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May Day incites anti-capitalist demonstration on Mill Avenue

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The first day in May holds two meanings:

The ancient Greek holiday May Day, held to welcome the coming of spring, is celebrated by gathering wildflowers and weaving floral garlands.

A crowd of about 150 demonstrators Thursday night on Mill Avenue opted to recognize the day's second holiday, the Communist workers' day.

"Because of your shopping, bombs are dropping," shouted demonstration leader Elizabeth Venable through a bullhorn to patrons shopping inside the Abercrombie & Fitch clothing store.

Venable, a 23-year-old ASU plant biology undergraduate from Phoenix, was arrested around 8 p.m. in front of Z Gallerie, located at 740 S. Mill Ave., on the charge of obstructing a public sidewalk, which carries a $150 bond. Venable was being held at the North Tempe Police Station on Thursday, said Tempe police Sgt. Dan Masters.

After failing to comply with numerous warnings not to block the sidewalk, she was taken into custody, Masters said. Venable has been politically active ASU as president of the East Timor Action Network.

Officers did issue several warnings to activists who blocked sidewalks and delayed traffic, but Venable was the only person arrested by 9 p.m. when the demonstration began to dissipate, Masters added.

"I'm just here to commemorate the workers. We want to talk to the people about workers' rights," said Tom Hinchion, 39, of Tempe. Hinchion, clad in red, was among a group of about 75 people who gathered at Jaycee Park, located at the corner of Fifth Street and Hardy Drive.

The protesters encountered police before the events started. Squads of horse-mounted officers waited nearby as motorcycle and bicycle officers in groups of eight cruised up and down Fifth Street.

More than 100 officers patrolled the demonstration, Masters said.

"Our primary mission will be to preserve and restore peace and the protection of life and property," Masters added.

If an uncontrollable situation were to break out, Masters said officers would be given plastic riot shields and others would be armed with rifles. He added that police would also use rubber projectile weapons.

The march toward Mill Avenue started around 6:45 p.m. as the demonstrators were flanked by police officers and onlookers.

Chants against capitalism, the police and corporate media filled the air as neighbors crept out of their homes with video cameras.

As the marchers moved down Mill Avenue, they were met with a variety of stares and comments, from thumbs-up sign of a man sitting on the street to the taunts of "stop crying" from patrons sitting in the patio of Hooters, located at 501 S. Mill Ave.

Following Venable's arrest, some demonstrators taunted the police officers who immediately surrounded the area.

Protesters left the corner soon after officers drew Taser guns.

At around 8:30 p.m., members of the crowd, which swelled to nearly 200 people at one point, began to pack up their signs and plastic drums and march back toward Jaycee Park.

Reach the reporter at jeffrey.hoodzow@asu.edu.

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Media Credit: Ryan Eilders


[Above] Elizabeth Venable, a plant biology undergraduate student at ASU, was the only demonstrator arrested at the May Day protest. Police came out in droves [below] with a force of 100 to regulate a crowd of 150.


A demonstrator bangs a drum to anti-capitalist-, police- and corporate-media chants.


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