Local protester arrested for fourth time in DC

Harrie Farrow has been arrested four times in the past year. What do people in Eureka say about that when talking to her?

“Usually they say, ‘Thank you’,” Farrow said. “Some people call us heroes. They appreciate what we’re doing to oppose the abuses of the Trump administration.”

Her three earlier arrests were in protest to legislation designed to decimate health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Most recently, she traveled to Washington D.C. and slept on the floor of the St. Stephen’s and the Incarnation Episcopal churches, along with others who gathered to protest the U.S policy of separating children from their parents, including some seeking asylum, at the Mexican border. More than 600 women were arrested at the U.S. Hart Senate Building on June 28.

“It was one of the largest mass arrests for civil disobedience in the history of Washington, D.C.,” Farrow said.

The event Farrow attended was organized by the Women’s March, the Center for Popular Democracy and other groups. Polls have shown about 66 percent of American voters oppose the policy. Farrow and others involved in the demonstration wanted to do something to show how strongly they feel that the policy is wrong.

“I think it is horrific,” Farrow said. “It goes against any kind of human rights values anywhere in the world. It is being committed by a political party claiming to be about family values. It is frighteningly indicative of fascism. I think no matter what most people think about the current administration, this is a place where almost everybody is capable of drawing the line unless they refuse to see people who don’t look like them as also being human beings. I can’t in good conscience not do everything to try relieve the suffering of these children and their families and prevent it from happening again.”

Farrow said while the Trump administration has now stopped separating the families due to a massive worldwide outcry, they still have not worked to reunite the families as rapidly as possible, even defying court orders to do so.

In addition to the 600 arrested at the event, there were approximately 1,500 people involved all together, including many men. Women were represented from 48 states and Puerto Rico.

Three women from Arkansas were arrested in addition to Farrow – Betty Adkins, Eureka Springs; Donna K. Curtis, Harrison; and Karen Musick, Little Rock. There were three other women from Arkansas providing support at the protest who chose not to participate in civil disobedience.

“We were there to do civil disobedience knowing we were risking arrest,” Farrow said. “We were charged with violating D.C. Code section 22-1307 prohibiting crowding, obstructing or incommoding. Basically, we were preventing the Senate from being able to conduct business because of the disturbance. Our actions definitely put a halt to any kind of activity at the time.”

After the women sat down, taking up most of the space in the Senate chamber, they covered themselves in the type of silver space blanket that customs agents gave children as bedding material. That gave a visual message, to add to the chants and shouting coming from the group. There was a video of the protest with more than a million views that shows women draped in the blankets chanting. In that video, Farrow can clearly be seen as being in the process of getting arrested.

Farrow happened to be one of the first 100 to get arrested because she was on an outer ring close to the offices of Arkansas Sen. John Boozman.

“I got through security early so I could visit Boozman’s office before the arrests,” she said. “There were some teachers from Arkansas waiting to speak with Boozman. They were excited when they found out I was part of the protest. Moments before I got arrested I talked to Jace Motley of Boozman’s staff to ask him to convey that we appreciated Sen. Boozman joining 12 other senators in a statement opposing the separation of families at the border, but emphatically encourage him to also act on those words.”

During the protest in the Hart Building, there were big banners draped from the balconies. Senators coming out to encourage the protesters during the event included Sen. Tammy Duckworth, the first U.S. Senator to give birth while in office and who had her baby with her, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts, who came out and waved and chanted with the women. Also, encouraging the protesters were Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, New York, and Sen. Mazie Hirono, Hawaii. Rep. Pramila Jayapal from Washington State was arrested with the other protesters.

Prior to arrest, there was a rally at Freedom Plaza followed by 1,500 people marching to the Department of Justice where they chanted and listened to speakers. Then they marched to the Hart building – all in scorching heat.

The protesters also had to stand in the heat while being processed after the arrest.

“Because there were so many of us being arrested and they aren’t prepared to process that many at one time, they streamlined the process by, for example, not even putting us in handcuffs or putting us in detention,” Farrow said. “They marched us into the park across the street and we waited in terrible heat until they checked our driver’s license for any outstanding warrants. They had tables and tables and Capitol police officers lined up to process us. Then we had to pay a $50 fine within 15 days.”

Farrow stayed on another couple of days to also participate in the Families Belong Together non-civil disobedience rally and march on June 30. She said that despite the high temperatures, the rally drew a massive crowd.

Farrow said in all the actions she has attended, she’s met fascinating people and heard amazing stories. In June and July of 2017, she attended three civil disobedience actions. She was arrested in one and provided support for two others.

“Twice in December 2017 I was arrested protesting the GOP tax scam bill which, among many other atrocities threatened healthcare by eliminating the individual mandate,” said Farrow, who is running for District 3 Carroll County Justice of the Peace. “The second arrest was for a more serious crime. I was one of twelve people who stood up in the Senate gallery and shouted protests during the Senate vote on the bill just after midnight on the 19th.

Farrow is communications director of Indivisible Eureka Springs.