Oct. 1, 1996

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Use common sense when dealing with protesters

A group of protesters may try to block commuter traffic to the Laboratory on Wednesday, but personnel in the Laboratory's Special Projects Office are reminding employees to keep cool heads if such a traffic blockade arises.

"We want to remind employees to avoid confrontation," said Bill Sprouse of the Special Projects Office. "The Laboratory has been working closely with law enforcement agencies, and we are prepared to deal with whatever happens on Wednesday."

Sprouse said protests are protected under the First Amendment, but employees also have the right to a safe and harassment-free workplace. In addition, protesters cannot legally obstruct traffic.

"But if they do, we want to make sure that employees don't try to take the law into their own hands," said Sprouse. "If the road is blocked, employees should do everything they can to avoid confrontation. They shouldn't try to remove the roadblock. If the road is blocked, sit tight and let the police handle the situation. A short delay is much better than injury or confrontation."

If media are present, protesters sometimes want to create a confrontation to make Laboratory employees look bad, said Sprouse. But Wednesday's blockade probably will remain nonconfrontational because the event is slated to coincide with the birth of Mohandas Gandhi and is billed as a nonviolent protest.

A Special Projects Office member will monitor the protest if it happens, he said, and the office will do all it can to alert managers at sites that may be affected.

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