All protesters should be created equal

As I’ve dug deeper into Anonymous, particularly their history of protests against the Church of Scientology here in Battle Creek, I found something I consider very alarming when I started drawing parallels.

As a local activist, I have taken part in the organizing of a number of successful protest actions here in Battle Creek, as a member of Crimewatch and the CCAV. These are not exactly the safest events. We march through hostile territory and do things like shutting down drug houses. The residents are not always friendly, and have shouted things at us as we pass. One recent rally included a rather confrontational landlord who owned the drug house we’d shut down for the night.

Although CrimeWatch does work closely with the PD, and our rallies include a police presence at the staging and rally sites, and an escort as we march, the CCAV actions don’t always include a police presence or escort.

Anonymous’ actions do not include a police presence, unless the Scientologists’ call them. And even then there is confusion about the law. Although the wording of the statute is very clear in regards to “Masks and Disguises”, in March of 2008, a protester was arrested for refusing to remove his mask.

I found this greatly ironic as 5 days prior to that arrest, a gang member was permitted to roam around the school buses while they were loading wearing a bandanna covering all but his eyes. He was trying to incite a gang fight, and although reported to PD, he was not confronted or arrested.

There have also been hostile confrontations. Battle Creek is also notorious due to a video depicting the behavior of one of the members of the church who charged across the street and started tearing up the protesters’ signs, asking “What are you going to do about it?” He was followed by a woman who is also involved in the Church. He walked away and then came back again for more.

Not only is the video all over YouTube, it also was the subject of a report on Channel 3 News. He was not arrested.

What if that had been a drug dealer or a slumlord being targeted by a CrimeWatch rally? What if he’d done more than talk belligerently and tear up signs?

Allowing this behavior from one group being protested against towards the group that is doing the protesting sets a dangerous precendent for all other protest actions in Battle Creek. This is a concern of mine right now as CrimeWatch will be rallying in Washington Heights on Friday evening. And there will be people who won’t be happy to see us.

The right to peacefully assemble and protest is guaranteed in the Constitution, as are the rights to freedom of speech, the press, to bear arms, and the practice of religion. It is these rights which make America the “land of the free”. Just because you don’t like being protested against, does not give you the right to abridge the rights of those protesters-regardless of what they protest against.

Anonymous will return and protest, it’s what they do, just as it is what CrimeWatch does. Will Battle Creek continue to be notorious for unmasking them and arresting them and allowing harrassment of them?

I’ll be watching to see what happens.

Laura Adams