Protests in Arcata

On Wednsday night after the announcement of attacks were made a candle light vigil was held on the Plaza in town. Many were there to show their support of peace. There was also a gentleman spinning fire for a brief time, in order to tastefully display his frustration with the American government.

Protests resumed Thursday afternoon with a march of 200-300 hundred people blocking off the main streets in town. The march ended at the plaza where speechs and chants were made in the desire for peace. The corner of G Street and 9th was blocked off to cars by protesters meditating for peace. The very cooperative Arcata police department closed off G and 9th to prevent cars from running into the protesters.

Some detached from the group around 1:30 to block off the two remaining corners of the plaza effectively shutting off the center of town to automobile traffic.

One corner of two lane traffic was held up at one point by a mere five people at some point. With news of Remedy's tree in the Freshwater forest being chopped down, many of the protesters left to try and prevent this.

The plaza was held until 4 PM when the police lifted the barricades and many off the protesters had left. Between that time there were many words exchanged between protesters and angry drivers, and also the two war supporters. One gentleman under the influence of alchohol punched one of the protesters, but apologized later that night, and stated he was for peace.

A peace Vigil was held again at 7 PM with many more attendees than the night before, and it included very touching singing.

On Friday a peace alter was built next to the statue of McKinley and grew throughout the day. Around 1 PM several protesters tried to block the street at the intersection of 9th and H. One man was struck by a pickup truck and was arrested by police on the scene. It is unknown whether the driver was arrested as well.

At 5 PM the organized weekly protested resumed. There were many people blocking that same corner. Some of them would lay down in front of cars in order to stop them from going through. There was a lot of chanting which died down after a car plowed through the protest line, will two or three protesters on the hood of the car. Police where dispatched and remained and blocked off the road until 7 PM when the protesters were told to keep the protests off the streets. Three protesters then proceeded to continuously cross the crosswalks at the corner to slow down traffic.

While this was going on there was 15-20 people at the corner of G and 9th dressed in pink chanting and protesting from the plaza and near 100 women (and men) in black silently creating the atmosphere for the dialogue.

All in all business as usual was anything but in response to this unjust war.