[Announce-DAN] [B4BorG] FW: Seattle protesters need support

[Jennifer Pozner <buildingbridges@mindspring.com> (by way of Mark Cohen <buildingbridges@mindspring.com>)]

forward far and wide. seattle activists are facing police threats. here's
just a snippet of the alarming police statements mentioned below, in which a
cop seems tired of "non-lethal" responses to activists:

<However, in the November 16th issue of the
Seattle Times, an unidentified Seattle Police
Department officer is quoted as saying, "This year
there's a sense that we won't tolerate any nonsense,
just make arrests, no half-way, non-lethal measures.">


***

> From: Garrett Quinn <nirvana3000@yahoo.com>
> Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2000 19:46:22 -0800 (PST)
> 
> Police Threaten Mass Arrests On N30, 2000 - Seattle
> WTO Activists Call For Support
> An Emergency Call For Aid And Solidariity From WTO
> Protest Anniversary Organizers: Major Confrontation
> Brewing in Seattle Police Threaten Mass Arrests on
> N30, 2000! 
> 
> Seattle activists are sending out an urgent plea for
> support in the face of hostile city and law
> enforcement officials who threaten to shut down the
> N30, 2000 protests. Major events, including concerts,
> teach-ins, rallies, street theater and marches are
> planned for the week of November 30, 2000 to
> commemorate the one year anniversary of the 1999 WTO
> protests. 
> 
> Organizers say that without a critical mass of
> demonstrators in Seattle on N30, 2000 activists are in
> danger of being assaulted by heavy-handed police.A
> call has gone out internationally for activists to
> come to Seattle to attend these events beginning on
> November 26th when the Independent Media Center will
> screen "This Is What Democracy Looks Like", the
> documentary on the Seattle WTO protests. Critical mass
> is expected downtown, November 30, 2000 at 5 PM with
> several marches meeting at Westlake Center for a
> rally. 
> 
> City of Seattle officials, including Mayor Paul
> Schell, are taking a hard line stance against
> demonstrators who plan to participate in the many
> marches and rallies scheduled for the last week of
> November and early December in Seattle. These events
> are intended to mark the one year anniversary of the
> victory against the WTO Ministerial Conference in
> 1999. However, in the November 16th issue of the
> Seattle Times, an unidentified Seattle Police
> Department officer is quoted as saying, "This year
> there's a sense that we won't tolerate any nonsense,
> just make arrests, no half-way, non-lethal measures."
> 
> What has alarmed local activists and civil rights
> groups like the American Civil Liberties Union is the
> extremely harsh, confrontational nature of the
> statements made by police and representatives of the
> city government in the last few days. Seattle Times
> reporters Vanessa Ho and Michael Barber wrote that "no
> unlawful behavior will be tolerated - including
> marching without a city permit". A spokesperson for
> the Global Action Network responded by saying,
> "Regardless of whether or not they have a permit,
> people are going to show up intending to protest."
> Some activists will exercise their consitutional right
> to free speech - permitted or not. So far, none of the
> organizations sponsoring events have
> applied for permits. It looks like civil disobedience
> in Seattle may become an annual event...
> 
> Mayor Schell suffered major criticism and significant
> political losses in the aftermath of the WTO protests
> last year. Thousands of citizens called for his
> resignation. This time, police and city officials want
> to prove that they are capable of quashing
> demonstrations quickly. They are prepared to make mass arrests if
> people take to the streets illegally. New Chief of
> Police Gil Kerlikowski recently moved to Seattle from
> Buffalo to take over the position as top cop after
> Former Seattle Chief of Police Norm Stamper was forced
> to resign in the wake last year's protests.
> 
> The protesting groups are not likely to conform to
> city requirements. They see it as a statement about
> citizens fundamental First Amendment rights to freedom
> of speech and freedom of assembly, as guaranteed by
> the U.S. Constitution. They point out that these
> rights were violated en masse last year during the WTO
> protests, resulting in major civil and class action
> lawsuits. 
> 
> The local media in Seattle has been hyping the
> confrontation between police and protesters over the
> November 30, 2000 "International Day of Solidarity
> Against Corporate Globalization". Newspapers and TV
> commentators have been calling this year's protests
> "WTO II". There is a great deal of mistrust and ill
> will between activists and law enforcement agencies
> leftover from last year's events. The tension is high
> and police are advising local businesses to prepare
> for the worst. 
> 
> One very dangerous element of this situation is the
> fact that the Seattle Police Department
> recently purchased 260 new "less-lethal" weapons,
> including 130 "bean bag" guns which were used to fire
> projectiles at demonstrators last year. According to
> the SPD, their plans include the deployment of
> "chemical agent response teams", "demonstration
> management teams", and "prisoner processing teams".
> When local activist Karen Crisalli asked SPD officer
> Bob Adams what the organizers of the events could do
> to help the police feel more secure about the upcoming
> events, his response was, "Don't show up on November
> 30th". 
> 
> This provides all the more reason for people to come
> to Seattle to celebrate our shared victory against the
> forces of corporate globalization one year ago.
> Without large crowds, police may feel more inclined to
> resort to physical abuse on demonstrators. The only
> way we will be able to pull this off is with the help
> of other activists from around the globe who were here
> last year, or from regional groups who want to stand
> for freedom and against a non-democratic corporate
> police state. 
> 
> One e-mail message sent out over the web by N30, 2000
> organizers reads: 
> "Please come and join us as we share our victory
> together in a mass festival of resistance! They
> couldn't stop us last year, and with your help, they
> won't stop us this year from expressing our views..."
> 
> What you can do: 
> 
> 1)Come to Seattle for N30 anniversary events - there's
> safety in numbers! See www.scn.org/wtocal for events
> schedule. 
> 
> 2)Organize N30 anniversary solidarity events in
> solidarity in your own community.
> 
> 3)Contact Mayor Schell at (206)684-4000
> paul.schell@ci.seattle.wa.us
> 
> 4)Contact City Council Public Safety Chairperson Jim
> Compton (Chairperson of the city's investigation into
> the WTO debacle) at (206)684-8802
> jim.compton@ci.seattle.wa.us
> 
> 5)Contact Seattle Chief of Police Gil Kerlikowski
> (206)684-5577 
> 
> 6)Contact City Council member Peter Steinbrueck,
> Chairperson of the Civil Rights Commitee at
> (206)684-8804 peter.steinbrueck@ci.seattle.wa.us
> 
> Demand that the police back off and let people
> demonstrate! 
> 
> 
> www.scn.org/wtocal
> 
> 

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