The Cavalier daily :: Friday, May 7, 1971 :: University of Virginia Library

The Virginia delegation was
supposed to block the Key Bridge,
which crosses the Potomac River in
west Washington with six lanes of
traffic. It is fed by M Street, which
runs at the bottom of the river
bank. Towards the top of this river
bank is Georgetown.

The police and troops were at
the bottom of the hill. After a brief
attempt to block traffic on the Key
Bridge, the protesters were driven
up the hill. Action throughout the
morning took place as police moved
up the hill after protesters, and the
protesters attempted to move back
down towards the bridge.

Police Gangs

Gangs of police on motor
scooters would zoom up to an
intersection which was being
blocked and trashed—people
dumping garbage cans, breaking
glass, pushing out parked cars. The
protesters would disperse, and then
gather again at the other
intersections. Eventually the police
lines were extended about as far as
they could be, and a line of
confrontation maybe three or floor
blocks away from the bridge was
established.

Key Bridge itself was guarded by
large numbers of police at either
end, and troops every ten feet along
the walkways. The few vehicles
which were stalled were quickly
cleared away. Motor scootered
police drove between the lanes to
keep traffic moving, and for the
large part did it.

On the Virginia side of the
bridge, a half-dozen men stood with
American flags and Nazi armbands;
police were not seen to move them.

Illegally Arrested

We were put in a paddy wagon,
along with about ten others.
Looking out the barred windows as
we zoomed through the streets, it
seemed like traffic everywhere was
backed up. Since that is a normal
state for rush-hour Washington, it is
hard to say how much effect the
disruption tactics had.

We were unloaded at a police
checkpoint. Helmets and gasmasks
were confiscated; when one
prisoner had his jew's harp taken,
another prisoner said, "Ask him for
a receipt." With a horrible, a
policeman grabbed the second
prisoner by the hair and forced him
on a bus.

There wasn't room on the bus
for all, so we were loaded into the
paddy wagon; designed for ten,
there were twenty in it.

Insurrection City

We were carried across
Washington, to the Redskin's
practice field. As we climbed out and
walked in the gate, hands held up
POW-style, the crowd of several
hundred prisoners already inside
the fence cheered loudly. It was
still early Monday morning.

The field was about 100 yards
wide, and 200 yards long. The
football goalpost at the gate end
had been twisted, and a black flag,
Viet Cong flag, and Insurrection
City flag flew from it. A medical
center was set up by arrested
medics to one side.

Towards the back of the field
lay a great trap, presumably there
to protect the field surface. It was
pulled over the other goalpost, and
an immense tent was created out of
scraps of wood, rags, etc. This was
the only shelter in the compound,
except for a small shed in a back
corner which became a latrine.

Tear Gas

In the middle of the morning,
some of the prisoners began shaking
part of the link fence, almost
breaking it. Guards threw tear gas
grenades, and a brisk breeze carried
it over most of the field. After that,
the prisoners were peaceful,
although the familiar chants
continued throughout the day.

Catching Apples

Life in Insurrection City:
cheering new arrivals—there were
eventually several thousand
there ... listening to Dr.
Spock...catching apples, oranges,
and cans of food thrown in by
friends...rapping to guards about
concentration camps...singing
folksongs in the tent...hearing
hourly speeches on our legal status
from lawyers who admitted they
didn't know what they were talking
about...complaining to visitors like
Representatives Fauntelroy and
Abzug.

RFK Stadium Accommodated The Arrested Multitudes During Weekend Demonstrations

Once at the Coliseum, we were
kept on the cold concrete floor by
both troops and policemen. Lines
for the bathroom stretched across
the floor. Food consisted of cheese
or baloney sandwiches. There was
no hot water, no facilities of any
sort; some of the guards would give
you a cigarette if you asked.

About dusk on Monday, the
entire group was transferred to the
Coliseum, by bus and paddy wagon.
Several of the buses had been
gassed before the people got on
them.

Washington Coliseum

At the Redskins' field, the
medical situation had been bad.
There were many injuries: people
gassed, beaten, hit by projectiles. In
the Coliseum, the situation became
severe. With the bad air, cold floor,
crowded conditions, little food, etc.
many people were fainting and
becoming ill. Medics and oxygens
were constantly called for. Later,
the threat of epidemic was
becoming a concern.

Fingerprints

The legal situation was complex.
The police set up tables at one end
of the floor to process prisoners.
Part of the processing included
being Fingerprinted and
photographed for FBI files. Many
prisoners, illegally arrested and
innocent of any crime, objected to
having to go through this. Judge
Greene ruled that any unprocessed
prisoners had to be released at 8
p.m. on Tuesday, so many wanted
to wait until then, and refused to
go through the process. That time
was delayed until 7 a.m.
Wednesday, and gradually the
group in the Coliseum which had
begun at several thousand shrank,
until there were only about 400 left
when a judge ordered them released
Wednesday afternoon. Although
the 400 face no charges (as I do,
having left at 2 p.m. Tuesday,
paying $10 bail), they were still
fingerprinted and photographed for
the FBI.