UPDATE: Kate Sorensen's preliminary hearing is taking place right now in Philadelphia. She has been in custody since Tuesday (8/1).
UPDATE: Kate Sorensen's preliminary hearing is taking place right
now in Philadelphia. She has been in custody since Tuesday (8/1). We
are waiting to hear if her charges, 10 felonies, are dismissed or if
her bail, million, is reduced. As of right now, 0,000 is
needed for Kate's release.
Below is a letter from Asia Russell of ACT UP Philadelphia. Please
see information on how to send money (donations and/or loans) to the
AIDS Activists' Bail Fund. Call or e-mail me to discuss how loans
can be paid back to you. We, of course, are in need of donations in
addition to loans.
If her bail is reduced, it is _very_ possible to get Kate released
today. Wiring money to the ACT UP Philadelphia account is the most
expedient.
Thank you,
Sharonann Lynch
ACT UP New York
phone 215-731-1844
salynch@durban2000march.org
Dear Friends and Fellow Activists:
I wonder if you have been following the protest news during the last
week in Philadelphia. I have, because I live and work there, as an
AIDS activist-I am a member of ACT UP Philadelphia. We are a
non-violent direct action AIDS activists. And these days, in the
city where democracy was born, identifying yourself that way is
enough to get you arrested just walking down the street.
I know because that is what happened to my fellow ACT UP members
during the week of non-violent protests against George W. Bush and
his cronies at the GOP convention. ACT UP is still reeling in the
wake of the sweeping, brutal arrests, and the terrifying conditions
of detainment sustained by the protesters.
As you may have heard, the Philadelphia police saw fit to quell free
speech by arresting a handful of activists "pre-emptively," in order
to eliminate people labeled as leaders from the streets. Several of
those outrageous arrests-arrests based not on peoples' criminal
actions but on peoples' beliefs-were of core ACT UP Philadelphia
members.
The egregious actions of the city of Philadelphia do not bode well
for the future of radical AIDS and queer activism-unless we respond
now. And I would argue that, given the horrific track record of
Governor George W. Bush on AIDS and queer issues, protesting in
response to his reactionary policies will become an increasingly
important tactic for people with AIDS as the country meanders toward
Election Day.
Kate Sorensen, Terrence McGuckin, and Paul Davis were all targeted
by Philadelphia's "pre-emptive" GOP convention arrests on August 1.
Each also were key participants in a recent ACT UP office takeover
and lockdown at the United States Trade Representative's office in
November 1999. The action was designed to send Charlene
Barshefsky-the US Trade Representative-off to the doomed Seattle WTO
Rounds with a clear image of domestic opposition to US trade policy
blocking international access to cheap, generic AIDS drugs. Only
weeks after the protest, President Clinton announced a change in
trade policy in favor of "flexibility," given the ramifications of
the global AIDS crisis. Al Gore-still haggard from the activist
zaps along the campaign trail-told the UN Security Council in
February 2000 that "the AIDS activists were right"-the
Administration should have done more about AIDS in Africa.
Direct action results in major shifts in the terms of debate, in
favor of people with AIDS. So when public officials equate blocking
traffic, clogging transportation routes, blocking hotel entrances,
and stopping business as usual with "terrorism," "rioting," and
"conspiracy," we must fight back. In the history of the AIDS
crisis, and the history of the queer liberation movement, we have
never won anything by asking. Every positive advance has been the
result of struggle. But the tools of struggle and resistance are
being taken from our hands.
There are several concrete steps you can take to help rectify this crisis:
o Get our comrades out of jail
We have many members among the 350 who remain in Philadelphia jail.
One is ACT UP activist Kate Sorensen, a community organizer of
unmatched caliber on a variety of issues. Kate's bail is set at
million; she is charged with ten profoundly trumped-up felonies-from
arson, to conspiracy, to inciting a riot. Police Commissioner
Timoney describes her as one of "a cadre of criminal conspirators."
Donate to her bail fund--our community activists must be returned to
the community:
Make your tax-deductible check out to "ISMCH" (they're the Fiscal
Sponsor, The Institute of Social Medicine and Community Health), and
mail it to the Philadelphia Direct Action Group (P-DAG). If your
money is specifically for a ACT UP or for an individual, please
specify that in the memo field of your check along with the text
"BAIL FUND." Also send an e-mail to ACT UP Philadelphia Treasurer
Rebecca Ewing (rbecca@critpath.org) and to Sharonann Lynch
(salynch@durban2000march.org) stating the amount.
P-DAG
P.O. Box 40683
Philadelphia, PA 19107-0683
Wire ACT UP Philadelphia money today:
If it's done before 6:30pm, we can get Kate out today. This is not
tax-deductible but you can use your credit card. Again, please
e-mail the details to rbecca@critpath.org &
salynch@durban2000march.org.
Account number: 31 00 20 557
Routing number: 036 001 808
Commerce Bank
1900 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA
Commerce Bank phone 215-568-0900
o Voice your rage
If you are outraged that Philadelphia sees fit to quell non-violent
protest with tactics of torture, brutality, and denial of civil
liberties; if you are outraged by reports of protesters denied
water, food, medication, and medical attention during their
outrageously prolonged detainment; if you are outraged by
Philadelphia's use of exorbitant bail to silence dissent and
activism, rather than to prevent flight; if you are outraged by the
clear and present criminalization of activist dissent and protest,
then I urge you to contact
Philadelphia's City Hall:
Mayor John Street's (215) 686-2181; Fax: (215) 686-2180
Stefanie Stuber, Mayor's Chief of Staff-(215) 686-7508; Fax: (215) 563-3162
Lynn Abraham, District Attorney (215) 686-9604 Fax: (215) 563-0047
Philadelphia Police Complaint Line: (215) 686-3991
Deputy Commissioner Mitchell (Head of Demonstrations) (215) 686-3364
Captain Fisher (Head of Civil Affairs) (215) 685-3684
Chief Maxwell (Head of Detectives and Investigations) (215) 686-3362
Say you are following the situation and encourage/demand:
1) All charges be dropped. This demand will include those who are charged
with felonies and those that have already been released.
2) No separation or isolation of any individual.
3) Equal treatment for all individuals.
4) An end to the harassment of legal observers.
At times such as these, we do well to remember the history that has
brought us here: the Stonewall riots, shutting down the FDA,
stopping trading on Wall Street over the price of AZT-our tactics of
direct action do not make us any friends. But they have forced our
targets to capitulate time and time again.
Our grandstanding Police Commissioner, John Timoney, wants to launch
a full-scale federal probe into the activities of the groups whose
protests shut down the World Trade Organization rounds in Seattle,
disrupted recent IMF and World Bank meetings, and stopped business
as usual at GOP convention central. "Somebody's got to look into
these groups," Timoney says. While Timoney sets his sights on
puncturing our movement with a taxpayer funded, McCarthy-style
witch-hunt, ACT UP will be fighting back. We hope you will be there
with us.
Yours in struggle,
Asia Russell
for ACT UP Philadelphia