Unlawful Arrests on Market St.

Just got home after a very active morning and afternoon.

Got to powell and market right after the Bechtel arrests(around 7:30am) A small few of us (3) walked over to where the police had them in a bus on Beale and Mission.
We met about 30 people protewsting the arrests. We gathered them up and decided that we should go to to Justin herman plaza after the detainees were taken away.

Thirty of us marched up Beale street to Market and then to Justin Herman Plaza where we met up with another twenty or so. From there we headed west on Market (on the sidewalk, we wanted to get our numbers up before we took the streets). By the time we reached Powell we had a few hundred. We crossed the street to the south side, and headed back east along Market st. By the time we got to around Montgomery and Post we had about 500. This was at about 9am. By 11am we had to be above a thousand.

The police cooperated with us as long as we were on the sidewalk and kept moving. I, along with my wife AliKatt and one of the greatest humans I've ever met: Derrick, kept up the communication with the police. We told them where we were going and asked them if they planned on stoping us. I spoke to the on site Captain (Bruce), he reiterated, that as long as we keep moving they won't stop us. They wanted us on the sidewalk, and we wanted to be there too...until our numbers increased.

At around 12 or 12:30pm, heading from the south side of Market at Post and Montgomery to the north side of the street, about 20 protestors sat down in the crosswalk and linked arms. The police let it be known that they will be arresting them unless they move to the sidewalk. They said that they understood and that was fine with them. After about 15 minutes of this stand off, it was obvious they were not going to stand up and get on the sidewalk.

First I, then AliKatt approached the officers about talking to the protestors in the crosswalk about rejoining us for a march down to Justin Herman Plaza; they told me no. When AliKatt, who was told by an officer that she could talk to the protestors for 30 seconds, spoke with the protestors one last time was again told that they would not leave the crosswalk. She approached the officer who gave her the permission to talk to them, he ignored her. She began to walk back to the sidewalk when she has hit in the hip with a billyclub by the officer standing next to the one who gave her the initial permission. They immediately cuffed her and put her in a van.

I did not witness any of this, as I was attempting to gather the crowd to continue on to JHP. As of this writing (6pm), she has called me from pier 27 five times. She has not recieved any water in over five hours, nor food or even a bathroom break.

Our friend Derrick who was an amazing voice in the front and all around the march today, was walking along the curb near where the protestors were sitting, he was pulled into the street, from the sidewalk, on his face by his dreadlocks by a police officer. Following this, I think eight officers were on him. One had his head smashed into the ground, ach had a foot or hand, one was sitting on his back. Everyone in the crowd knew what Derrick meant to the march today. We started chanting "shame, shame, shame" at the officers...that was very surreal. when they stood him up, he looked at me and smiled and told me he was all right. He is being charged with a felony resisting arrest.

AliKatt was one of the first detainees at Pier 27, she is still there, many have been released. Derrick and AliKatt are being singled out. If anyone has video footage of this happening, please contacct me asap.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

John Hell