July 12th, 2006 11:31 pm
Hundreds turn out to support war protester

By Christy Strawser / http://www.dailytribune.com/stories/071106/loc_protester001.shtml - Daily Tribune

FERNDALE, MI -- If police hoped to quiet Monday afternoons at Nine Mile and Woodward by arresting war protester Victor Kittila last week and charging him with disorderly conduct -- they failed.

Several hundred people clustered there Monday and filled every side of the intersection holding signs and banners protesting George W. Bush and the Iraq War.

Before the arrest, 20-30 protesters usually showed up.

"We're in support of fighting that arrest," said Phyllis Livermore of Birmingham. "It was outrageous."

Many said it was their first time at the anti-war event, which started four years ago and happens around 4:45-5:45 p.m. every Monday.

"In a way, this was a good thing," Livermore said. "This many people are never here."

Last Monday Kittila, 55, was arrested in front of his wife and their 13-year-old daughter and threatened with a Taser if he resisted. Police Chief Michael Kitchen said he was arrested for holding a sign that inspired drivers to honk their horns.

Ferndale city code says it's illegal to "incite people to sound their horn when not reasonably necessary."

Police said they had warned protesters about the signs several weeks ago because it disturbed other drivers on the busy thoroughfare. Nine Mile and Woodward is the hub of downtown Ferndale, an area with no homes, but many restaurants, bars and retail shops.

"They were warned a couple of weeks ago, they decided to test it, evidently," Kitchen said last week.

Protesters took a different view.

"I had to ask 'Is this America?'" said Mary Johnston of Farmington Hills.

Kittila said he had changed his sign to say 'Ferndale police say don't honk if you want Bush out'" after the warning, but people still responded by honking. Kittila's wife had to pay $500 bail to get him out of jail after his arrest; a court date has not been set.

But his arrest failed to deter a group of teens from Grosse Pointe who held up signs urging drivers to honk against the war.

"I'm not afraid," said Michael Fenton, 18, of Grosse Pointe. "No one told me specifically I could not hold this sign."

Kittila walked through the crowd, accepting pats on the back and meeting old friends, and he said that he was afraid for the people thumbing their noses at the law.

"I'm happy and surprised that this many people are here," he said while holding a sign that said 'no blood for oil'. "But we don't want to cause trouble. I think Ferndale supports us, they know what we're doing out here."

His words were born out by the number of thumbs-up signs, peace signs -- and honks -- drivers bestowed on protesters.