July 20–27, 2000
city beat
Do You Look Weird?
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Question mark: Philly cops arrested Robert Thompson and his friends for trespassing, then spent hours interrogating them about their politics. photo: Shoshanna Wiesner |
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by Gwen Shaffer
Don’t put off that much-needed haircut any longer. And the ripped jeans you’re wearing? You probably want to change out of those as well. Any visible tattoos or body-piercings? Hide them between now and the GOP convention, just to play it safe.
Otherwise, you run the risk of winding up in a police interrogation room. You could be questioned for hours about your plans for protesting the Republican shindig. Even if you don’t have any.
And if you live in West Philly, the odds of your arrest double.
A number of Philadelphians in their 20s, who describe themselves as looking "like punks" or dressing "weird," say the police arrested them for minor infractions. Once they were in custody, officers spent hours grilling them about political protests planned for the week of the convention.
Robert Thompson, 28, says that’s what happened to him. Although he considers himself an activist, Thompson decided to "sit this one out" because he will be out of town the week of the RNC. That didn’t stop cops from trying to squeeze information out of him and five friends.
On July Fourth, the group sneaked onto a parking garage roof in University City, in hopes of getting front-row seats for the fireworks. The garage, at 39th and Walnut Streets, is fenced in and closed to the public because it is still under construction.
That evening, Thompson was dressed in patched jeans and a ripped shirt. His hair was messy. "No dreads, though, this time," he says.
Mike, also hanging out that night, describes his hair as "choppy." He was wearing cut-off shorts and a T-shirt.
A woman also joining them wore a strappy slip as a dress, while another guy friend was dressed all in black. Thompson characterizes a second woman’s ensemble as "all colorful patterns."
"We were all kind of stinky," Thompson admits, but is quick to add that no one in the group sported clothing with political slogans.
"We were weird people sitting in a weird spot," Mike comments.
As Thompson, Mike and four others camped on out the third level of the parking garage, enjoying the view — along with a few beers — they noticed several police cars pulling up. Because no one had any drugs or fireworks on them, Thompson says he wasn’t terribly concerned.
"Immediately, the cops started asking us questions about the Republican convention," Thompson recalls. "They asked if we were in town for the convention."
The officers quizzed the group about where they lived. Four of the friends happened to be sharing a home in West Philadelphia.
"They started badgering us because we live in the same place," Thompson says. "‘Is this a cult? Why do you live in West Philly?’"
And, Thompson recalls, the officers were very interested to learn if anyone in the group goes by the name "Lucky," or even knows someone named Lucky.
Eventually, all six friends were taken to Philadelphia District Court at 55th and Pine Streets, where they were charged with trespassing and conspiracy.
During the 24 hours Thompson and his friends were held, detectives brought them into an interrogation room, one at a time. The Republican convention was the sole focus of every encounter.
The detectives first attempted to break the ice, Thompson says, by cracking jokes and casually inquiring about his life. The officers soon moved on, though.
First, they asked Thompson if he knew what had happened in Seattle during the World Trade Organization meeting back in November. When he nodded, an officer asked if he was there. Thompson said no.
"What do you think of the police response?" the officer wanted to know. Detectives also asked Thompson how he felt about "the police system" in general.
Officers asked him whether he attended planning meetings for anticipated protests during the Republican convention. Even though Thompson responded that he doesn’t attend, one cop persisted in asking, "What happens at those meetings?"
Thompson replied that he finds planning meetings "boring and frustrating" because every decision requires total consensus of the group.
"There are no leaders?" an intrigued cop pushed. "So do you believe in leaders? Are you an anarchist?"
Detectives were curious about the large creations designed by Spiral Q Puppet Theater. The props are a common sight at local political events. "They wanted to know what’s with the giant puppets," Thompson says.
Mike, one of Thompson’s housemates, tells a similar version of the night he was arrested.
"The focus of their questioning was the convention," he says. "They seemed to know a lot about activism."
Mike, too, was grilled about his "anarchist" activities and urged to give up names of anarchists.
"I told them I don’t know anything," says Mike, 25. "They pressed me and pressed me. They said, ‘You know we have your fingerprints and mug shot, if you’re lying.’"
Detectives also asked Mike if he hosted political meetings in his home. "They wondered if I thought the Republican convention would be like Seattle."
And before sending Mike back to his jail cell, a detective asked him if he knew Lucky.
The four others arrested that night were put through the same rigmarole.
"They came down hardest on Jo-Jo," Thompson says. "Apparently, he matches a description of Lucky."
Six friends sneaking into a parking garage to watch fireworks has nothing to do with political activism. Even so, detectives can follow any line of questioning they wish, once a person is in custody.
"We question people all the time, once we arrest them," says Sgt. Roland Lee, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department.
As for whether the department is arresting people with the sole purpose of drilling them about planned political protests, Lee says, "Not to my knowledge."
Civil rights attorney Lawrence Krasner represented Thompson, Mike and their friends. He says his clients were slapped with conspiracy, "a high-level felony offense," because they "match a profile."
"Coming out of Columbine, the profile is no longer a young, black male from the city," Krasner says. "It’s a white kid from the suburbs, with dyed hair and piercings."
Although University of Pennsylvania police initially arrested his clients, Krasner suspects they were turned over to "special intelligence" once they were booked.
"They were interrogated about the Liberation Front in Portland.… These detectives had detailed knowledge the average Philly cop wouldn’t know."
A "high level of paranoia" is driving such interrogations, Krasner says. "These kids were sitting on a roof — they weren’t stealing cars or shooting people."
Apparently, the judge agreed. He dropped the conspiracy charges for all six defendants. Ultimately, each of them paid a $50 trespassing fine and $150 in other fees.
Krasner says his clients would be justified in filing a report with police Internal Affairs, if they chose to pursue it. "I think they were over-questioned.… They were arrested for an actual violation and the police have the right to ask questions in general. But I don’t like it."
What happened to Thompson and his friends does not appear to be isolated. Activists throughout Philadelphia report similar experiences.
In particular, numerous people say they know an activist who was kicked out of a computer lab at Penn because he isn’t a student. University police turned him over to the Philadelphia Police Department. After officers discovered fliers for the Philadelphia Direct Action Group (PDAG) in his bag, they held him for eight hours.
"They questioned him and threatened to throw him in jail," says Amy Kwasnicki, a PDAG organizer. "It really freaked him out."
Kwasnicki says she and fellow activists have been living with "low-grade harassment" for months now. "Some people think we should find other places to live during the convention — they’re afraid our houses will be raided."
The Republican Party is likely pressuring the city to "clamp down" on protesters, Krasner speculates. "[Police Commissioner] Timoney’s reputation, Mayor Street’s reputation and Gov. Ridge’s reputation are all on the line."
