TACOMA, Wash. - Dozens of anti-war activists were arrested on Sunday at the Port of Tacoma, where they gathered to protest against the shipment of military vehicles to Iraq.

A deployment ceremony for the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry unit is scheduled for Monday. The brigade will be the first to deploy with all ten versions of the Stryker, including one armed with a cannon that can blast through walls.

Equipment for that deployment is already being shipped out through the Port of Tacoma. Anti-war activists have been gathering at the port since last Saturday to protest, at times violently, the use of the port for a military purpose.

But on Sunday, the activists promised a peaceful protest, and the result was an assembly line-like display.

Protesters who agreed to commit an act of civil disobedience simply climbed over a barrier against police wishes in an orderly fashion as an expression of their disapproval.

Twenty-three people were arrested for disobeying police in this manner, and eight others were arrested for carrying backpacks through a police line, which was prohibited for security reasons.

"We feel that force is not the answer," said Somerset Fetter, a protester. "We truly believe that violence breeds violence. There's no way we can bring piece with violence. So I'm doing this civilly with peace, and if I get arrested that's the least I could do."

On Saturday, a much more intense scene unfolded between police and protesters at the port. Police said the protesters had moved some of the barricades in a possibly threatening way. As a result, they unleashed tear gas and fired rubber bullets. Three people were arrested.

On Friday, protesters attempted to climb the fence onto the private property, prompting police to use pepper spray. When the crowd refused to leave, police turned to tear gas to disperse the crowd. Two people were arrested.

Last Monday, three people were arrested while protesting at the port. One of those people was arrested again the following day for trespassing and disrupting a Tacoma City Council meeting after he exceeded the allotted three minutes.

The 4th Brigade was was originally scheduled to deploy in May but is leaving ahead of schedule in accordance with the president's troop surge plan.