A day to have their say
Protesters in Duncan convey message about Halliburton peacefully
BY JARED KALTWASSER STAFF WRITER JKALTWASSER@LAWTON-CONSTITUTION.COM
DUNCAN — The protesters, the police, and ah yes, the shareholders all showed up in force Wednesday at Duncan’s Simmons Center. And though they disagree about some major issues, all sides spent the warm spring morning coexisting peacefully. Just over 200 shareholders, more than double the attendance at last year’s meeting in Houston, showed up at the Simmons Center for Halliburton Company’s annual shareholders’ meeting. Outside, around 130 protesters greeted them with signs, jeers and chants of “shame.” Meanwhile, a large coalition of police officers, sheriffs deputies and highway patrol troopers monitored the scene, mostly from a distance. “Everything actually went pretty smoothly,” said Duncan Police Lt. Jimmie Richey. “We are very satisfied with the way everything turned out.” Richey could not go into detail about the number of law enforcement personnel, but he did say his side was “well manned.” Sixteen protesters were arrested; however, all went peacefully, crossing from the designated protest area to the custody of police in a planned and publicized act of civil
disobedience. Protesters had prepared an “indictment” of Halliburton chairman and chief executive officer David Lesar, and informed police they planned on attempting to enter the Simmons Center to perform a citizens’ arrest. Prior to leaving the demonstration site, where they were fenced in by orange, plastic netting, leaders of the movement warned their fellow protesters of the certain consequence of participating in the symbolic action, telling people to only participate if they were prepared to be arrested. One of those prepared for just that was Ivan Hutchcroft of Oklahoma City. He said he brought bond money with him to post after his arrest. “It’s simply a matter of right and wrong and it’s something I feel pretty strongly about,” said Hutchcroft, standing with a pensive look on his face a few minutes before he would march to his arrest. Hutchcroft said he is upset with what he sees as Halliburton’s “war profiteering,” and he argued that the company was doing a poor job in Iraq, short-changing its employees. For Hutchcroft, who has spent his career on the other side of the picket line, the act of being arrested was a sobering reversal of roles, but one he said was worth it. “I retired from law enforcement,” he said. “But if we get some publicity for our cause, it is a positive thing. Then, it is a small price to pay.” Richey said 15 of the arrested protesters were charged with violation of their protest permits, because they left the designated protest area. One protester, who cut a hole in the orange fencing for protesters to walk through, was charged with destruction of private property. Richey said as of Wednesday afternoon, all 16 had bonded out or pleaded guilty. He said they would face a small fine for their misdemeanors, which he likened to a traffic ticket. The whole thing seemed silly to Duncan lawyer Jan Gaddis. Gaddis spent the morning holding a sign that read “I support Halliburton,” becoming the lone pro-Halliburton picketer to show up at the event. “I’m a one-man band,” she said, preparing to leave for work. She said though she has no personal ties to Halliburton, she believes it is a great and important company. “I have at least had the opportunity, through my business, to deal with employees of at least part of the company, and the product they produce is remarkable,” she said. “Nobody else does it.” Gaddis looked on in disbelief as police began leading away the arrested protesters. “I think this is juvenile,” she said. Inside the building, Halliburton executives said they were aware of the protesters outside, but they were not particularly bothered by them. “I cannot help the fact that my predecessor is currently vice president of the United States,” Lesar said, referring to former Halliburton chief executive Dick Cheney. “I respect their views. I disagree with most, if not all of them, (but) God love ‘em. This is America.” And though the two sides disagreed mightily over the direction they believe the country is headed, all sides seemed to rest Wednesday in the agreement that free speech was of critical importance to their country, no matter how opposed their politics are.
RANDY STOTLER/STAFF ABOVE: Duncan lawyer Jan Gaddis was content to be an army of one in support of Halliburton. She said Halliburton is an asset to Duncan and a great company. She felt so strongly, she paid $20 to purchase a permit for the right to protest.
RANDY STOTLER/STAFF A protester wearing a George W. Bush mask is lead away by a Duncan police officer after leaving Wednesday’s designated protest area in a symbolic attempt to enter the Simmons Center and issue an “indictment” to Halliburton chairman and chief executive officer David Lesar. Sixteen protesters were arrested.
Around 130 protesters made their way to Duncan Wednesday. A handful of protesters were from Duncan, many came from Oklahoma City and Houston, and some of the speakers were from as far away as California, Nigeria and Peru.
