[Shadow_Group] 6 arrested at Bellingham Critical Mass!

[shadowgroup-l at lists.resist.ca]

Hi folks,

Below is an account of tonight's Critical Mass that
I've posted to Seattle Indymedia. It's not
comprehensive, but just what I remember. Six people
that I know of were arrested, and will definately be
needing help and support in the coming months.
Please stay tuned.

thanks,
-Andrew

6 ARRESTED AT BELLINGHAM CRITICAL MASS!
10/29/04

The temperature was low, given that it was your usual
brisk and overcast fall evening in Bellingham, but the
spirits were high as 100+ be-costumed revelers
spontaneously coalesced at the end of Railroad Avenue
tonight for a jovial Halloween-themed jaunt on
bicycles of all varities. 

I spotted clowns, cheerleaders, witches, superheros, a
tin man, a scarecrow, winged beings, monsters,
ballerinas, and just about every imaginable
combination of these things one could think of.

We took to the streets and rode for a good hour, to
Fairhaven district and back, to the beats of drums
provided by folks in bike trolleys. All passers-by and
even all motor vehicles gave a hearty cheer at the
sight of the large bike parade. 

But the fun became less so as the Bellingham police
department proceded to put the lie to their
oft-expressed claim of too much crime and not enough
officers to handle it. For a modest bike parade, the
Ham po' managed to muster up a bike cop, a motorcycle
cop, an SUV cop, and three-four-or-five-or-six car
cops. 
  
The cops gradually surfed in and out and around the
crowd, and even found the time to ask the perennial
question of authority, "Who's your leader?" (What
leader??), until around 5:30 at the corner of East
Holly and Cornwall, between Key Bank and Bank of
America, they grabbed a brother on a low-rider bike.
The Mass came to an abrupt stop in response, and four
other folks (to my knowledge) were nabbed. One woman
stood in the crosswalk observing the scene, only to
have a 'Ham officer grab her arm from behind and march
her to his car. 

In all, four men (ironically, one of whom was costumed
as a prisoner!) and two women were arrested for doing
nothing that 94+ other people weren't also doing:
enjoying an evening bike ride and having a little fun.

I can only imagine the Bellingham Herald editorial
tomorrow. "Lest we allow (The jail is overcrowded) fun
to become an epidemic, it was (criminals want to kill
you in your homes) appropriate and in the interests of
all tax-paying (further development of Whatcom county
is inevitable) citizens that the Bellingham Police
Department took the step (insert Bill Elfo quote here)
it did in nipping fun in the bud, before it had the
chance to blossom into outright (shop downtown) gaity.
"

After many minutes, the Mass, or what was left of it
(15-30 people), slowly made its way to the jail, and
then to the police station. After a firm lecture on
the Law ("I understand what you guys are trying to
do") from a female officer whose name eludes me, and
after being told our comrades were being booked (! So
much for "booking restrictions" in the overcrowded
jail!) and wouldn't be back for another few hours,
folks all dispersed to do whatever there is to do on a
Friday night. 

Alas, five comrades remain in coppers' clutches as of
this writing. Please keep your eye open for coming
defense funds and court dates (you know, the point at
which repression gets bureaucratic) for chances to
support the folks who were nabbed for no good reason
at all.



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