Apparently it is now illegal in the City of Los Angeles to use a megaphone, if the arrest of IMC staffter "clown guy" is any evidence. During today's August 15th events in the downtown area, the police warned the man to stop using his megaphone. Clown guy, who has been seen as the voice of reason at many protests in recent days, was warning members of the Black Bloc about their legal right to have a lawyer present when police ordered him to stop. Black Bloc members were being arrested in connectsion with the breaking of car widows on a city street not far from Pershing Square.
Clown guy, after the LAPD violated the first ammendment and ceased allowing him to use his megaphone, resorted to yelling. Later, as he was proceeding down the street, two officers stopped him and a reporter from alternative webzine Unlawful Assembly and took them into custody. At this point the two were denied the right to legal advice by the police and were taken to the seen of the Black Bloc incident. The UA reporter was relased at this time, but clown man remained in the car and is belived to have been taken to jail.

sorry to read about Clown Guy getting busted for public speaking, but in fact, he and the writer of this report are incorrect in stating that someone has a right to an attorney being present at the time they are being arrested (or before they can be arrested, which is somewhat implied above). the cops/courts can push a person all the way through arraignment - when the charges are formally entered - without letting you see an attorney! it doesn't mean you must acquiesce to an interrogation, etc. - fortunately we are acculturated to the Miranda Rights such that even the Supremes won't retract them - but the police are not acting outside the bounds of law when they proceed with an arrest (or incarcerate someone for 72 hours prior to arraignment) without letting the arrestee consult with an attorney.

solidarity in and outside of jails is great, and civil disobedience has been used to force change in many laws in this land. changing the law(s) for arrest procedures might be a goal in and of itself, but people participating in these large cd actions should realize that this is sort of what they've been demanding.... the worst example i'm aware of intailed arrestees being pepper sprayed while handcuffed inside a bus in Seattle because they demanded to see their lawyer. the cops were not required, by law, to give in to that demand. if you want to protest for those rights, go ahead and do so but in the meantime everyone doing civil disobedience however loosely defined and even if just be association, should have accurate information about their rights and the system's obligations.

misinformation coming from any source is not ok, imho
peace etc