Statehouse protesters to be arraigned

Two dozen environmental advocates and Bloomington I-69 protesters who confronted the Indiana State Police Saturday on the front steps of the Indianapolis Statehouse face a Marion County judge today to determine what charges, if any, will be filed.\nTwelve of the estimated 40 to 50 protesters, including IU junior Alison Phillips and Bloomington resident Colin Schoder-Ehri, were arrested for disorderly conduct after at least one protester spray painted "I-69 Is the Enemy" and "No I-69" within and outside the Indiana's capital building. According to an Indiana State Police news release, Phillips has been tentatively identified as the person responsible for defacing the building.\n"I found out when I saw my mug-shot on the 11 o'clock news. I felt terrible, scared and frustrated because I didn't do anything wrong," Phillips said. "I had no idea that was going to happen and I do not condone property damage -- I was playing a drum the entire time."\nCritics of the proposed I-69 route extension through Indiana claim the North American Free Trade Agreement superhighway -- from Mexico through the U.S. to Canada -- might bisect hundreds of Hoosier farms and destroy thousands of acres of Southern Indiana forest. Supporters of the extension cite free trade principles necessary to compete in a global economy.\nState Police First Sgt. David Bursten, field supervisor of public information officers, said protesters were beating five-gallon pickle buckets with sticks which prevented some Hoosiers from enjoying the downtown atmosphere. \n"The Statehouse is the people's house so it's open 24 hours a day for citizens to engage in any lawful activity you want to," Bursten said. "We're not saying all the protesters were bad, but some defaced the exterior and interior of the building which is 117 years old. Everybody in the U.S. has the right to protest, but individual rights come with responsibilities."\nPhillips said she attended the I-69 protest because she believes the proposed route through the Hoosier heartland will do "horrible things" to Indiana and the U.S.\n"At the beginning, everything was really happy and vibrant -- a positive atmosphere of playing drums and marching. It stayed that way until we reached the Statehouse," Phillips said. "We got to the Statehouse and we were entering the building -- I don't know why, just to get inside and make some noise -- and at that point some individuals -- I don't know who -- started spray painting. After about 10 minutes we started to leave as a group."\nPhillips said the marching band of vibrant protesters was followed by police as they looked for a "comfortable" place to disperse. She said the group was never told anything by any law officers before the "onslaught of police tried to catch as many as possible."\nAccording to an ISP news release, "protesters for hire" were confronted by Capitol Police officers after spray painted statements and symbols of protest were discovered on the north exterior and interior of the Statehouse. When the CP officer attempted to get the large "unruly" group to stop and remain in place for an investigation, the protesters ignored the officer's request and continued chanting and the beating of makeshift drums as they tried to leave.\n"The protest these people engaged in was neither peaceful nor lawful," Bursten said. "The issue of I-69 has been debated and continues to be debated -- the government is of the people, by the people, for the people. If you protest in a peaceful manner, everybody has the right to do that."\nPhillips said police officers did not offer any solution for the group other than handcuffs and the anxiety of jail holding cells.\n"There were no words. When there were enough of them to stop the crowd they came from every direction," she said. "One minute the cops were following closely, and then the next minute they were right on us. They arrested anyone they could catch. They tackled a couple of people and that pretty much put people in panic mode."\nPhillips said the 24 arrested individuals -- including four from Kentucky, two from Michigan, two from Missouri, one from both Georgia and Pennsylvania, one reported as "homeless" and one reported as "unknown" -- were handcuffed, detained for about three hours on the IU-Purdue University in Indianapolis' law school lawn and transported to jail. She said most protesters faced a judge about 4:15 a.m. Sunday and were released on their own recognizance about 6 a.m. when a 72-hour continuance for the case was issued.\n"We're still very early in the investigation, but it's becoming clear this was a group of 'protesters for hire' that likely don't have a specific interest in I-69," Bursten is quoted as saying in the ISP news release. "It's a shame when a group of misguided young people confuse the difference with the right to peacefully protest versus crossing the line to criminal conduct and damaging property that all of us, taxpayers, have paid for and will pay today to repair the damage." \nPhillips said the group is establishing a team of lawyers to challenge any charges that are not dropped. She said the protesters are seeking all the legal help they can find.\n"The feeling I got was 'round em' up, sit em' down and then figure out what to do with 'em.' When we let people pressure us to be silent, that's when we give them permission to do so," Phillips said. "This is a minor setback -- in the long run this will not stop us from demonstrating. Voting only goes so far and after that it's up to you to get your voice heard because if you don't they won't listen to you. We have to be animated about continuing the fight and to continue to show pressure to get this highway stopped. It is important for Indiana and the world in general"