The Portland Police Department arrested 20 pro-Palestine protesters on Wednesday afternoon after they allegedly refused to stop blocking a major road, despite multiple warnings that they would be arrested if they did not comply.
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The protest began at roughly 3:45 p.m. and encompassed Commercial Street and Pearl Street. Protesters chose the location because of the U.S. Customs House that lies at the intersection of the two streets.
A group of protesters began blocking Commercial St. with traffic cones and sitting in the road.
At 4:15 p.m., police warned the protesters that if they continued blocking the road, they would be arrested and issued another warning 15 minutes later. The protesters refused to comply, and police began making arrests at 4:40 p.m.
The Maine Wire received footage of the protest from a bystander that shows police arresting the protesters who blocked traffic.
Police rounded up 20 protesters who are facing charges for obstructing a public way. Interestingly, half of the protesters who were arrested were over 50 years old, with the oldest among them being 87, while only four were under 30.
- Abigail Fuller, 65, of Portland
- Jamila Lavasseur, 70, of Waldo
- Chandler Clothier, 26 of Lewiston
- Erika Arthur, 44, of North Yarmouth
- Claire Muscat, 30, Cape Elizabeth
- Joan Schwartz, 66, of New Castle
- Meredith Maceachern, 32, of Brunswick
- Cynthia Howard, 78, of Biddeford Pool
- Raphael Wuesthoff, 87, Portland
- Judith Haas, 44 of Richmond
- John Devlin, 73, of Cape Elizabeth
- Gail Dawson Gray, 84, of Portland
- Lucy Stafford, 25, of Bar Harbor
- William Thieme, 30, of Cumberland Center
- Robert Schaible, 81, of Portland
- William Cunningham, 22 of Orono
- Grace Abbott, 23, of Freeport
- Kristen Salvatore, 67 of Penobscot
- Alex Barbour, 36 of Portland
- Patricia Corkins, 61 of Pembroke
The protest was organized by the Maine Coalition for Palestine, which staged a “die-in” outside the Customs House. The organization later celebrated the 20 protesters who refused to comply with the police and were arrested.
“Protestors held their ground until the police arrived and removed them. 20 people were arrested and released late last night. Like millions within and on behalf of Palestine, we’ll continue to put our bodies on the line until we see peace, justice, and a free Palestine,” said the group in a Facebook.
They announced that their next step will be a 40-day hunger strike. The group’s post included the hashtag “#FromTheRiverToTheSea,” a phrase often associated with calls for the complete destruction of Israel.
It remains unclear how blocking Commercial St. in Portland, Maine, or refusing to eat will have any appreciable impact on a war raging in the Middle East.
On the same day as the Portland protest, another pro-Palestinian activist, Elias Rodriguez, 30, was arrested in Washington D.C. after he allegedly murdered two Israeli embassy officials outside the city’s Jewish Museum. The suspect reportedly chanted “Free Palestine” after he was arrested.
