Anti-consumer zombie protesters awarded $165,000 in settlement

Minneapolis - In 2006, seven people dressed and acting like zombies lurched around the downtown streets of Minneapolis, dancing to music they carried with them in bags. The group was arrested and deemed to be carrying simulated weapons of mass destruction.

The seven were making a point about consumerism, and they carried four bags containing the sound amplification system inside for the iPod music they were broadcasting with their performance, reported Minneapolis's Star Tribune. After two days in jail, the seven were released without charges. The seven, who claim they were unlawfully detained, launched a lawsuit against the City of Minneapolis, Minneapolis police and the County of Hennepin. The suit also claimed that when the police took away the prosthetic leg of zombie participant Jake Sternberg when he was detained was an additional violation of his rights. In their lawsuit, the seven appellants said they were putting on their performance art during Minneapolis's ten-day Aquatennial, an annual festival offering a variety of activities for families. The group had been out for about an hour, zombifying the downtown, when police approached the then-students to act upon a phoned-in complaint. That encounter did not result in any detentions. Because the seven were wearing face paint (white powder, simulated blood and darkened eyes), the police decided the seven might belong to an allegedly violent gang called Juggalos, commonly associated with the band Insane Clown Posse. When again confronted by police, it turned out that most of the seven performers did not bring their identification with them, which is when they were arrested on unspecified charges. Whilst being held in jail, the police decided the sound equipment was a concern and although no evidence of any weaponry or explosives were found, the seven were charged with displaying simulated weapons of mass destruction, charges that were never formalized. The group was released without charges after two days detention. The original law suit against the City, police and county was dismissed in 2008 by a judge who said the police had probable cause for arresting the group. An appeal of that decision saw clearance granted for a lawsuit, reported Matt Snyders for City Pages. The City of Minneapolis decided to settle the case out of court, awarding $165,000 to the seven appellants and their lawyer. The Star Tribune quoted one-time zombie and appellant Raphi Rechitsky as having said

"I feel great that the city is being held accountable for the actions of their police."

The attorney for Minneapolis told the Star Tribune the city had settled because while

"We believe the police acted reasonably, but you never know what a jury is going to do with a case."

The seven who will receive a payout for their detention are: Jessica Baribeau, Jamie Jones, Kate Kibby, Kyle Kibby, Raphi Rechitsky, Jake Sternberg and Christian Utne. The irony of the case is that the seven anti-consumption protesters will now have around $20,000 each to spend as they please. Ever since flesh-eating zombies first arose in George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, zombie movies have been used to explore contemporary culture, especially the present day global economy which exists primarily thanks to 'mindless' consumption. For example, the movie Dawn of the Dead, which takes place mainly in a shopping mall, uses zombies to represent the middle-class of the USA writes Stephen Harper in an academic paper published in the Journal of American Popular Culture (1900-present). Earlier zombie movies, such as White Zombie, did not explore the same themes. For around $20, the avid anti-consumerist can purchase a T-shirt that says "I caught my t-shirt trying to sell out. Nice try, t-shirt. I own you." *Note: this article has been amended to reflect the fact that the $165,000 settlement will be shared between eight people. It is not known if the shares will be equal.