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Announcement: Protest Activity |
Police Repression at Miami; Local Activists Arrested; How to Help
by NLG
Email: nlgumkc (at) yahoo.com (unverified!) |
Current rating: 0
21 Nov 2003 |
Some folks from Lawrence and Columbia are confirmed as having been arrested.
Phone numbers and talking points to use to pressure city officials to into releasing arrestees.
ACTION ALERT
From Miami Activist Defense
Support FTAA protesters in Miami!
The actions of the Miami Police Department this week have violated the fundamental due process and first Amendment rights of thousands of peaceful protesters gathering to voice their opposition to the FTAA summit. Take some time now and CALL the Mayors, the city attorney, police chief Timoney and others responsible for these gross violations. Demand a full-scale, independent investigation into the police officers’ alarming behavior.
The Miami Activist Defense (M.A.D.) committee and National Lawyers Guild Legal Observers have observed numerous illegal practices that Miami City leadership has referred to as a “blueprint for Homeland Security,” including:
* Indiscriminate, excessive force against hundreds of nonviolent protesters with weapons including pepper spray, tear gas, concussion grenades and various types of rubber bullets.
* Police stopping and snatching protesters at random and taking them away in unmarked vehicles.
* Protesters being shot with rubber bullets and trapped by police lines, resulting in major injuries. Medics were not allowed into these areas.
* Violation of agreements made with organizers and M.A.D. prior to protests.
ALEX PENELAS
Mayor, Miami-Dade County
305.829.9336 home
305.375.5071 office
MANUEL A. DIAZ
Mayor, City of Miami
305.250.5300
305.375.5071
JOHN TIMONY
Chief of police
305-673-7925
305-579-6565
ALEJANDRO VILARELLO
City Attorney
305-416-1800
JOHNNY WINTON
Miami City Commissioner
305.858.7344 home
305.250.5333 office
KATY SORENSON
Miami Dade County Commissioner
305.375.5218
305.378.6677
Local media has been grossly biased in their coverage. While this is somewhat to be expected the following are numbers that people could call and voice frustrations.
See an activist being tazered as well as other instances of police repression, below. |
Laura Raymond, NLG Student Organizer, has just sent this update from Miami:
I can't emphasis how crazy we all feel this is. People who have been doing legal support for mass demonstrations for years and years--even R2K legal folks who have dealt with Timoney before--are amazed at how unprecedented
and overwhelming it is.
The unusual thing is that there are no mass arrests! Arrests are mostly being made of small groups or individuals for seemingly nothing. Random people are being pulled behind police lines that may be 3 rows thick and
legal observers can't access them for names and descriptions, nor can medics access people who are hurt in the process. Also undercovers are snatching random people in the crowds and pulling them away. A huge thing is the
tactic of unmarked "snatch squads" patrolling the city and grabbing people off the streets. We have 3 LO's that have been picked off thisway in separate incidents, and for these we have we have witnesses reporting that the LO's were beaten by the police. It is really eery and frightening. Many arrest reports we receive include brutality, beatings and such--tasors,wooden and rubber bullets, many cops beating one person, concussion grenades,electrical shields, etc.--so it seems as though arrest numbers are down but the intensity of the arrest and the complexity of defending all these cases is high. This seems like a good media tactic on the part of the police-the small arrest numbers won't put the actions in
much mainstream media.
Legal Observers and defense and support people are overwhelmed and we have a lot on our plate. We have a big problem coming up as many of us are leaving this weekend and we will have alot of unresolved legal issues remaining.
Plus the precedent all these new tacticsset-especially this quote in our press release that this is being referred to by city officials as a "blueprint for homeland security."
As is the case with nearly everyone here, I got 45 minutes of sleep last night and 2 hours the night before. We are so maxed out but we just cannot stop. I am going to becareful and try to not get arrested but if I do they
know to call you.
Laura Raymond
November 21, 2003 |
See also:
http://www.ftaaimc.org
http://www.kansasanarchist.org/ma
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Announcement: Protest Activity |
Police Repression at Miami; Local Activists Arrested; How to Help
by NLG
Email: nlgumkc (at) yahoo.com (unverified!) |
Current rating: 0
21 Nov 2003 |
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Hopefully, some of the images which I attempted to post the first time will now appear. |
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Commentary: Protest Activity |
Re: Police Repression at Miami; Local Activists Arrested; How to Help
by NLG
Email: nlgumkc (at) yahoo.com (unverified!) |
Current rating: 0
21 Nov 2003 |
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Please simply see http://www.ftaaimc.org to read updates regarding police repression.
-NLG |
