Protesters Arrested at Land-Mine Co.

• Author: CAPELLARO, CATHERINE
• Position: Brief Article

In early October, police arrested sixty-six protesters outside the offices of weapons manufacturer Alliant Techsystems. The demonstrators were demanding that Alliant renounce land-mine production (see The Progressive, November 1997), stop developing the Objective Individual Combat Weapon (a replacement for the M-16 rifle, see The Progressive, July 1998), cease developing the delivery system for Trident nuclear missiles, and explore peacetime conversion.

"Alliant management knows we'll be there for years to come, like a Chinese water-torture," says Mary Davidov, an organizer for Alliant Action, the new name for the informal group that has been holding weekly protests at Alliant for more man two years. "Three or four times a year we're going to block doors."

Susan Walker of the Minnesota Campaign to Ban Land Mines says that since May 1996, between fifteen and forty protesters have shown up at Alliant for peaceful demonstrations every Wednesday morning. Twice each year, they hold larger demonstrations, such as the October actions that led to the arrests.

On October 7 and 8, police arrested forty-seven people as they crossed from the parking lot, where they can protest legally, toward Alliant's main building. The police were more confrontational than usual, says Mary Wareham of Human Rights Watch.

"As soon as they started to cross the street the police arrested them," says Wareham. "They didn't even get to the doors." Police handcuffed the protesters, including a blind woman, two youngsters, seven Sisters of Saint Joseph, and one Franciscan. Officers twisted the arms of some of the protesters and took the cane away from the blind woman.

"The Hopkins police were not really gentle about it," says Kate McDonald, one of the Sisters of Saint Joseph who was arrested. "They put our handcuffs in back of our bodies, which was more restrictive than in front. They were very macho. It seemed like they were overreacting."

Hopkins police chief Earl Johnson says many protesters over the years have praised the Hopkins police for being gentler than most. "I haven't...