Saturday, Sept. 8, 2007 — NYC WRL / Washington Heights Counter-Recruiters / Rude Mechanical Orchestra

At 8:30 am the NYC War Resisters League began blocking the front door of the yet-to-be-opened recruiting center. Shortly after, two counter-demonstrators ("Protest Warriors") came with large banner and American flags. [Several hours later a "Gathering of Eagles" woman joined them and screamed most of the time.]

At 8:45 am, two recruiters appeared and tried to enter the building but were rebuffed by the demonstrators. The recruiters called the police who showed up a few minutes later. They warned that those blocking the door would be arrested AND that we'd all have to leave the "military island." The police then brought in metal barricades to surround the island as well as setting them up across Broadway and across Seventh Ave.

The stand off lasted for an hour and a quarter before the three demonstrators were arrested (at 10 am) but the police allowed the rest of us to stay on the island as long as we allowed pedestrian traffic along the island. Immediately after the arrest, two recruiters entered the building.


http://www.warresisters.org/reportsSept2007.html