I’m 68 years old, and have been a “good girl” all my life. But this past Friday I turned into an activist and had myself arrested for the cause. I joined a small group of 99ers and members of the long-term unemployed, who gathered in front of the building housing the Dept. of Labor’s unemployment office to tell Congress to “Get to work so that we can get to work.”

Congress was set to return to session on November 15th, after granting itself 45 days off for campaigning, leaving less than a week to pass vital unemployment legislation. On November 30th, current UI benefit extensions will expire and 200,000 New Yorkers will be left without a safety net. Additionally, Senator Debbie Stabenow’s bill, the Americans Want to Work Act (S.3706) — which would create another 20 weeks of benefits, or a Tier V, for 4.5 million 99ers — needs to be brought to the floor for a vote. Neither seems likely.

Chanting “We need a J-O-B so we can “E-A-T,” and “Bail out the people, not the banks,” our group continued demonstrating for about an hour. Then four of us, including myself, walked into the middle of street and sat down, refusing to get up. Traffic was unable to move; cars were honking. A police officer came over to read us our rights and asked us to get up, or face arrest. We refused. The same officer then read us another statement. We stated we would comply, rose, kept our hands in clear sight, and then put them behind our backs. Several cops came and placed a set of plastic handcuffs over our wrists and lead us to the paddy wagon.

There was nothing to worry about. This had all been pre-arranged with the NYPD, beginning with the proper permits for assembly and sound. Our trip to the precinct was short and processing the paperwork, and giving each of us a summons, took less than an hour. And, no, this will not appear on our records (in case someone is concerned this would affect any future employment). We were released and told to return on January 24th.

So simple, it seemed, yet daring. Why did we go through this? Because more than 15 million Americans are still unable find work, as well as suitable work, and so many of them have lost their homes and their savings. The unemployed need to be heard. We chose to commit a peaceful act of civil disobedience on Friday, to cause our arrest. The media was there to capture it all and put it on the news. Here’s one video, from ABC-TV Eyewitness News.

I’d do it again, any day.

By Yvonne Fitzner, Contributing Writer & Member