CHAPTER III
The fine officers of patrol force stood before me in perfect ranks. They didn't move and neither did I, fearing that my next step may be the wrong one. I looked up, but couldn't see their faces behind the masks. Slowly and steadily I stepped back.
Shouts behind me grew louder and closer. Apparently, my accidental and unfortunate move to the Red Line was an action of activism that signaled the rest to follow – something I did not intend.
"What are you doing?" I heard Dolan calling out to me.
"I'm not!" I tried to explain, but he was too far. The crowd moved steadily forward across the street. The situation was quickly spinning out of control and I didn't know how to stop it. The harder I pushed the harder they pushed back until we stood in the middle.
"Please refrain from crossing the Red Line." One of the patrols stepped forward and faced me.
I'm not leading this…
"Please step back." His authoritative voice was clear and commanding. "You are not permitted to cross."
"We will cross where we wish!"
"We have Civilian Rights!" tension grew.
"The Civilian Rights have been suspended as of September 25. You're actions are no longer legal." The officer spoke without hesitation.
"What?"
"You are strongly advised to remain at your perimeter until farther notice." He spoke.
Until farther notice? To whom? My thought turned. I was no longer on defense, but rather joining the crowd in its disbelief and frustration.
"The Civilian Rights cannot be canceled without civilian agreement or input!" Anger hurried my words before my thoughts. The officer did not answer and headed back.
"Hey!" I yelled, but it was obvious he had no intentions of repeating himself.
This was it.
The fact that we had no rights settled upon us with dreadful silence. No one said a word.
You can always disagree and rebel, but when your rights are taken away - your courage wanes. Until now you had a legal backbone, but it has been pulled out.
Will you cross the line? Will you break the law? Are you ready to accept consequences? I knew these questions were playing in the minds of those behind me. This is a protest and that's all it was ever intended to be. I'm sure there must have been a mistake. The rights being "suspended"…I stood puzzled. At that time we were committing an illegal action and they had all the right to stop us, with force if necessary.