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CLEAR Temp: 59 °F Wind: NE at 6 mph Monday, May 19, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend April 13, 2003 Flag-burning and arrests interrupt peaceful protest By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Ashland police arrested two men who burned an American flag at a peace rally on the Plaza Saturday afternoon. The arrests prompted a brief angry response from the crowd and a new round of questions about free expression and public safety. "In the crowd and with the wind, there was potential for people to get burned," Ashland police Sgt. Kirk Cromwell said. To keep the fire blazing, the men kicked the flag, sending it toward a woman and child sitting on a bench, Cromwell said. The fire also scorched the sidewalk. The protesters, Alyosha Israel Witness, 35, of Massachusetts and a man who refused to give his name so was charged and jailed as John Doe, were charged with disorderly conduct, criminally endangering other people, recklessly burning and second-degree criminal mischief. Two groups of activists organized peace rallies that merged on the Plaza Saturday. About 150 people attended the event, police estimated. Peace House planned a rally with speakers and music as part of an international movement advocating peace and opposing military action in Iraq. Participants gathered at Triangle Park and walked downtown. A group describing itself on fliers as a "loose coalition of activists and students" that planned to use "a diversity of tactics including civil disobedience and direct action" met in Garfield Park before heading to the Plaza. Police and people attending the rally said things went well until near the end of the event when the flag burners lit up. "Then it got pretty hot in a hurry," said Paul Copeland, an Ashland resident who joined the rally at the Plaza. He said he was standing about 50 feet away from the protest fire, which he described as fairly small and not dangerous. "It seemed like police were trying to suppress constitutionally protected speech," he said. "It appeared that they were reacting to a symbol, not making a legitimate arrest." Copeland said the crowd surrounded police and followed the police cars carrying the arrested men a short distance. As the cars left the area, people returned their focus to the program, which was wrapping up. "People stuck around to talk about the flag burning" and the arrests, he said. "A number of people are interested in how police handle these protests and whether there is political and chamber of commerce pressure. Sometimes they arrest people and sometimes they don’t." Copeland, who described himself as "an interested citizen more than an activist," said he had attended numerous rallies and protests. He is also a co-chairman for the American Civil Liberties Union in Southern Oregon. The Peace House answering machine informed callers Saturday evening, "If you’ve called about the flag burning, we didn’t do it. Call someone else." At the rally, the loosely organized coalition of activists issued a statement about "dignified rebellion" to promote peace and justice. Contacted later, Stuart O’Neill, an Ashland resident affiliated with the group, read a statement that the arrests on what he called "trumped up charges" showed "how far authorities will go to silence dissent." Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S