Brutalized, With a Smile

Sorry, Ramstein. Mother Sheehan won't be protesting you after all.

Sheehan is due to arrive in Frankfurt on Thursday. Despite uncertainty clouding Sheehan's visit, protesters and counterprotesters still plan to gather outside Ramstein Air Base on Saturday afternoon.

Sheehan was arrested Monday in New York City outside the U.S. mission to the United Nations when she and other protesters attempted to deliver a petition calling for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Her condition raises doubts as to whether she will make the trip to Germany and France.

"If I am there, I won't be anywhere near the air force base ... or participate in the march," wrote Sheehan on Wednesday. "I was brutalized in New York the other day by the NYPD (New York Police Department) and I need to go to the doctor today (Wednesday)."

Perhaps Sheehan's injuries resulted from police brutality, but if that occurred, no one else seemed to have noticed, except for Sheehan ally al-Jazeera, which found something else repulsive about the event. I'll let you guess what:

No muffin tops in Mecca, kids.

Sheehan was part of a miniscule gaggle of anti-war activists (a dozen total), four of which were arrested Monday as they blocked the doors to U.S. Mission to the United Nations. The four were arrested for criminal trespassing and resisting arrest.

Was Cindy Sheehan "brutalized" as she claimed to the media? She hasn't filed a complaint against the police force, nor has anyone other than Sheehan made the allegation despite heavy press coverage of the event, but you be the judge of these pictures of the arrest pulled from Yahoo!

Sheehan is pulled away from the other protestors who have locked arms and legs with her. You can see someone's right hand grasping tightly to Sheehan's left thigh, and the same protestor locking both legs around both of Sheehan's legs. Sheehan appears to be holding on tightly to her fellow protestors with her left hand as well, as a police officer, screen by another officer, attempts to separate Sheehan by pulling on her right arm. There is a grimace on Sheehan's face, but I think it is one resulting from her determination not to let go of her friends rather than any brutality by the police.

A police officer controls Sheehan and reaches for his handcuffs after Sheehan is separated from her group. Note he is not being rough on her, or using force or a great degree of leverage against her. His control consists of grabbing a handful of fabric. There is no brutality evident, except in the face of the police officers, who appear to have become nauseous for some unexplained reason.

I'm starting to appreciate the photo-editing of al-Jazeera, if not their editorial slant. As Sheehan is being led away, she has a grim smile on her face, but does not appear to be in any physical pain. Note the officer on the left escorting her only has his hand lightly looped around Sheehan's arm.

Sheehan's smile persists as she is led away by the same officer as in the previous photo, who appears to be far more bored than abusive.

Was Cindy Sheehan exposed to police brutality as she was arrested? Not in any way that any sane or sober person would note. Could she have been injured during her arrest? Possibly, but any blame for that is surely shared by Cindy and her fellow protestors, who locked limbs and attempted to resist arrest, while police used only necessary force to disengage them and affect arrests.

Cindy Sheehan appears to be fabricating her story of police brutality to bring herself more attention.

Shocking, I know.