http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-anarchists1sep01,1,4776376.story?coll=la-home-headlines-snip-
Officials said the marchers, who did not have a permit, had ignored repeated warnings to walk two abreast on the sidewalk.
But members of the War Resisters League, which sponsored the event, complained that their march was stopped illegally, without warning and for no apparent reason.
"I don't know why I'm being arrested," shouted Neal Curley, a 17-year-old protester from Philadelphia as he was being handcuffed and led to a paddy wagon. "They haven't told us anything, and it's all confusing."
Many of those arrested were young men and women in jeans and T-shirts.
James Flynn, 27, who identified himself as a special-education teacher at Humanities Preparatory Academy in Manhattan, said he was taking photos of the demonstration for a yearbook when he was caught up in a police sweep that corralled everyone on the sidewalk.
"I had no intention of getting arrested," Flynn shouted as he sat crossed-legged on the street with other handcuffed detainees. "These people aren't anarchists. They're citizens — peaceful citizens."
Benjamin Bernard, 26, of Brooklyn said he was an observer with the National Lawyers Guild. More than 500 observers, who wear distinctive green caps, have been posted to monitor police during demonstrations this week."We were trapped," Bernard said as a police officer stood beside him. "We were obeying their orders and trying to leave when they just moved in and arrested everyone. They haven't even told us why we're being arrested."
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