On Monday a father and son went shopping at a mall outside of Albany. The trip ended with the father arrested and in handcuffs.

The two had bought anti-war t-shirts at the mall. Stephen Downs shirt read “Give Peace a Chance” and “Peace on Earth.” His son, Roger, had a shirt read “Let Inspections Work” and “No War With Iraq.”

After buying the t-shirts. They put them on. And went to eat in the food court. That’s when a mall security guard approach the two and requested they remove the shirts. Stephen said no. The mall called the police. And soon Stephen was in handcuffs, arrested on trespassing charges which could result in two weeks in jail.

Yesterday 150 peace supporters gathered at the mall to protest. Everyone was wearing peace t-shirts. There were no arrests.

Within hours the mall called the police to request the trespassing charges be dropped. We talk to Roger Downs and Erin O’Brien, who organized yesterday’s protest.

• Roger Downs, threatened with arrest for wearing a shirt that read “Let the Inspections Work” and “No War With Iraq.”
• Erin O’Brien, organizer of Guilderland shopping mall protest