By now, anyone in Central Florida not cut off from all media knows that a group of animal rights protesters was arrested outside Sea World yesterday, April 5th. However, that's not the end of the story. Today, six of the arrestees were arraigned at the 33rd St. courthouse and released. After receiving a host of email from various sources, we decided to look further into the allegations that a member of the media had been a contributing factor to the escalation from protest to mass arrests.

To recap events on the day of the arrest (and many of these details are in contention), the group of 30 plus protesters amassed on a strip of Orange County property outside Sea World. According to James Solomons, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Office, protest organizers had contacted police for a permit to demonstrate (necessary for protest groups of over 25 members), but they had not received the permit. He claims that the students had received permission from Sea World to protest in one particular area; however, Sea World representative Nick Gollattscheck denies that permission was given - since the students were on county land, it was a county matter. In any event, Solomons states that the students were observed but not interfered with by high-ranking officers on the scene.

When the students left the "designated area", crossing the Central Florida Parkway to a different position on a "county right of way", Solomons says they were warned at least one time that they would be arrested if they did not depart the area in ten minutes. After a huddle the students began moving back to their vehicles. At this time, the officers in charge made the decision to arrest only the organizers of the event.

Here's where the facts become unclear. By this time, most of the television press had departed, but a latecomer to the scene was an Orlando Sentinel photographer. Upon his arrival, he spoke to the police observers, then with the protesters preparing to leave. A second vote was taken, and the group began returning to the offending spot near a sign of Sea World to have their picture taken. Who's idea was this return? The Sentinel claims that the protesters suggested the photo, but those released from today's arraignment unanimously insist that the photographer suggested the photo under the sign. Some protesters even feel that they were "set up".

The result of the decision was the arrival of an Orange County ERT (Emergency Response Team) who had been on alert for rumored attacks on a "different location". A released protester, Lawrence Carter-Long of the Animal Protection Institute, says the team of 30 deputies arrived in 10 cars and 2 vans and arrested 37 protesters. Those arrested were charged with unlawful assembly without a permit, and a few for passively resisting arrest (letting their bodies go totally limp, forcing officers to carry them). Bail was set at $250. 31 of the arrested youths bailed out. One student, Greg Rivera of the UCF chapter of Campus Action for Animals (CAA) refused bail. He and another 5 were released on their own recognizance. According to arrested protester Gloria, the majority of the group refused food and drink until they were released.

Solomons maintains that the Orange County deputies had no desire to arrest the students for a basically exemplary protest: "None of the kids were a problem. They were not a bad crowd. They were just in the wrong place." He says that once arrest warnings had been issued, the officers were forced to follow through when the warnings were ignored. Sea World also claims that it has no interest in seeing the protesters jailed. Gollattscheck says that while the attraction wouldn't permit the protesters on their property, the organization "respect(s) the right for them to do it on public land."

One organizer of the protest group, Susan McCollum, intends to file a Title 42 violation of civil rights suit against the county.

--Dan Leeds and Natalie Goluba

Dan Leeds I may have broken the dreaded 30 threshold, but internally I still feel like I stopped getting older some time around 25 or so. Yea, I've become more responsible and maybe even a little more ambitious, but not so much that I've lost track of my guiding ideals or my ability to play. While getting older may be inevitable, aging is much more relative. What else is there? :) Other Articles I've Written