BY SUSAN LAMONT
BIRMINGHAM - Willie Evans and Donald McGhee, members of
United Steelworkers of America (USWA) Local 303L in Natchez,
Mississippi, were roughed up by police and arrested for
"disturbing the peace" February 17. Evans described what
happened in a recent telephone interview.
"We were at a job fair sponsored by the Mississippi employment service," Evans said. The fair was held at the Natchez Convention Center. "Between 40 and 50 of us went down there to pass out flyers about our strike and hold a rally in front of the Titan Tire booth." Some 200 USWA Local 303L members have been on strike since Sept. 15, 1998, fighting to defend their union and win a decent contract from Maurice Taylor, the new owner. Workers at another Titan plant in Des Moines, Iowa, are also on strike.
"At about 10:00 a.m. we began to chant in front of the Titan booth. We chanted, `Who are we? Steelworkers! What do we want? Contract,' and other chants. After 15 or 20 seconds, the police came. They told us we had to leave and so we started to leave. We were chanting as we marched out.
"We were marching out, about three wide, in a line going out the door," Evans continued. "We got to the edge of the walkway and were heading to our cars. None of the strikers were refusing police orders. But all of a sudden, they started to grab hold of individuals. Most people shifted free and left.
"But then they grabbed me, took my walking cane, twisted my left arm, and sprained my left index finger. They shoved me on the back of a car, and one policeman jumped on my back. Then five of them attacked me. I said I wasn't doing anything, but they handcuffed me and put me in a police car. At that point, one officer took my cane and waved it at other picketers, threatening them. `Back off if you know what's good for you,' the cop said. He even threatened one of the ministers who was with us."
McGhee was also arrested, when he was 200 feet from the convention center, Evans said. Both were taken down to the police station, finger printed, and booked. Meanwhile, no attempt was made to provide medical attention for Evans, who is using a cane because of an injury he sustained last September when he was struck on the picket line by a scab- driven pickup truck. Evans and McGhee are scheduled to appear in court February 24. McGhee has been arrested twice before during the strike.
"There was no reason for the police to act the way they did," Evans said. "They had no right to attack us, to handle us the way they did. We were acting in a just cause."
Evans has been active in the Titan Tire strikers' outreach activity, including a recent visit to the locked-out Crown Central Petroleum refinery workers in Texas. Evans, who is also a farmer, is working to bring farmers from his area to the March 2 rally in Washington, D.C. (see front page article).
Susan LaMont is a member of USWA Local 2122.