Twin Cities peace activists are recruiting volunteers to help defuse potentially violent confrontations during the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. The so-called "peace teams" plan on monitoring demonstrations every day of the convention.
Although many members of these volunteers oppose the war in Iraq, they say their role is not to take sides in the protests, but to protect people from getting hurt -- whether it's a demonstrator, a delegate or a police officer.
What types of strategies do they have in mind?
One tactic is called "the puppy pile." That's when the peace-team members lie down on a person to shield him or her from being hit. Rev. C. Peter Dougherty, a Catholic priest and founding member of the Michigan Peace Team, says even singing can be effective.
He recalls when a peace-team member started to sing, "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands."
"People in the crowd started doing it," he said. "It just changed the whole environment."
These "feel good" tactics aren't going to work against anarkids hell-bent on destroying things or their problems with "rape culture" when they get together for events and training.
Police departments are also trying to bridge relationships with protesters, but few are agreeing to meet with them.
[Crisis negotiator and St. Paul Police Sgt. Jane Laurence] has also begun e-mailing leaders of known protest groups, hoping to start a dialogue with them in the weeks leading up to the RNC. The idea, she said, is based on community-oriented policing. She said she wants the protesters to feel free to ask her questions and even meet her for coffee.
But so far, most groups haven't been receptive, she said.
No wonder. WIth their "points of unity" and agreements not to rat on each other, this leaves our cities with "peace teams." While I wish them well, their tactics will probably not be helpful when thugs arrive to block traffic, harass/assault delegates, or worse. I see citizen patrols (armed with bats, not song) as a much more effective deterrent.
