AZ Counter-Recruitment Coalition Member Charged with Trespassing in Mesa Mall : AZ IMC

On the 22nd of December (2004), two Arizona Counter-Recruitment Coalition members passed out counter-recruitment literature at the Fiesta Mall in Mesa Arizona.

Only 15 minutes into the fliering, an AZCRC member was asked to "Stop Soliciting". This member then moved to the bottom floor of the mall, where he decided to continued to leaflet. A mere 10 minutes after his encounter with the first Mall Security officer, another Mall Security officer then approached him. "Why are you still here, we asked you to leave?" the second officer told him. But the AZCRC member wasn't asked to leave, only to stop "soliciting". He then explained to the officer the discrepancy of their reasoning, but regardless, the officer escorted the member through a long green hallway into their security office, accompanied by the first guard and now a Police officer, where he was questioned and photographed.

The member was banned from the Mall for two years, charged with trespassing.

He was asked for his identification, address, and phone number. Upon questioning, the 3 Security officials resorted to offensive and intrusive comments and questioning. He was labeled "military hating", "anti-forces", "disrespectful to the troops", and other comments and terminology to slander the member"s character. He was repeatedly told that the U.S. military soldiers are dying for us, and he was being disrespectful by not honoring their sacrifice. "Don't you remember September 11th?" the Police officer asked. The detainee then responded, "It was not Iraq that attacked us." The Police officer then replied, "But all of those people over there are terrorists!" He then went on to comment, "are you anti-police, too? I think you have just got a problem with authority." The same Police officer continued to stress that U.S. soldiers "are dying for our freedom". The detained member asked, "In this case, what freedom have they died for? When so many places, including Malls, are open to public usage yet have been privatized, wouldn't their sacrifice for freedom have then been in vain?"

While the first member was being held in the security office, the second AZCRC member continued to flier in the Mall, reaching many youths, especially those who are targets of US military recruiters.

Now lets think about the context of this members charges. Is it of professional nature for a Police officer, or any public official, to take a one-sided stance on such a sensitive and widely debated issue, such as the invasion and occupation of Iraq? What does it mean when Security officials hold themselves at such a hierarchical position and debunk and undermine another's legitimacy? Is that inherent in a policing force of any kind? The answers to these questions are obvious.

The encounter this AZCRC member experienced as he exercised his constitutional rights is one that we should all consider. The slanted stances of government officials, especially those who are supposed to protect and serve the interests of the people, is an issue that needs to be addressed with thorough and in-depth analysis. Who or what are they really protecting and serving?

Written by the Arizona Counter-Recruitment Coalition
http://www.arizonacrc.org
azcrc@riseup.net