Punishment Day Protest

Hi everyone! I'm so glad to finally get another story out. In this story, Kelsey is back leading a protest against a public punishment. I think this story stands on its own but if you want to learn more about Kelsey and see more punishments then check out my Gracie's Three Punishments series and Kelsey Pays For Her Crimes series. There is a lot of content with her.

As always please favorite, comment, rate, and private message me if you like the story. Hearing from readers is what makes writing these stories worth it.

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In the year and a half since the first protest of public judicial punishments, Kelsey had learned many lessons. The first one, where she had marched naked on her college campus, had led to a bunch of arrests and many of the founding members of her club being punished together at the basketball stadium and she suffered a much worse private punishment after that. Now she was much more careful and more responsible with the members of her club, University Students Surviving Judicial Punishments, willing to protest with her.

Kelsey had on her serious leadership face (as her girlfriend AJ coined it) on as she stood in front of about ten members of the USSJP all of them wearing matching neon yellow shirts with the full club named plastered in big letters on the front and the initials across their shoulder blades. They stood on the far end of blacktop parking lot of one of the many public parks in the city. A few hundred yards away there was already a big crowd out on the big green around a temporary stage where soon there would be poor victims of judicial punishments. More onlookers were walking through the lot occasionally giving the brightly clothed group a sidelong glance. The club president checked her note app on her phone to remind herself of her talking points and held her hand up to get everyone's attention.

The group's eyes all went to her and she started, "Hi everyone! Thank you for coming out for the USSJP today and to support our friend Trinity. Who here has been to one of our protests before?"

Kelsey raised her hand and so did AJ next to her. Five other hands went up, meaning there were four newbies among them today.

"Who has seen a punishment live before?"

One more hand went up so for three this is the first time they've been to a punishment like this.

"Who has been punished before?"

Kelsey and AJ kept their hands up and four hands went down and a shy looking guy in the back raised his. Kelsey made sure to meet the eyes of the three who had been punished and share an empathetic look. This was particularly brave of them, she thought. After her punishment and then her time falling for AJ and supporting her friend Gracie, she had been struck by revolutionary zeal and need to protest, but not everyone was the same and it might be a lot harder for others.

"Ok, so for a few of us this is your first time. I know I've already sent all of this to you in the chat group but I'm going to go over the advice again.

"You should leave everything except your ID, cash, the club lawyer's business card, and prescription medication in the car. We don't want there to be any complications with the authorities but if there is something that is all you want to have on you. If you must have a phone, it should be password protected with more than four digits but no Face ID. No purses, no backpacks, nothing that could be used as an excuse to stop and search you. We want the public to notice us but don't give the police any reason to talk to you. They will probably talk to us anyway but we don't want to give them an excuse. If you need to leave stuff somewhere safe, AJ is going to be staying in the car."

She paused and saw a couple pull out their phones. One handed theirs to AJ and a couple she could see changing the settings on their phone. "If you're keeping your phone, please be cognizant that you might have info about the rest of us. It really is best if you don't have it on you at all."

That led to one more club member handing her phone to AJ and then Kelsey continued. "In an emergency, we will be meeting as a group here at my car. If that isn't possible, there are public buses that meet at the park entrance. Unfortunately our shirts make it hard to blend in. I have spare sweatshirts and t shirts in the car if you feel the need to change."

After some nodding, she continued, "I would prefer that we stay as a group. If you

must

go off on your own please stay with at least one other person in the group. If we do get split up, we will be meeting here and we will stay and wait for an hour until all of us have checked in after the events conclude. After that we will be contacting the lawyer and assuming that you have been detained for some reason. That's to be safe rather than sorry. And what do you do if you get detained?"

The half of the group that had done this before answered quickly, "Shut up!"

"Exactly. Do not say anything to the police until you talk to the lawyer, which will probably be Molly Robertson or whoever Molly sends to help you. Give them your ID, tell them you want a lawyer and you have her number, and don't answer any questions. Definitely don't give them access to your phone, no matter what they say! Now everyone, what do you do if you get detained?"

"Shut up!" again it was mostly the more experienced protesters who answered her but hopefully it got into the heads of everyone in front of her.

Kelsey was aware that this speech was intimidating but it was for their own good and vetted by Molly and a former police officer who had become an anti-punishment activist. She gave everyone a minute to digest the chance that they might be detained before continuing. "The one exception to the one big group thing is that Trinity asked if we could check on her. This big a group will be stopped if we go to the holding fence, so only," she looked at two people who she knew to be Trinity's roommate and boyfriend as she spoke, "Raquelle and Liam are going to try to go up to the fence. The rest of us will keep our distance and you two will meet up with us as soon as you can. Watch out for each other."

Everyone nodded so she continued, "There's going to be a bottleneck when we enter and there will be lots of officers. Do not look at them. Don't antagonize them. If they ask about our shirts I will try to do the talking. If they separate us, tell them that you it's just a shirt, it isn't offensive, and you have the right to free expression. If you are a little braver, you can ask to see their supervisor. That might get you through the cordon. If you don't want to speak to them, it is no shame to turn around and come back to the car. You can change shirts and try to re-enter or just wait with AJ.

"After we are in, we will just mill around. If members of the public ask we can tell them who we are and what we believe. Focus on the severity, the humiliation, and the spectacle rather than if anyone is guilty or innocent. Ask them how they would feel if this happened to them or their relatives. If you are comfortable, you can share your personal experiences. We are not allowed to share literature inside the security line but you can verbally tell them to check out the club's website for more information and that we have brochures if they see us in the parking lot at the end." Behind her, AJ held up a stack of flyers and brochures.

Kelsey paused again, knowing this was a long spiel and it need to sink in. Her eyes went around the group and was glad to see that everyone seemed committed. She could imagine them rehearsing their speeches and daydreaming how they would convince people that this whole enterprise was just plain wrong. She took a deep breath and continued, "Obviously we don't have signs because that is no longer allowed in the event. We also are not allowed to coordinate chants or slogans or anything that might be construed as quote-unquote disruptive. I, on my own, plan to raise my fist in the air while there are victims on stage, however you have to decide on your own if you want to take on that risk. I don't think that's disruptive but who knows what the police think about that. I know just being here is a risk and all of you are very brave for being here with USSJP and to support Trinity."

As she spoke her fellow club member's name she made eye contact with the two that knew her best. While Trinity's roommate Raquelle had been to protests before, this was Liam's first time and seeing his girlfriend up there was going to be especially hard. She hoped he would be ok, but her next statement was for everyone, "If anyone is overwhelmed by the event, it is no shame. Find one of us to leave with you and come back to the car and check in with AJ."

After more nodding from her audience, Kelsey finished up, "This is hard and I'm very thankful to have you with me. Are there any questions?"

"Ok, if that's all, this is your last chance to leave things with AJ," Kelsey said.

"And get the lawyer's card!" AJ added.

"Yeah that, too," Kelsey agreed, glad to have her girlfriend to remind her.

She gave everyone a minute to send texts to significant others and friends and turned to her girlfriend. AJ always had the same look at these protests, fear. Not so much for herself, but for what she was concerned Kelsey might do on her crusade. "I'll be safe," she said stepping closer to the larger girl.

"You better," AJ answered. She tried to crack a smile, "Don't get in trouble, please."

"I know, not like the first time. Good trouble only," Kelsey answered.

"How 'bout just no trouble," the blonde answered.

"I'll try," Kelsey said and went up on tip toes to be eye level with her taller partner. The couple kissed gently, AJ hands on Kelsey's hips.

"I love you," AJ added.

"I love you too," Kelsey responded and with a sigh went off her toes and turned toward the group. "Everyone ready?"

With no objections the eleven of them, all in their neon shirts, walked as a group toward the clearly labeled entrance to the security cordon, leaving AJ behind. She was glad to hear there was some small talk among her group. Half of them had been there before so hopefully that helped with nerves. They joined the line of onlookers waiting to get past security.

The crowd pushed in close and Kelsey tried keep her group together. It was always hard because she was so short. One of the men in her group, Jaxon, was looking over the group and gestured with his dark hand to stick with him. She knew him well and of the whole group it was Kelsey, AJ, and Jaxon who were the biggest true believers in abolition of the punishments. She wanted the club to be a big tent but she knew a lot of them would support reform or came to protests only when people they knew were being punished. He put his hand his hand on her shoulder and kept her close.

After a couple minutes, Jaxon leaned down closer to her ear and spoke loudly enough for her to hear, though with a conspiratorial whispery edge, "Mona and Leigha got stuck behind us."

"Just keep an eye on them. Do you know why?" Kelsey answered, basically blind in the claustrophobic press of bodies.

"No idea, but I got 'em," Jaxon answered, "We will find them on the other side."

This wasn't a great start but it was never going to go perfect. They never did. Still she hated being pressed so tight, touching knees with a stranger on one side and just barely seeing other neon shirts opposite Jaxon. The crowd moved forward slowly and the width got narrower and narrower as they were funneled between temporary metal barriers. She could feel anxiety and imagined it coming from her club mates. She squeezed closer to Jaxon trying to not let the group get even more dispersed.

Kelsey felt eyes on her too. They were probably innocent, just other normal people coming to watch the punishments. She tried not to judge them. The judicial codes were popular and it was hard to be outside the mainstream. Still she found it hard to not assume the worst. The same kind of person who comes to gawk at the punishments might not like their protest shirts and try to cause a problem or just be the type of creep that leers at college girls.

Even worse than the eyes of the masses, she was very aware of the eyes of the authorities. She couldn't prove it but she was certain there were undercover police in the crowd, and they were certain to be drawn to the group in neon protest t shirts. It would be easy enough for them to figure out it was her. Even though she had no plans today to disrupt anything and had gotten the whole plan approved by an attorney, that wouldn't stop the police from hassling them if they wanted. Having a bullshit rioting charge on her record made that even easier for them, too. The law wasn't fair in that way which was only one of many reasons these punishments weren't either.

She knew that better than most. With help from her therapist and her friends she'd gotten over a lot of anxiety after what had happened more than a year ago now. The public punishments and the dilations weren't something she thought about much and it wasn't even being a punishment that brought it up but it was the feeling of the officers around her and their eyes. She hated the amount of power they had, unexamined and overwhelming and able to do so much damage before she would ever actually get to talk to her lawyer or a judge.

After at least ten minutes of shuffling, Jaxon was still with her and had reported that the group had split in two. A couple others had retreated to Mona and Leigha to try to collect them but Kelsey was at least glad to hear that nobody was off on their own. The crowd started moving quicker and she got more air as they crossed the checkpoint.

Her eyes surveyed as best she could and she saw at least six uniformed police, one holding a German Shepard's leash. She was careful not to catch their eye but her heart picked up as she rehearsed how she would respond: only yes sir and no sir, stating a preference to not speak to officers and merely wanting entrance, the shirts were just so the group stayed together, etc.

She knew she was flushed and that made her feel guilty because it made her look guilty and more likely to be stopped and that made her feel more guilty and the loop went on and on. Her ears rang and she focused on keeping her serious face on so she didn't scowl or glare at the police. Luckily Jaxon stayed near her and she wasn't ever the closest club member to any police officer. Hopefully, no one even noticed her.

When finally they got out of the choke point and into the park she took a deep breath. She was embarrassed of her bit of panic but it happened every time at these events, and at the airport too, and she did her best to hide it. "Do we have everybody?"

"I see the other group," Jaxon answered, "Are you ok?"

A surge of embarrassment shot through Kelsey that she hadn't hidden her stress and she shrugged.

"Crowds are stressful," he lamented, misidentifying the cause.

"Yeah," Kelsey agreed quietly.

Jaxon stayed alert as Kelsey recovered. "Ok here they come," he said, but sounded concerned.

Kelsey went up on her tip toes to see the best she could. "We lost someone," she said, heart rate rising again.

In a minute, the two groups were able to reconcile. "We lost Raquelle," Liam said, "And Leon took her back to the car."

Kelsey's heart sank. Raquelle was Trinity's friend but that only made it more likely for this to be overwhelming.

"What happened?" Jaxon asked.

"Some guy said hi and then she got really nervous," Liam started.

"It was a cop," Mona cut in, talking in a bit of a whisper, "Shiny shoes, buzz cut."

"What?" Liam asked, confused as alarm spread across the faces of the rest of the group as they huddled together.

"It was an undercover but not very good. She just got nervous when she made him after she mentioned the USSJP," Mona continued, talking mostly to Jaxon and Kelsey.

"It's ok. Our shirts have the club on it," Kelsey said, "It happens." She looked at Liam, "Are you ok?"

Liam still looked shocked and Kelsey remembered that it was his first time doing this. She wished the cop had approached her or Jaxon but they do smell weakness. Raquelle had been at a protest before but that one had been smaller and in one of the auditoriums at the Punishment Center. This was much more chaotic. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered.

"It's ok, man," Jaxon said, putting his hand out and slapping Liam on the shoulder in support, "It happens to everyone, the pigs are sneaky."

"Uh, yeah..." Liam continued to mutter.

"Come on we have to get you over to the holding area to say hi to Trinity, buck up," Jaxon said.

Mona broke in, "Yeah she'll need you to be strong for her."

"Someone needs to go with him," Jaxon said, more to remind Kelsey rather than the group, "It was going to be Raquelle.

It didn't surprise Kelsey that Jaxon was looking to her make a decision. She didn't really feel like she could give orders but she knew she was the leader. She shook here head, trying to shake out the cobwebs after walking past all the officers, "I'll go with him... unless he wants someone else."

"Doesn't matter," Liam grunted, clearly shaken from not identifying the undercover officer.

"Ok," Kelsey started, trying to get her leader face back on, "We need to go now to make sure you can talk to her." She looked at the group, but particularly at Jaxon, "Keep an eye out. We know they're onto us now."

"We got it," Jaxon said, understanding that he was the next in line of responsibility because of his experience. Everyone else nodded along. "We will stay in sight of you too."

"Yeah, um, try to make small talk," Kelsey said, using the euphemism the club had developed to mean spreading their platform.

"We know what to do," Jaxon said.

Kelsey nodded, "Yeah... right. Come on Liam, let's go."

The two of them started off deeper into the park. The holding area was easy to pick out. Kelsey had been in one before, actually the same day she met AJ, and she knew it should really be called a cage. She only stuck to the term holding area to be nice to Liam. It would be hard to think of AJ being caged; being in a holding area was much easier to digest. As they put some distance from the remaining club members, she knew they would follow along to keep in sight but they didn't want to be too suspicious for the authorities with a bunch of protesters making a beeline to where the offenders were kept. That was just too suspicious. They took a more circuitous route toward the white tarp roof of the cage.

"Try to smile for her. I'm sure she's had it rough this morning," Kelsey quietly advised. She remembered her first punishment where she'd been cavity searched and endured a rough van ride even before getting to the park.

"Yeah, I know. I'm trying," he stopped moving and took a deep breath and then shook his arms and shoulders like he was trying to get out all the stress in his muscles.

"You're going to be fine. Just tell her it's going to be ok, it will be over soon, and you'll be here for her when it's over," Kelsey told him.

Liam sighed, "It doesn't sound like much."

"I know," Kelsey agreed, "But it's all you can do."

"What if it's not enough?" he continued, frowning.

"Just try your best to make it enough. It's hard, I know," Kelsey said. She had watched her friend Gracie be punished and had even driven her to a punishment, plus the many times she'd went to punishments for other members of the USSJP, sometimes protesting and sometimes just for support. This was just her life now but she could never forget how hard it was.

"Yeah, I don't know," Liam continued.

"Hey," Kelsey said, touching his arm, "We asked her if she wanted visitors and she said yes. No matter what you're making a shitty situation suck just a little bit less. Just don't talk about what they're going to do and be nice. Now come on, before we run out of time."