arrested.

The Iraq Pledge of Resistance is a national
organization promoting a peaceful resolution to the
Iraq crisis. Members engage in nonviolent civil
disobedience and promote the UN Charter and
international law generally.