Rochester Solidarity in Street Demonstrations

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30 rochester area activists travelled down to Washington DC this weekend to participate in mass demonstrations against World Bank/ IMF policies. The activists joined the Anti-Capitalist convergence at MacPherson Square (14th and K streets) at 7 this morning. Groups from around the country gathered for Breakfast in the park and then entered a "snake march" towards Freedom Plaza. A snake march is a tactical unpermitted march designed to demonstrate a reclaimation of the streets. The Demonstrators moved quickly for about two blocks before the DC police blocked foward movement. As the march moved in the opposite direction the police boxed in demonstators, media and unfortunate passersby. The Police very quickly used escalation tactics and enclosed the nearly 400 demonstrators in on a sidewalk and next to Citibank. Within 15 minutes the police used tear gas and batons to cram the crowd into a smaller area. At this point a window was smashed in the front of the bank, but it was not at all clear who was responsible. The next 45 minutes the DC police attacked and arrested demonstrators one by one. At one point several demonstators were allowed to leave. By 9 am the march moved away from this area and regrouped at Freedom Plaza to join with a permitted "Critical Mass" bike ride. At this point the numbers of demonstators had increased to about 1000 and police kept up with enclosure tactics at the new location. After hours of closing demonstators in, several buses came and about 450 pre-emptive arrests were made. 4 of the arrestees are rochesterians and the others are providing jail solidarity and making sure the arrestees legal rights are being met. An update will be issued tomorrow. In conversation with onlookers, even those who did not necessarily agree with or understand the demonstrators position, were disgusted and angered by the police repression. Many chanted and discussed the need for police to serve the people and not go on attacking people lives with inhumane tactics. One demonstator commented "I found it very diffucult not to get arrested."