S27 DC: 100s Arrested At World Bank IMF Protests

Photos and breaking news coverage from Washington DC Indymedia of today's protests against the IMF and World Bank.

See... http://dc.indymedia.org/ for breaking news from the barricades.

The Bike Strike arriving at Pershing Park, Fairfax County. Sheriff troops in riot gear deployed at the park perimeter, mass arrests occurred.

Arrested in Freedom (sic.) Plaza

CHRONOLOGY OF TODAY'S EVENTS... MOST RECENT EVENTS AT THE TOP

Breaking News 9/27/02
4:55 Chief Ramsey giving press conference right now @300 Indiana Ave, Metro Police HQ
4:55 People arrested at Pershing Park still on bus are being offered 100$ to post and forfeit where they give rights to fight the charges, and admitting guilt. Some people considering it.

Jail Solidarity:
At this time, it is our understanding that all persons arrested are being processed at the Institute for Police Studies, the MPD Training Academy, 4665 Blue Plains Drive, SW (off Pennsylvania Avenue). This is also known as the “Blue Plains Facility.” Directions
Starhawk asking for energy from around the globe.

4:32pm: 5th between E and F/Judiciary Square: The three busses are composed of activists from the pagan cluster and groups arrested in Freedom Plaza. Until 4:30pm, they did not have access to water. Legal observers arrived on the scene and demanded that those inside the busses get water bottles. Additionally, the windows of the busses were closed during much of the day.
3:49pm: There are three busses of activists on 5th St. between E and F NW. They are requesting support and media.

3:18pm: 8 or 9 people let out of Blue Plains they posted and forfeited. People are already outside doing jail solidarity. According to Shawn, an observer, cops came out with batons and threatened people across the street--many of whom had already been released from jail. There are legal observers and IMC reporters on the scene.

The police are telling them if they don't give their names, they won't be able to give them them later. The arrestees are being separated into three groups: those that want to post and forfeit (they are sitting in a gym with a police presence), people who are asking for a citation, and those doing jail solidarity. 50-60% are doing jail solidarity, roughly equal to 100 people. There are about 6-8 busses outside Blue Plains that haven't been processed and there are about 44 people per bus. They've been sitting on the busses for a while (many since 11am) without access to restrooms.

There are a bunch of people that want to post and forfeit but can't afford it. Legal is asking people to show up @ Blue Plains and donate money for these people (it will be refunded later).

3:12pm: Legal Alert/Arrest Information from the Partnership for Civil Justice. Those arrested have three choices: 1) Post $75 and Forfeit the Right to a Trial, 2) Citation Release,3) Continued detention until arraignment. The implications of these choices are discussed in depth, here as well as directions to the Blue Plains facility where most of the protesters are being held.

Demonstrators are calmly loaded into a bus outside the Mariott

3:00pm --Re: Detainees from this mornings demonstrations Re: People arrested at Freedom Plaza and on K Street. Source: David from ACC. There are eleven buses with 28 40 people each. Parked outside of Blue Plains station (4665 Blue Plains Drive Southeast. Phone: 202-645-0055. Some have been sitting in Bus since 8 am. People gathering by the buses to show solidarity. Our legal collective, Justice and Solidarity Collective . ACC (Anti Capitalist Convergence 202-306-2318) Call there for questions. 1459 Columbia Road NW. Corner of 14th and Columbia Calvary Church in the church. Some are cuffed on the buses.
12:48pm: Legal stats from legal team: 349 people were arrested on their way to Pershing Park and charged with failure to obey a lawful police order. 21 people were arrested at 14th and Independence. 40 people were arrested at 19th and H.

11:55am: About an hour ago a protester wearing "queer" gear was on a bus with other detainees. Police got on the bus, dragged him off the bus and into a police vehicle, after beating him up. Cries were heard from the vehicle. As yet there are no charges that any press has been informed of for any of the arrestees. One lieutenant said they would be out by the end of the day.

11:50am: 15th and E busses 7 and 8 just left. 35 to 40 people per bus, that makes over 300 arrests. They are still arresting and taking people. Things appear to be winding down. Some cops are leaving.

11:40am: Brandon from Chapel Hill IMC, arrested at 15th and Pennsylvania, reports from the police-commandeered metrobus that all the arrestees on his bus are unharmed and having a "good time".

11:30: The 6th bus of arrestees from 15th and Pennsylvania has departed. 11:16am: Chief Ramsey and Chief Gainer have shown up in the middle of the intersection of 15th and Penn. And there are still more people being arrested. 11:14am: Chief Ramsey has stated that the protesters will not be released until Monday.

11:06am: Activists have now created a drum circle across from Freedom Plaza at the Wilson Building.

10:55am: Pershing Square. The police beat up two men and dragged them across the street and threw them into a van. They are kicking the van from the inside. People across the street are supporting the protesters inside the van. The mounted police and US Park Police in riot gear are protecting the van from the crowd. They are still arresting people in the park. They are filling the third metro bus with people from the park.

10:50am: Freedom Plaza. The police are surrounding everyone and they are starting to make arrests, including an NPR journalist. Everyone is being peaceful, except the cops.

10:36am: Pershing Square. It appears that there are at least 80 arrests. 2 busses are full and they are still arresting people in the park. The media--mostly corporate--are across the intersection from the arrests. Cops on mounted horses have made a semicircle around the protesters they are arrested; they are blocking the media from seeing across the street.

10:25am: Pershing Square (park across from Freedom Plaza). The police are about to arrest everyone. They have pulled up the busses and are loading them with everyone from the park. The cops are also beating people and moving the media away from people. The corporate media is getting pissed off. There is another protest on the other side of Freedom Plaza that is not being attacked.

10:15am: Legal Update!!! @5:30am: police searched a NW house and cars...@7:30am: 21 people arrested at 14th and Independence (7 women/14 men)...@8:30am: K and Vermont about 100 people arrested. 2 people taken in a 5th district van. Unclear where they are...@8:35am: 12th and H Sts. 70 people arrested (2 busses)...@9:25am: Conn and K around 30 people arrested...and now...@Pershing Square (across from Freedom Plaza)200 people penned in.
Police have targetted: medics, legal observers, law collective volunteers.
Some people in jail have had nerve damage because their handcuffs were too tight. Most of the protesters are at Blue Plains in SE DC

10:13am: Freedom Plaza update from ACC. There have only been a few arrests and people have been very peaceful. Cops are hurding people into one corner of the park. And bringing in new vans.

10:09am: 15th and Penn.: A third Indymedia reporter--this one from Florida--was arrested between 9 and 10am.

9:56am: Everyone in Freedom Plaza is being detained. The situation has de-escalated. People are just sitting in the park and more police are arriving every moment. There is a ton of media covering the event.

9:45am: Possible arrests @ Freedom Plaza.

9:37am: near Freedom Plaza: People are being pushed into a small center area of the park. No one is allowed to leave. They have said that no one will be arrested, but they have brought in the busses.

9:36am: Freedom Plaza: Someone from the ACC said that there are 200 drummers surrounded by 400 cops. The police are using pepper spray and quickly advancing on the protesters.

9:35am: 14th and K: The possessions have been collected. No further cars are needed there.

9:31am: Freedom Plaza. People are also not allowed to enter the park. The situation appears to be somewhat peaceful.

9:27am: Freedom Plaza: Beat the Anti-War Drum Rally...police are no longer allowing protesters to leave the park.

9:25am: The entire pagan cluster is being arrested on Conn Ave between K and L (1025 Conn Ave)for blocking pedestrian traffic.

9:24am: Chief Ramsey announced that those arrested would spend through Monday in jail.

9:22am: The Critical Mass and another march group have been boxed in by police in the park across from the Williard Hotel near Freedom Plaza.

9:13am: At 14th and K...the possessions of those arrested at K and Vermont are sitting out in the street. If someone has a car, please go down there to help take the possessions to a safe location.

9:04am: From Metro Center: Cops claim over 300 arrests. The busses with arrested protesters are numbered chronologically. The current bus is numbered 12.

9:02am: Critical Mass is at Penn. Ave and 14th St (Freedom Plaza) heading west. They are being surrounded by motorcycle cops and followed by cop cars and arrest vans.

8:58am: Freedom Plaza. About 200-300 people are gathering and cheering.

8:54am: 12th and H. At least 70 activists were marching around near Metro Center (blue and orange lines). They were arrested and are now in busses. Police Chief Ramsey showed up immediately for a photo op. 12th St. between F and H has been blocked off for the past half-hour.

8:39am: Those arrested at K and Vermont are being taken to the Navy Yard. (Accessable via Green Line metro.)

8:36am: Police leaving the K and Vermont scene are firing blanks from their vans and cars. There are loud explosions.

8:33am: G between 13th and 14th. A small group of protesters are being harassed and possibly arrested by police. They were just walking down the sidewalk.

8:32am: An arrested DC IMC reporter is with 30 men and 14 women on a metrobus being used to transport people from K and Vermont. There are two other metrobusses filled with protesters. The bus is heading down Independence Ave (irony.) toward a downtown police station.

8:27am: Dupont Circle: 50 people are blocked off. Assumption that Critical Mass is heading that way. No reports from Critical Mass.

8:26am: 12th and H Sts. NW: Less than 20 people were arrested in an attempted banner hang.

8:22am: The situation at K and Vermont seems to have settled.

8:11am: The smoke bomb is not tear gas. No press, other than indymedia, have been arrested.

8:08am: Another smoke bomb possibly tear gas released at Vermont and K. There are police infiltrators in the crowd trying to provoke violence. Police are no longer allowing anyone 2 leave and are loading everyone left--including various media--onto busses.

8:02am: The police have let 20+ people who have their hands raised leave without being arrested.

7:58am: Police are pushing people against the citibank and arresting nearly everyone at K and Vermont.

7:56am: Traffic is really light downtown, esp. near Federal Triangle. It appears to be a federal holiday. Cops are just standing around guarding a Starbucks.

7:54am: There has been at least one injury at K and Vermont.

7:52am: Police have shoved into the back of the protesters. People in the front are sitting down and locking arms. The police are beginning a mass arrest. Another indymedia reporter has been beaten by police and arrested.

7:50am: A police officer just assaulted another person. More vans are arriving. AP, CNN, etc. are not allowed to leave the space, although they are requesting to leave.

7:47am: MPD are arresting an indymedia reporter right now. They are moving in to arrest more people.

7:44am: A citibank window has been smashed on that corner. The police are using violence against everyone. Cop is beating a protester and an indymedia reporter. They have taken parts of an indymedia reporters camera and have broken it. They are violating principles of riot control and planning a mass arrest. Two ranks of cops are surrounding the protesters and pushing them into a smaller group. The activists can not move. 100-200 people are in a space no larger than 50 feet.

7:41am: K and L Sts on Vermont. The police have thrown mainstream and indymedia reporters into the crowd and have beaten many people (including the press) with batons. They are not letting anyone through.

7:40am: The smoke bomb is in fact low grade tear gas. The police have brought in vans and are planning to arrest over 100 people at K and Vermont.

7:38am: The police have blocked the activists completely in. They are not allowing the media to leave. The police are attacking the black bloc at K and Vermont. Some sort of smoke device has been released.

7:35am: The march has left Franklin Square. The march has been stopped by a MPD motorcycle cops between M and L on Vermont. The MPD is attempting to stop the march by boxing everyone in. There are between 600-1000 people.

7:28am: People have come out of the woods on the GW Parkway on the Virginia side. They have thrown across the road and are planning to light them on fire. This would create a semi-permanent blockade.

7:20am: Franklin Square 200-300 people are hanging out. There is a bicycle cop presence.

7:14am: NY and 13th St. Police officers surrounding park. The police are grouped up. A group was singled out and detained. Their IDs were taken and recorded. Their bags were searched. They looked through various documents and laughed at the legal handbook. They are stopping groups of protesters that "look suspicious."

7:05am: People are gathering at Franklin Square at 14th and K sts. NW. There has been some police harassment of several activists. Legal observers are watching the situation closely.

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