Grizzly Creek Incident
...by Bonnie Blackberry
On October 8, 1998, nine Earth First! activists locked themselves together in a human chain across a roadway leading to the logging site where forest activist David Chain was killed in September by a redwood tree felled by a Pacific Lumber logger. This lockdown site was adjacent to a public roadway, Highway 36, east of Carlotta, CA, making it possible for supporters, observers and media to park and watch activities from the other side of the highway. The police began their action to remove the blockade by repeated applications of pepper spray on one of the young women locked into the human chain that was blockading the PL access road. During the pepper spraying, some of the supporters crossed onto the highway and sat down in protest, pleading with police to stop torturing the young woman with pepper spray. During this time, one woman was arrested for interfering with the officers.
After three applications of pepper spray had failed to get the young woman to comply, the police stopped torturing her and proceeded to remove two others from the blockade by other means, opening Pacific Lumber's access road without further violence or injury to the blockaders. The supporters who had sat in the road moved off after police stopped their use of pepper spray, and at the request of others who wanted to remain and be witnesses to whatever actions police took with remaining blockaders. The gathering of people remained off the road, as requested by the CHP, abiding by all laws while continuing to monitor the lockdown and police activity. After several hours, with no warning, the police put on riot gear with billy clubs and face guards, and announced that the gathering was an unlawful assembly. They told the crowd, including the media, that they had five minutes to go home or else be arrested. Nobody had any idea what had happened to cause the police to issue an unlawful assembly order, because everybody had been abiding by police requests and staying behind the white line on the roadside.
Three women, Jane Lapiner, Robie Tenorio and myself, who are long-time county residents, chose to remain where we were, sitting off to the side of the road, exercising our 1st Amendment rights, because we felt there was a necessity to stay and observe police actions toward the remaining seven activists. We were very concerned about what the police intended to do next, especially since they obviously didn't want any outside observers. We were arrested and taken to Humboldt County Jail in Eureka, where we were jailed without being cited, forcing us to remain in jail for five days, or to post $5,000 bail. After jail and bail, the District Attorney decided to only charge Jane, for trespass and other violations which she clearly didn't commit, along with three charges connected with the unlawful assembly order. Robie and I have not been charged, as of this date. We have filed complaints with Humboldt County for false arrest, for failure to cite and release according to the law, and for failure to return bail in a timely manner. We are looking into our options with the court. Even though the court doesn't always provide unbiased justice, it is still an avenue to attempt to hold police accountable.
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