Tuning Out the Static

Protesters scream about censorship. The board denounces potentially crippling boycotts. Will the two sides in the Pacifica conflict ever learn that, beneath their shrill cries, they're on the same team?

A A A Comments By Lauren Kern Thursday, Apr 5 2001

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And just when it seemed like Pacifica's problems couldn't get worse, the debate degenerated into a physical fight at a recent four-person protest outside a KPFT donor party. As usual, both sides have remarkably different versions of the story, but the chain of unfortunate events seems to have been sparked when a female KPFT employee grabbed some boycott pamphlets from a female protester. Edwin Johnston, this time without his red Zapatista-style bandanna, yelled, "Assault!" When he tried to grab the pamphlets back, the employee yelled, "Rape!" The official story is that Johnston pushed the employee; Johnston says the only violence that day was at the hands of Ganter and another KPFT volunteer, who beat him up. Johnston was arrested on class C misdemeanor assault charges, a ticketable offense.

Whatever the truth behind the who-hit-whom argument, it is clear that the fever pitch of the battle is causing both supporters and critics to overreact. And the scuffle will serve only to further polarize them. Pacifica's executive director Bessie Wash broke into national programming to relay her version of the incident and decry the violence of the protesters. Rafael Renteria charges that Johnston was set up specifically to provide the board and management with PR ammunition. The scene and its aftermath have become yet another rallying cry for activists.

Deron Neblett

Edwin Johnston: Pirate programmer, Pacifica protester and bandit.

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Once again, there will be no debate, no discussion of differences, no resolution of problems. Charges and countercharges have won the day, and Pacifica has lost.