Eight Claremont College students were among 400 protestors who volunteered for arrest by Washington, DC police on Monday during meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

The DC Metropolitan Police had established a barricade near the IMF building and after some tension, during which police used pepper spray, the protestors were apparently offered the chance to line up row-by-row and cross the barricade, at which point they would be arrested. This led to the arrest of several hundred people including the eight Claremont students.

One arrested student, Peter Steele PI ‘03, was released from jail on Tuesday, but the time of the others’ discharges are unknown.

The Claremont group of students arrived in the nation’s capital last week to join thousands of other activists intent on shutting down meetings at the offices of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank in protest of these organization’s policies on intercontinental lending and trade. While failing to close the meetings, the protestors managed to spark public awareness of issues dealing with the IMF and World Bank.

Protestors fear that globalization, or the integration of national economy into countries, is benefiting some nations at the cost of others and worsening the gap between rich and poor.

Despite some fears that these protests would be a re-enactment of Seattle’s chaotic demonstrations against the World Trade Organization last December, activities seemed to have ended peacefully in these negotiated arrests. However, students who attended the protests say they witnessed incidents of police brutality and suspect abuse to people currently held in jail.

According to Tobiah Gaster ‘03, who participated in demonstrations in D.C. and Seattle, the activists still kept under arrest in D.C. jails are practicing solidarity.

"They’re demanding that all the arrested be released together without any charge or fine," Gaster said. "They are also not giving any names away."

Gaster, who was arrested during the Seattle protests, feels "proud" of the students and other protestors in jail.

"Their arrests are symbolic because they show that we are willing to put ourselves on the line for our beliefs," he said. "[Their going to jail] is the ultimate form of passion. They feel so strongly about something that involves the whole planet."

Although Gaster is worried about his friends in jail, he believes that they will ultimately benefit from the experience.

"I know that the Washington, DC jail is not a pleasant place," he said. "They’re not being treated well. They’re in a city they don’t know. It’s scary. But they will come out stronger. Things will become clearer as they realize that the state can put you in jail for this."

Rudy Babouder SC ’00, who was also an active participant in both protests, is also confident that the students in jail will emerge from their experiences stronger. She has been receiving updates on their conditions from the Midnight Special Law Collective, the legal team representing many of the protestors.

"I know they’re tired, but they’re strong people," she said. "I know that the people at the protests are really community-oriented people. They’ll take care of each other."

According to Babouder, the police were much more prepared and less violent than at the Seattle incident.

"The D.C. authorities were really trying hard," Babouder said. "They really wanted to make sure this was not a case of chaos and outright police brutality like in Seattle."

Babouder witnessed outbreaks of police brutality throughout the days of the protests as police arrested a total of about 1300 activists. She remembers especially the events of Monday morning when about 200 protestors were "violently" arrested.

"They were surrounded, beaten and sprayed," she said. "[The other students and I] saw it coming and left. We heard about it hours later. They were trying to corner us. It was an intense, scary situation."

Babouder recalls a particular moment of misconduct by the DC authorities.

"The U.S. Marshals and cops got a little violent," she said. "They kept spraying people right in their faces. One guy came running up to us completely red because his face was burning. He had jumped into a fountain to cool himself. He asked ‘Do you have water?’ because he was in lots of pain. We called for the medic."

Babouder, however, notes that the policemen were much more willing to negotiate.

"We told them ‘If we’re not going to get violent, why should you? Lift off your masks and put on your badges,’" she said. "They eventually took off their masks and put on their badges. It was a great breakthrough in negotiation. Their willingness to negotiate with us was epitomized by the peaceful voluntary arrest [on Monday]."

Although she had "never liked cops," Babouder found herself for the first time talking to and getting along with cops.

Gaster also noticed that police conduct varied.

"Some policemen were brutal, but I also had nice conversations with some who really supported what the protestors were doing," he said.

Gaster was amazed at the level of community warmth and interaction in the streets. Although Sunday and Monday were the days of the major protests, Gaster said there were small protests against other organizations such as The Gap, teach-ins, seminars and lectures.

"It was an incredible environment with dancing, puppeteering and street dancing," he said. "Everybody was opening up their houses to us. There were people giving out free food, directions and places to stay.

There were thousands and thousands of intelligent, articulate people gathered to say we don’t have to live this way. It was an attack on consumerism and consumer capitalism. It’s a revolution of the consensus. There is no hierarchy."

Gaster believes that one of the main goals of shutting down the meetings wasn’t accomplished due to the delegates’ great efforts to avoid the protestors.

"We didn’t shut down the conference because the delegates slept there overnight and some were helicoptered in," he said. "They began the meeting at 4:30 a.m. This shows that they are hiding from us and trying to have meetings in secret."

The Washington Post reported that police shuttled delegates into the meetings in the early hours of the morning, before the bulk of protestors showed up on the streets.

Babouder said that a lot of organization went into the formation of a human block around the offices where the meetings were taking place.

"We made a human chain for blocks around the World Bank," she said. "Very few delegates could get through the human chain. They were getting frustrated, running around and talking to cops trying to get in. It took a lot of organization to figure out where and how to barricade."

Despite their efforts, only four delegates were delayed from participating in IMF meetings on Sunday.

Gaster believes that his participation in the protests at D.C. have helped him to center his beliefs.

"The protests showed me that thousands of other people also think the way I do," he said. "This is a rat race we live in and the box we’re socialized into is not for me."

However, he does not believe that the demonstrations are quite finished.

Gaster said, "You know what they say. Demonstrations are not over until the last person gets out of jail."