A Severe Injustice: And the Beginning of What I feel is going to be a Serious movement

This past Saturday, June 4,2005, Police in Indianapolis attacked, brutalized, and finally arrested 24 protestors against the development of I-69 through Indiana. They tear-gassed, kicked, and brutalized several. I feel that this action, and the responses that are pouring in from those who were present there as well as other activists, is the beginning of a solid and newly grounded and committed movement. It looks very much like the 60s again......with committment being made to struggle.... In that light, this is an account of the events from Jack McKivigan of IUPUI.


I took my eleven year-old downtown on Saturday to participate in
the "Roadless Summer" protest against the construction of I-69. We
met other demonstrators at the "mall" area between Meridian and
Pennsylvania. When the protest moved to the Capitol area we decided
to detour and get an ice cream cone first. When we finally caught up
with a few straggling protestors we learned what happened--so I
guess I we escaped possible arrest by just "a few licks." (Sorry.)

I have talked to several eyewitnesses to the arrests and what I have
learned makes me believe that yet another serious violation of the
freedom of assembly has been perpetrated by the Indianapolis Police
Department, led by its "Intelligence Division.". You can make up
your own minds about the spray painting of the capitol building, but
I believe the real criminal element that day was our city police.
They have been spoiling for vengeance against the Solidarity/Paper
Matches collective and other non-main-stream political groups ever
since losing a law suit to them last spring for illegal arrests and
searches occurring at the time of August 2003 meeting of the
National Governors' Association in this city.

After the spray painting incident at the capitol, the protestors
departed the capitol grounds but were "pursued" by elements of five,
count 'em, five different law enforcement agencies. When a large
number of those protestors were "cornered" near Military Park across
West Avenue, the police began targeting and arresting individuals
known to them for past prominence in demonstrations over recent
years without any knowledge of whether they had been the individuals
responsible for the spray painting. Note that the charges brought
against most of the twenty-four arrestees is the generic "disorderly
conduct" one. These twenty-four will now be forced to obtain legal
counsel and be subject to months of legal harassment. Most if not
all ultimately will be exonerated or have their charges kicked down
to the "infraction" level but the IPD will have had the opportunity
to disrupt seriously this summer's Anti-I-69 campaign as well as
settle some old scores. Anyone at IUPUI willing to donate their time
or money to assist these "detainees," can contact me.

The reprehensible action of the IPD on Saturday is just further
evidence that they are the real "rogue political force" in this
city. It is time for the mayor and the city-county council to step
in and place the IPD under a fully transparent system of civilian
supervision before every citizen's rights disappears.

Jack McKivigan