2. Second contact

"Ok men. As I expected, I got the brush-off at the Mayor’s office. So now it’s time for the next step." said John Smith.

To remind you of why we're doing this... In this step we’re going to do something minor that will get us arrested. We will use this as an introduction to the people in charge of the City, as well as the other residents, and as a means to calibrate their response.

What we’re going to do is to setup a food bank at the park. They will tell us to leave and we will refuse. Then we get arrested. Beforehand, we will notify the media that there’s going to be a show in the park.

Labor Squad. You all will carry the table and chairs and sign and boxes in the cart.

Media Squad. You call the local TV, radio, and newspapers and remind them to be sure to be there to film the fun. Tell them the basic purpose is that we want to solicit donations of non-perishable food. Determine a collection of supermarkets and other public spaces where we can post flyers.

Legal Squad. You stand by to ensure that we behave within our limits (ie. We break the small laws but not the big ones, that nobody interferes with our filming.) Make sure you properly document our property that is confiscated.

Latrine Squad. We need you there. Even though you are guardians of the Chamber Pot, we keep that pot near the food bank. Covered and discrete so it doesn’t disturb anybody but near enough so that it is seized with all the rest of the booth. We will want it saved as evidence.

Arrest Squad. You men run the boopth and get arrested.

Chuckwagon. You're needed.

Ok, so, here's the plan...

5:00 pm the day before. Media squad hangs flyers and alerts the media.

9:00 am the next morning. We all go to the park and setup the booth. As people come by and donate whatever food they have, some of it will be perishable. Chuckwagon takes the perishable food away because we’ll eat it for lunch or eat it soon. No need for it to be confiscated and spoil in the evidence locker. We also take a portion of the donated food away as well. Again, it’s good to stockpile this and we don’t want it tied up in an evidence locker. On the other hand, we do need some piles of non-perishable items sitting on the booth to remind people to donate as well as something to be seized with arrest.

We also introduce our organization in order to find interested and sympathetic outsiders.

10:30am park police come by and see what’s going on.

Hello, what’s going on here?

Good morning officer, nothing’s “going on.” Is there a problem?

There’s an ordinance against soliciting charitable donations in the park. You also need a permit from the City to setup your booth for whatever permissible purpose you might have. Do you have a permit to do this?

No.

Then I’ll have to ask you all to leave.

"Before you ask us to leave I’d like to ask that we speak to the Mayor about this. Perhaps a brief chat with him will clear everything up" said the Legal Squad.

"This has nothing to do with the Mayor" said the police officer. "If you don’t have a permit then you’ll have to leave."

"What happens if they don’t leave?" asked the Legal Squad.

"Who are you all?" asked the police officer.

We’re their Brothers.

Then I’ll have to call for backup and they’ll be cited for trespassing.

The Arrest Squad does not have have a permit for doing this and the police tell the squad to leave. Legal squad argues with the police for a while, but in the end, the police demand that the arrest squad leave. The squad refuses to leave. The police arrest the four men of the Arrest squad.