52 lines
2.2 KiB
Plaintext
52 lines
2.2 KiB
Plaintext
Snagged from the SF Chronicle
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Twelve people were arrested and one man was ordered to remove a giant carrot
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from his head during another round of Food Not Bombs demonstrations yesterday
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in San Francisco.
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The arrests, primarily for handing out onion bagels without a permit, occurred
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on the front steps of the hall of justice and city hall. Following the arrests,
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police officers stepped on the illegal bagels and formed a protective cordon
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around them [!].
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More than 40 officers were assigned to the demonstration, which began at the
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hall of justice, where Food Not Bombs leader, Keith McHenry, 37, was scheduled
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to go on trial on assault charges. His supporters filled the third floor
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courtroom, after being instructed to remove all Halloween costumes and check
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them at the door.
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The carrot was removed, as well as masks and witches' hats. One woman was told
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to rub off a dab of green paint from her nose.
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The trial was postponed for one week, a court proceeding that took less than a
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minute. The supporters then filed out, reclaimed their costumes and followed
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McHenry downstairs to the front steps of the building where five people were
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arrested for serving bagles.
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The demonstrators, who never numbered more than 50 and who were frequently
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outnumbered by the police, then marched to city hall. On the way, two more
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were arrested for jaywalking.
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At city hall, McHenry handed out Halloween candy at the Polk Street entrance
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while dozens of officers looked on.
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"Hey, we're giving away Tootsie Rolls!" McHenry shouted. Let's get some more
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cops out here!" The Tootsie Rolls evoked no wrath but when a large bag of
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day-old onion bagels was produced and offered to passer-by, the officers took
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McHenry and four more demonstrators into custody. McHenry said it was his
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94th arrest.
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Police chief tony ribera defended the large police presence, saying that
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protesters "are quicker to leave the site of a demonstration than cops are." [?]
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Food Not Bombs, an activist group that hands ou tfree food in city parks, often
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serves lunch across the street from city hall beneath the office window of
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mayor frank jordan. The group has frequently criticized the mayor's
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controversial Matrix programme, which is intended to crack down on so-called
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nuisance crimes.
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-30-
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all typos marc's
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