After the protesters recovered from theiraffected paralysis, the group entered the HarvardSquare T station. They stood and chanted in frontof the hurried commuters for a short while, butwere soon approached by two MBTA police, who toldthem to go outside.
As they moved upstairs, the demonstratorscreated a spectacle, flaying their bodies on thesteps and escalator of the station. Some shouted"Bam, bam!" as others passed out leaflets toonlookers.
As the activists stood up, a transit policeofficer grabbed a protester's shoulder and warnedhim that he was trespassing.
After witnessing the eviction of the group fromthe station, bystander M. Marjorie Kerby, 33, aunion bricklayer, questioned the police officersabout their actions for about 10 minutes.
"I asked them who owned the subway station,"Kerby said later. "God, I could have sworn thetaxpayers owned it."
Kirby said the officers "were rather rude atfirst and wouldn't answer any of my constitutionalquestions."
Cambridge and Harvard police officers payedlittle attention to the protest and made noapparent efforts to interfere with the group.
After emerging from the subway, the protestersheld another "die-in" in the street in front ofChristy's Market. While a few cars beeped and manywaited, one vehicle drove through the protesterslaying on the ground. No one was hurt.
Meanwhile, a Japanese video crew doing adocumentary about MIT and Harvard filmedprotesters. The woman in charge of the crewpleaded for a Harvard student among the protestersto interview, eventually finding one of the two orthree who took part in the demonstration.
Echoes of the '60s suffused the protest, as aburly bystander yelled, "Get off the street, youhippies," and a bearded man marching with thedemonstrators rolled up the sleeves of his red andblack checked shirt and played a few notes on aharmonica.
After wrapping up their boisterous HarvardSquare activities, the group marched to CentralSquare for a more subdued demonstration.
Reaching the intersection of Mass. and WesternAves., the group held signs in front of the TaxMan storefront, trying to inform passing commutersof their cause.
Just before 6 p.m., the group stuck five yellowand pink stickers bearing anti-war slogans on thewindow of the U.S. armed forces recruiting centerat 955 Mass. Ave. One protester briefly sat down,blocking the door to the center.
Army officials declined to comment on theprotest.
Asked if he had qualms about interefering withthe plans of those buying presents for theholidays, Greenpea said brazenly, "I have noregrets."
They later adopted the seasonal theme,chanting, "Holiday shoppers listen to this, thepeople of the world are mighty pissed. We've gotto stop this bloody war. We've got to end thisChristmas gore."
Joshua A. Gerstein and Seth A. Gitellcontributed to the reporting of this story.