Protests heat up as arrest made
By Jesse Phelps

Ojai resident Mac Lojowski took his message to the streets, literally, on Monday, after hearing the new intentions of President George W. Bush to proceed with the war on Iraq. Lojowski, with a bird cage containing an American flag and a hand-made sign with the words, "Wake the (expletive) Up! America's problems won't be solved in Iraq," staged a one-man sit-in in the middle of Ojai Avenue between the Arcade and Libby Park for roughly half an hour before he was hauled away by police.

Passing motorists hailed or jeered Lojowski in various ways as detectives on scene attempted to persuade him to move out of the road. Some flipped him the thumbs-up, others another finger, another direction. A passing student began a "No War!" chant. An older gentleman commented, "Why don't you go protest in Normandy!"

One woman thanked the arresting officers as they put Lojowski in the squad car, saying, "Thanks, officers, for getting him off the street with that profanity."

Seated for several minutes, unobstructed, Lojowski was finally confronted by a pair of detectives who pulled their car into the median in front of him. "Keep moving," said Detective Joe Evans to the seated Lojowski. "What's it gonna help? I mean, you could sit on the sidewalk all day long and show your sign to a lot more motorists for a lot longer than if you're sitting here."

"I'm not moving," Lojowski responded, eyes straight ahead. "It's my street as much as it's anybody's street. I don't believe the streets are only for the cars, I believe they're for the people."

"There's laws against you sitting in the middle of the road," said Evans.

"I'm prepared to face the consequences of those laws," Lojowski responded.

"It sounds like you're pretty set on making your statement," Evans eventually replied after more back and forth. "Good for you. I kind of applaud that. I wish you'd do it in a little bit better way so you get a better statement across."

Shortly thereafter, a black and white arrived and within minutes, Lojowski was cuffed, dragged, and secured.

Before the police interceded, Lojowski explained the rationale behind his methods. "This afternoon the United States decided that they were no longer gonna go through the united nations to seek approval," he said. "Actually this is a very bad decision and a very undemocratic one and I believe that this is an unjust war."

Evans said the arrest was based solely on Lojowski's location in the middle of the road. "His right to protest is without a question. He can do that. But he just can't jeopardize other people's lives by parking in the street."

Lojowski said he wanted to take his protest to the next level because, "They define the terms of the debate, those in power. I'm trying to go beyond the avenues that have been set up for us. Standing on the sidewalk, petition writing, none of it matters. Bush has an agenda that he's carrying out regardless of the world of people and I feel it's important to create a crisis such as we're doing here. I see the violence that George Bush is perpetrating on the people of Iraq as, you know, a bigger terrorist threat than any regime currently presents."

© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

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