Paleeze Police - in progress

The police have actually been better than incredible in D.C. – that is the Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police – there are 5 different police departments in D.C. Besides these two just mentioned, there are the Secret Police, the Homeland Security Police, not to forget the National Park Police – the latter being okay also.

The Capitol & City Police have not just tolerated our presence here in D.C. – they’ve welcomed us & tried to make the way easy. On many occasions, individual police officers have told us they personally support everything we’re doing. The times we’ve committed illegal acts inside the halls of congressional buildings, they’ve slowly tried to herd us toward the doors. They have a hard time not breaking into a full grin, especially when we’re singing “we don’t want your dirty war machine, your dirty war machine, your dirty war machine” thru the halls. The acoustics are so fabulous in these beautifully crafted, marble-floored & walled old buildings – even we, without one singer amongst us, sound wonderful!

All that said, there are still individual police who come up with the most silly, off-the-wall ‘rules’ – reiterating one of the first rules of negotiating with the police: know your rights & inform the police.

Some of the things we’ve been told:

1) You are not allowed to protest on Capitol Hill
2) You cannot stand on the sidewalk & protest
3) You have to be 100 yards from a federal building in order to protest
4) You have to keep moving in order to protest
5) You have to stand still in order to protest
6) You need a permit to carry a sign on Capitol Hill
7) You need a permit to stand together singing on Capitol Hill
8) You can’t walk up and down the stairs if you want to protest
9) You cannot stand in the street (which is shut off from vehicle traffic, baring police & official cars, and the only place you can stand) in front of the White House & protest
10) You need a permit to protest
The police have actually been better than incredible in D.C. – that is the Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police – there are 5 different police departments in D.C. Besides these two just mentioned, there are the Secret Police, the Homeland Security Police, not to forget the National Park Police – the latter being okay also.

The Capitol & City Police have not just tolerated our presence here in D.C. – they’ve welcomed us & tried to make the way easy. On many occasions, individual police officers have told us they personally support everything we’re doing. The times we’ve committed illegal acts inside the halls of congressional buildings, they’ve slowly tried to herd us toward the doors. They have a hard time not breaking into a full grin, especially when we’re singing “we don’t want your dirty war machine, your dirty war machine, your dirty war machine” thru the halls. The acoustics are so fabulous in these beautifully crafted, marble-floored & walled old buildings – even we, without one singer amongst us, sound wonderful!

All that said, there are still individual police who come up with the most silly, off-the-wall ‘rules’ – reiterating one of the first rules of negotiating with the police: know your rights & inform the police.

Some of the things we’ve been told:

1) You are not allowed to protest on Capitol Hill
2) You cannot stand on the sidewalk & protest
3) You have to be 100 yards from a federal building in order to protest
4) You have to keep moving in order to protest
5) You have to stand still in order to protest
6) You need a permit to carry a sign on Capitol Hill
7) You need a permit to stand together singing on Capitol Hill
8) You can’t walk up and down the stairs if you want to protest
9) You cannot stand in the street (which is shut off from vehicle traffic, baring police & official cars, and the only place you can stand) in front of the White House & protest
10) You need a permit to protest