It Seems Funny to Me

by Brigid McDonald, WAMM

I remember when something seemed unfair, my mother would bring it to our awareness by with the words, "It seems a funny thing to me . . ." This phrase has been coming to my mind lately because it seems a funny thing to me that the police do cruel things to nonviolent people who protest the big profiteers who are squeezing out the little people.

When the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDoT) wanted to construct a freeway from The Mall to downtown Minneapolis through Minnehaha Park, destroying hundreds of oak trees, many of us spoke out for the trees and wildlife in the park. On a Sunday morning in December 1998, more than 500 police invaded the sleeping encampment of protesters, spraying pepper spray in their eyes, handcuffing them, and arresting many.

Alliant Techsystems breaks international law daily by producing indiscriminate weapons of mass destruction, including uranium-tipped missiles which continue killing long after a war is "over," causing cancer and deformed fetuses. Alliant's land mines are still killing and maiming children of other lands. So it seems a funny thing to me that the police stand and talk and laugh with the Alliant personnel, protecting them from us.

We are keenly aware that the media, police, and the multinational corporations see "peaceniks" as a threat to "business as usual." We now know how the police are trained to respond to public dissent.

As recently as July 25, 2000, the police raided Sisters Camelot, a free-food distribution center and organizing headquarters, and ransacked the house. Many personal items were broken or disappeared. Eleven people were arrested; some were reportedly kicked and beaten.

There is a rapid escalation by the "powers that be" to marginalize activists and attack the community infrastructure which supports them. In some countries it is called "neutralizing the insurgents." I fear the day may come when nonviolent protesters will pay too high a price for speaking out and standing up for our convictions.