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help civil rights demonstrators, even when brutality against demonstrators was proceeding right in front of the agents. (For further details on the structure of court systems, different types of law, and the rela- tionship of the judiciary to the legislative and executive branches of state and federal government, consult any standard Political Science 1 textbook.) Law Enforcement (see also Chapters 6 and 8) The first thing to remember is that the enforce- ment of law in this country is extremely inconsistent. Consistency begins to develop only as state and federal authorities step into a local situation. What are some of the inconsistencies which must be kept in mind? Injunctions by local, state, and federal authorities may be applied against the movement. An injunction is a court order which forbids a certain type of activity (a boycott, picketing, interfering with school integration) or orders a certain type of activity (to obey the law, to register a voter, (o maintain the peace). Violations of injunctions result, generally, in quicker punishment because they invoive a “contempt of court" proceeding which can be handled quite fast. Hence leaders can quickly be imprisoned and gotten out of the way. Local enforcement policy sometimes shifts errat- ically. In many Southern and some Northern communities 96 police policy is to stay pretty much out of the Negro community altogether, giving the impression of a lack of enforcement; but when violations take place by Negroes outside their community (civil rights demonstra- tions, for example), there is a crack-down out of all proportion to the danger of the activity. In many North- ern communities, on the other hand, police will often protect demonstrators and pickets, but sometimes, without apparent reason, they will take extreme measures against demonstrators, almost as if the police had pan- icked. This may be because a larger demonstration has brought police into the picture who have no training in “human relations," or who resent this type of duty, or who have become frightened by what they see as a possible danger to them. Police officers, after all, also reflect local prejudices rather closely. Do not assume that because an officer is a Negro he is also a sympathizer. Some Negro police officers "lean over backwards" to be tough. Arrest Nowadays there is no excuse for civil rights "leaders" to call a demonstration without carefully planning the con- sequences. There is no excuse for shrugging off questions from potential participants, saying "don't worry about it, if it happens, it happens."' Leaders owe to participants, and followers have the right to demand from leaders, 97 | ene |