Wisconsin students criticize police

By Andrew Krueger

The Daily Cardinal (U. Wisconsin)

MADISON, Wis. (U-WIRE) - In the wake of Sunday's mass arrest of anti-sweatshop sit-in participants in University of Wisconsin's Bascom Hall, arrested students criticized the actions of law enforcement officers at the scene and in the Dane County Jail.

Wisconsin sophomore David Ernesto Alvarado, one among the 54 students arrested, said the police response was unnecessarily intimidating.

"They knew we were peaceful," Alvarado said. "For them to come in full riot gear ... it was very intimidating. I remember thinking, 'they can't be serious.'"

Alvarado said the sometimes-light atmosphere during the arrests masked fear.

"Just because we were laughing doesn't mean we were having fun," Alvarado said. "We were afraid. Our only response was to laugh."

Several protesters complained about the use of pressure point holds and rough treatment while being carried out of the building.

"It seemed to be very gratuitous," said Wisconsin graduate student John Peck, who was not arrested but compiled a list of complaints against the police. "A lot of people felt they were like guinea pigs for the police to practice on."

Junior Ben Runkle, one of seven protesters in self-applied U-locks intended to prevent removal from the premises, said police applied force to his throat and chin to get him to spit out the key even after he had given in.

"It was quite a few seconds of me saying 'take it, take it' (before they did)," he said.

University police were unavailable for comment Tuesday. But, Letters and Science Dean Phillip Certain, who observed the arrests, discussed what he saw.

"The police were concerned that the students were prepared to attack them," he said. "They had heard the students were collecting vinegar and fire extinguishers."

Certain also said pressure points were used in some cases, but said it is standard procedure.

Allegations of misconduct also arose from the time demonstrators spent in jail.

Alvarado said his brother, also arrested, required medication. He said medication was brought to the jail, but not given to his brother until he left the jail at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Dane County Sheriff Gary Hamblin said it is standard procedure to hold back and verify delivered medication, since it could possibly differ from the label on the bottle.

Hamblin said medication given to prisoners usually comes from jail supplies.

Some protesters reported trouble with the jail phones, including inability to access certain numbers.

Hamblin said no such blocking existed Sunday.