Protester scales crane downtown

Around sunrise Saturday, an IU student with more than three years climbing experience prepared for an unconventional ascension -- up a 150-ft. crane in downtown Bloomington.\nJunior Liam Mulholland's climb was partially successful. He made it safely to the top but was apprehended by police and removed from the crane before he and his partner, Bloomington resident Collette Eno, could display a massive two-sided protest sign that read, "I-69: Trading Families, Farms and Forests for Pavement," and "I-69 Benefits Who? -- Them, Not You!"\nThe stunt was part of a peaceful protest held Saturday at the Monroe County Courthouse, called the "Day of Action to Stop I-69." Mulholland wore a safety harness and repelling gear. He said he felt under control throughout the climb with only height and high wind causing uneasiness. \nHe and Eno had been planning to climb the structure between Sixth and Seventh streets for about a month.\n"We knew the crane was located right in downtown Bloomington and towers over everything and would make a great locale to drop a banner." Mulholland said. "We weren't going after the workers or anything like that."\nCharged with disorderly conduct and trespassing, Mulholland said the duo's actions are aimed at the public, Indiana Gov. Frank O'Bannon and any other person or group "making the decisions that affect our lives."\nMulholland, 20, is part of Buffalo Trace Earth First, a local group he called a "broad umbrella movement." He said this will not be the last protest against I-69, but stressed the importance of remaining peaceful.\n"This is only the beginning of a long struggle," he said. "I don't know that it is going to manifest itself in the form of arrest."\nBloomington Police Department Capt. Mike Diekhoff said I-69 has prompted protests in the past and will do so for many years in the future. He said BPD recognizes protesting as a constitutional right but is forced to step in when safety is at risk.\n"If you would have fallen from that (crane) you would certainly have died," he said. "I am not sure it is the smartest or safest thing to do."\nIU communication and culture professor Robert Terrill will teach a graduate seminar this fall entitled "Problems of Protest in America." He said there are several reasons protesters such as Mulholland take drastic measures or risk harm.\n"Primarily these people were interested in getting their opinion heard in a highly visible way," he said. "In the case of this particular issue, there is a lot of feeling among those who oppose the route the governor selected. They feel their opinions did not receive a fair hearing during the process."\nMulholland said he does not consider his actions on the same level as lying on a field to block a bulldozer, but said actions could potentially reach the point where people physically block their house from highway construction.\nBloomington and IU have a well-documented past filled with protest and political action. Terrill said recent protests over I-69 and the war in Iraq is not a problem in the city, but a "healthy resurgence."\n"The actions and public interaction offered that is spurred by protests are essential in keeping our democratic culture healthy and lively," Terrill said. "The most dangerous thing is for there to be no protest."\nBPD has vast experience handling protests, and Diekhoff said he realizes I-69 is a volatile issue and hopes protesters continue to remain peaceful.\n"I don't think that it has caused us any problems in the past and hopefully it won't in the future," he said. "Do I anticipate that it will have an impact on the police department? Probably, yes."\nMulholland said he has strong feelings about the I-69 issue. He said he worries about the thousands of families he said construction will affect, economic impact and the ecological effects.\nBorn in Ann Arbor, Mich., Mulholland now lives in what he calls a residential community on the Bloomington's west side. He said he doesn't know whether he will stay in the city or move when he graduates. He said his eventual decision is irrelevant to him.\n"When you are part of a community, you do what you can while you are here," he said.\nHe said after climbing a crane, and being jailed and charged with two crimes, he isn't sure whether his efforts now and in the future will make an impact on I-69's final outcome. He can only hope.\n"You can do what you can do," he said. "And every effort -- no matter what everyone says -- every effort is not in vain. You can't sit back and let things happen"