Huddle, et. al.                   CA No. 88-3130
         Plaintiffs pro se            Judge Joyce Hens Green        
     v.                                    
Reagan, et. al.
         Defendants.

I, Karin "Love" Cartwright hereby declare under penalty of perjury that the following is accurate and correct to the best of my knowledge and recollection:

1. I came to Lafayette Park in March of 1990 to learn more about advocacy for the sick and poor, nuclear disarmament, and peace on earth.

2. I met sincere, committed people with similar goals and spiritual aspirations. Seeing there was much work to be done, I decided to commit the majority of my time to working with them.

3. Eventually I developed a particularly strong affinity for Ellen and Thomas, and found myself working closely with them, especially on Proposition One.

4. On February 2, 1991 the U.S. Park Police rushed my "War no More" sign, which was being closely attended by Oziah, and began to seize it, claiming it was "abandoned."

5. I stated that the sign belonged to me and that it was not abandoned.

6. "It's up to us," one of the police replied, immediately pulling the sign apart without warning and taking it away. There were people present at the time. I was thoroughly overwhelmed at the swiftness and intensity of the police action. Video @ 1.58.

7. On February 4, 1991 William Thomas asked me to assume responsibility for an orange conga drum, which was to be used in a prayerful chant for peace. I placed the drum right next to my sign. I saw Park Police Officer D.C. Long rush in and snatch up the orange conga drum. Holding it over his head like a trophy, obviously full of glee, he said, "I got this one" to fellow officers standing around the gate.

8. Coming up to him, I asked him not to remove the drum, pointing out that it was within two feet of my attended sign, and that for the police to take it was out and out illegal confiscation of property -- "stealing."

9. Officer Long said it was abandoned property.

10. "No it's not, and you know it belongs with the Vigil. Did you try to ascertain if it belonged to anyone?" I said. When Officer Long refused to make any reasonable response, I continued, "You know that's our drum and it was not abandoned." I asked again for the return of the drum.

11. Officer Long walked to the center of Pennsylvania Avenue, and put the drum in a paddywagon.

12. It was clear that return of the drum was not forthcoming. I walked into the center of the street for further reasoning.

13. Four or five police officers made a circle of sorts around me. They began pushing me around from one to another, telling me to get back across the street.

14. I said that I was responsible for the drum and that they would have to arrest me unless they returned it.

15. They threatened me and said I was going to get hurt and if I knew what was good for me I'd "get back on (my) side of the sidewalk." Long pushed, pulled, and shoved me to the gate.

16. I said again that if he was taking the drum he would have to arrest me. Officer Long refused to arrest me, instead he twisted my arm behind my back, causing considerable pain. He threatened me again, saying I'd be hurt, he would see to it.

17. "I surrender. Don't hurt me, just arrest me."

18. At the gate I dug in my heels. Officer Long continued his push-pull technique and pulled my sweater off my left arm, causing my sweater to ride up my body exposing my left breast in front of a large crowd of visiting students. This foolishness lasted a short time. Then he decided to arrest me on disorderly conduct.

19. He marched me back to the center lane -- twisting my arms painfully. I was forced to the ground, handcuffed, and left to kneel on the pavement for quite awhile before they took me into a paddy wagon (not the one with the drum), and I was searched.

20. At Anacostia Park Station I was put in an isolation holding cell, and threatened with being left there for a "good long time." I was then fingerprinted by Officer Long, and read my rights. I was not allowed a phone call.

21. Officer Long threatened to make it real hard, hurtful, if I did not cooperate, reminding me several times that I was "in (his) house now."

22. More time in isolation, then to filthy Central Cellblock D.C., where I was told I would spend the night, hands cuffed behind my back if I did any drumming or chanting. Other prisoners made all the noise they wanted.

23. I was held until twenty-five dollars bond was paid. I left Central Cellblock at 500 C Street and met Wally & Thomas.

24. The drum was not broken at the time it was confiscated, but when it came back it had been smashed.

25. On February 24, 1991, at approximately 7:00 AM Concepcion alerted me that President Bush was going to church at St. John's Episcopal Church at 16^th and H Streets, N.W.

26. As people arrived for the church service, Mark Billington, Paul Sather, Turtle, Jamie and I decided to raise moral issues in the park across from the President's church. To draw public, and perhaps the President's, attention to our moral opinions Mark, Paul, Turtle, and Jamie drummed softly, and I called "Stop the wars. Stop the killings. Cease fire."

27. Around 7:25 Mark's Om bowl, a religious artifact, was taken from him, he was thrown to the ground, roughed up by at least two policemen, and arrested.

28. I had no drum. I was holding Ellen's dog, Midnight, and when I saw President Bush and his entourage come out the side door of St. John's, I walked within the park, a good distance back from the fence towards the entourage. I blew a whistle three times and then called out "The dogs of war are loose" and "You're under arrest, you disagree with the president!" Video @ 27.15.

29. The church bells were ringing the same time I blew the whistle, and for sure the bells are over 60 decibels, and no one was doing a decibel check at that time.

30. I clearly had the attention of the entourage when a Park policeman ran up on me, grabbing me by the collar of my coat, literally lifting me off my feet. Extremely harshly the policeman began twisting my arm behind my back.

31. This twisting hurt a lot and I yelled in pain. At which point he went for my throat and began seriously choking me and shaking my whole body.

32. He never offically said I was under arrest, but continued to manhandle me. My friend Ellen Thomas came up to help free Midnight from the violence. She had a video camera and taped part of the incident. Video @ 27.15-29.00

33. I remember thinking, "He's choking me, he's choking me." I felt like I left my body and went away. The next thing I remember is being handcuffed in the paddy wagon. I was taken to Anacostia Station and booked.

34. At Anacostia Station I gave all information, and when asked for my address I said I'm with Peace Park. They asked for a real address and I said I didn't want to give it at the time. They got all other information and said if the information checked out I would be released in about three hours.

35. Sometime later I was told I would not be released but sent to Central Cell Block until Monday because I had not given my address; therefore, they said, I would not be released.

36. I offered to give my address three times, but they said, "This is no game. When you're in here you'll learn to cooperate. You're going to jail." This was Officer Holloway.

37. I tried to reason with him -- he was unreasonable. My whistle was held for "evidence."

38. I don't like it that the police don't allow a pen and paper so you can write information down. It is often difficult to remember names and information, incidents occur so often and rapidly.

39. I was taken to Central Cellblock, left sitting in the cold in the paddy wagon, handcuffed, for considerable time. Someone's blood was on the floor. They were rude and treated me like a criminal while booking me.

40. I was then put in a cell until Monday morning.

41. On or about March 1, 1991 Sgt. Rule threatened that merely sitting on a sleeping bag could subject me to arrest for "camping." Video @ 107.50.

42. A few minutes after Sgt. Rule stated his sitting on a sleeping bag threat, Scott Galindez got into a sleeping bag.

43. Within a short time I witnessed about ten Park Police officers come inside the fence. Five of them surrounded Scott Galindez to facilitate his arrest. Five others fanned out around the immediate area of our vigil. Another officer drove up in a paddy wagon and two more in another car. A total of at least thirteen officers were involved in arresting one Scott Galindez, who offered no resistance. Video @ 102.25.

44. Made it through to March 1, 1991. I retreat from the neverending unbending harassment, intimidation, meanness, emanating from some Park Police.

45. They are the tribe with the sticks and the guns. We are the tribe of feathers and drums.

46. They treat us as if we are criminals and these are people who have seen us on a regular basis. I have seen some who have gone from cordial friendly relationships to ones of punishment and horror.

47. Group psychosis is apparent -- 99.8% are in it together jokingly enjoying -- outwardly manifesting malicious behavior and it's been constant since the war began, and I just never know when they will trigger into action. Many are huge strong humans. I am frail. My strength does not manifest in the physical form. I hurt readily and easily, as do most of my sisters and brothers. It seems the police intention is to hurt us and get rid of us.

48. I cannot think straight sometimes because of the pressure of their actions against us -- now I expect the worst to happen -- I put nothing beyond most of them. There are precious few good guys -- none -- not one comes to mind. Do they have orders to get rid of us? -- the people of peace are definitely under sedge.

49. I am filled with fear and driven to distraction by constant police attacks, seizures, threats and intimidation. I am afraid to stay in the park because of the police. At the same time I feel terrible about not being in the park, and leaving my friends to the mercy of the police.

50. The actions of the police as they disrupted my peaceful actions in the park, have resulted in physical and emotional pain to me.

51. On March 2, 1991, upon my return to the site of my continuous presence in Peace Park, perhaps fifty plus police, in riot gear, circled approximately thirty people who were peaceably assembled.

52. I implored, begged, my friends not to leave the park until finally, some one and half hours later, the police broke ranks and began to leave the scene.

53. It certainly appears to me that their intention is to frighten people away from the peace movement.

43. Personally, I have been frightened away. I don't want to be arrested for sitting on a blanket. I don't want to be choked, twisted, manhandled or locked up. Since March 3, 1991 I have been afraid to stay in the park after dark for fear of the police.

Under penalty of perjury,

March ____, 1991,

Karin Love Cartwright
2817 11^th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001