  We propose that the curious Galactic Center filament known as ``The Snake''
is a twisted giant magnetic flux tube, anchored in rotating molecular clouds.
The MHD kink instability generates coils in the tube and subsequent magnetic
reconnection injects relativistic electrons. Electrons diffuse away from a coil
at an energy-dependent rate producing a flat spectral index at large distances
from it. Our fit to the data of \citet{gray95a} shows that the magnetic field
$\sim 0.4 \> \rm mG$ is large compared to the ambient $\sim 7 \mu \> \rm G$
field, indicating that the flux tube is force-free. If the {\em relative} level
of turbulence in the Snake and the general interstellar medium are similar,
then electrons have been diffusing in the Snake for about $3 \times 10^5 \> \rm
yr$, comparable to the timescale at which magnetic energy is annihilated in the
major kink. Estimates of the magnetic field in the G359.19-0.05 molecular
complex are similar to our estimate of the magnetic field in the Snake
suggesting a strong connection between the physics of the anchoring molecular
regions and the Snake. We suggest that the physical processes considered here
may be relevant to many of the radio filaments near the Galactic Center. We
also suggest further observations of the Snake and other filaments that would
be useful for obtaining further insights into the physics of these objects.
