Reader Ad Slot
Reader Ad Slot placeholder
If you would like to support SpookStack without paying out of pocket, please consider allowing advertising cookies. It helps cover hosting costs and keeps the archive free to browse. You can change this choice at any time.
American Friends Service Committee — Part 4
Page 73
73 / 108
{)
the following kinds of information:
1.
Why are we demonstrating? What are our
specific demands? Is our demonstration
communicating our demands, and putting
pressure primarily on those who are re-
sponsible for our troubles ?
At what point will it be right to complete or call
off demonstration? Do we demonstrate for the
sake of blowing off steam, or do we demonstrate
to have an effect?
Are we likely to be arrested? If so, what meas-
ures have been taken to make sure some leadership
remains outside? What measures have been taken
to make sure some leadership goes inside to lead
activities inside jail?
: Will we accept bail? What are the pros and cons
of accepting bail? If we accept bail, what
arrangements have been made for the posting of
cash, property, or other security? If we do not
accept bail, what point are we making? Some
demonstrations almost inevitably, by their "civil
disobedience" nature will result in arrest. It is
some times fruitful to fill the jails in order to make
the point that the cause of the arrest is unjust. Is
this one of those occasions? :
If arrest and bail are decided on, what shall be the
priority of being released? (Students taking exams,
and workers whose incomes are needed to support
families, first).
How much cooperation are we to extend to the
police? What are the pros and cons of going
limp? Shall we sacrifice our dignified appear-
ance (which has public relations value, and also
maintains a certain personal worth) in order to
refuge cooperation with an unjust situation?
98
7.
Have you announced your intention of br
law in advance (where that is appropriate, eg.
in Northern communities where arrest is more
likely to come only upon the breaking of a definite
law, and after warning)? A prior announcement
helps to clarify to the community your honesty of
purpose and seriousness of intent. In some situa-
tions such an announcement will warn the police
and they will try to prevent you access to the place
pune demonstration (e.g. a building). ‘Sneaking
in some ic:
Suihorities outside (possibly sitting
down there), On the other hand sometimes the dem-
coetieen pla make its point, must be at the ™
ar place; have you discussed th
merits of this issue? relative
The question of paying fines at the 8 *
justice of the peace court or higher ceust hearings
should also be discussed in advance of any action
likely to lead to arrest. The alternative to paying
fines is imprisonment for a specified length of
time ("Thirty days or $100"). Bail is security for
your appearance later in court, hence is ina
sense only a loan to the power structure, which
must be paid back. But a fine is lost to you and the
movement forever, and furthermore helps to pay
the power structure's expenses in running a police
force, a prison system, segregated schools, etc.
Should you contribute to this by paying fines? Thie
must be weighed against even greater losses in
wages for some people, if they stay in jail. Again,
we do not want to answer this question for you,
bui only advocate that it be intelligentiy discussed
in advance. Obviously, in a "jail-in," that is, a
concentrated attempt to communicate the evil of
of a law by having masses of people break it and
undergo unmerited suffering, it would be foolish
to accept bail, or, later, pay fines. The suffering
is what communicates, not the paying.
99
Community corrections
No user corrections yet.
Comments
No comments on this document yet.
Bottom Reader Ad Slot
Bottom Reader Ad Slot placeholder
If you would like to support SpookStack without paying out of pocket, please consider allowing advertising cookies. It helps cover hosting costs and keeps the archive free to browse. You can change this choice at any time.
Continue Exploring
Agency Collection
Explore This Archive Cluster
Broad Topic Hub
Topic Hub
bureau
Related subtopics
Subtopic
Subtopic
Subtopic
Subtopic
Subtopic
Subtopic