What were the police thinking?

topic : police misconduct | Port Militarization Resistance | Port of Tacoma

During the March 2007 protests at the Port of Tacoma, most of the police wore full riot gear, including helmets that covered their faces, making it difficult to ascertain what was going on in their heads.

Fortunately, Works in Progress obtained many of the Tacoma Police reports of the demonstrations, and it's weirder than we could have imagined.

Some police made their views toward the Iraq war known, such as one officer who reported that the "protesters were objecting to the war effort" and keeping "munitions [from] being shipped over seas to assist the troops in the field." [emphasis added]

At least two other officers only referred to the protesters in quotes, as if it was questionable whether they could really be called "protesters."

A third officer repeatedly referred to the activists as "protesters/ anarchist" [sic].

In fact, the Tacoma police had an obsession with anarchists, although none of them demonstrated any true understanding of anarchism. They employed their ignorance to their benefit, ascribing unknown threats and their extreme measures to an imaginary anarchist scourge.

For instance, Officer Jared Matheson reported that, "These people wore red and black or white on black in stark juxtaposition against each other-- (I have been trained that these colors are associated with anarchist groups.)"

Officer Keith Miller reported that some demonstrators had their faces covered by "red or black bandanas which within protest groups signifies an alliance with the anarchy movement."

Sgt. James Barrett confiscated what he claimed was a red, white and blue "anarchist flag," which he stated would "be maintained as a training tool by the Disorder Response Team."

Yet for all this professed knowledge of anarchists, at least a couple police officers seemed to think that the plural of anarchist was, well, "anarchist," as in, "...our undercover officers advised of 35 anarchist [sic] leaving Olympia northbound on I-5 en-route to Tacoma." Such repeated references confirmed that it was no mere typographical error.

Another "intelligence report" was cited as follows: "Of patricular [sic] note is that intel advised a group of Anarchists would be arriving from Oregon to join the Washington protesters with their event. This was evident when a small group of 5 or so protesters arrived on scene and they and the larger group started chanting 'Anarchy, Oregon' over and over."

The police contrived threats where there were none, such as Officer Arthur Richwald, who reported, "One person was found to have bottles of vinegar/malox [sic] which if mixed together in a plastic bottle will cause an overpressure detonation." Actually, apple cider vinegar and the antacid Maalox are used to counter and treat the effects of pepper spray and tear gas. When mixed together, it causes...nothing.

Additionally the police made numerous references to the presence of street medics and legal observers, which to them indicated that the demonstrators were looking for trouble.

One interesting report referenced the questioning of an Asian American activist, who was described in the police report as "Fu Manchu."

A larger examination of the police response to activists at the Port of Tacoma will appear in a future edition of Works in Progress.