4
THE POWER OF YOUR BEHAVIOR
THE CROWD had been gathering outside the courthouse all day, an ominous human wave surging around the building. Now they numbered in the thousands. As their numbers had increased, so had their rage and boldness: chanting, screaming, and invectives filled the air. It was 1985, and Puerto Rican nationalists were protesting outside the federal courthouse in San Juan. A few dozen of us remained inside the building. The protest had been going on for hours, and people in the courthouse—including some nervous FBI agents—were becoming concerned. Many young agents had never been exposed to an unruly mob of this size. It was a very hostile scene that could, at any moment, turn violent.
Suddenly Richard Held, our special ...
