Demonstration participants and DeKalb authorities commented about arrests which occured during Wednesday’s protest of the U.S. military involvement in Honduras and aid to the Contras.

“We (members of the DeKalb Interfaith Network and the John Lennon Society) planned a non-violent, peaceful protest of President Reagan’s actions in sending the troops to Honduras,” Interfaith member Cele Meyer said.

The arrests began when demonstrators were asked by police to stop writing on the sidewalk outside of the DeKalb Armed Forces Recruiting Center, 205 N. Second St.

One member was arrested on a charge of criminal damage to property. Three other arrests quickly followed after a confrontation between demonstrators and police when protestors blocked the road in front of the center.

Participants arrested included NIU students Jim Fabris and Barry Williams and DeKalb Senior High School student Andy Shankman. Another NIU student, Julia Morrisroe, 27, said she also was arrested during the incident.

After the arrests, Meyer admonished the group to “remember at all times we are a nonviolent group.”

“Our fight is not with the police,” Meyer said. “Our protest is aimed at U.S. military involvement in Central America.”

Following the arrests, the demonstrators marched to the DeKalb Municipal Building, where police were holding the four demonstrators. Some of the doors were locked and police barred the entrance of the building.

“(The) concern was they (the demonstrators) were coming to protest the arrest,” DeKalb Mayor Greg Sparrow said. “There was no reason that the doors had to be locked,” he said.

In front of the building, Interfaith members spoke on behalf of the arrested demonstrators to DeKalb Police Chief Joseph Maciejewski, who defended the actions of the police.

“How can you say you are a peaceful group when you are advocating defacing property?” he asked Interfaith members Wednesday. “After I tell the guy (Shankman) to desist (from writing in chalk on the sidewalk), he does it anyway.”

The police department said Maciejewski refused further comment Thursday.

But some Interfaith members argued that the arrests were an unnecessary precaution.

“It appeared to me that if the police had not intervened, the kids would have written all the slogans on the sidewalk and left,” said Eric Dale, campus minister for United Campus Ministries. “Chalk will wash off in a week.”

Later that day, Sparrow said police had reason to arrest members of the demonstration.

“If you’re going to break the law, you’re going to get arrested,” Sparrow said. “They were given as low of a charge as possible.

“If the organization or group loses control, the police need to control it,” he said.

“We’ve had joint marches (between Interfaith members and the John Lennon Society) before, and this is the first time we’ve had an incident,” Meyer said.

Shankman has a prior arrest record. On March 18, police arrested him on a charge of writing political slogans on posters and walls of the center. According to the police report, Shankman caused about $400 in damage.

Last year, Shankman sued DeKalb Senior High School for suspending him after he placed nuclear freeze posters on school walls. The case was settled out of court.