more information for Long Beach arestees - please pass along
[please forward this message to any parties concerned]
my understanding is that the Quaker House (4167 s. normandie +MLK) will be open to us all day on Tuesday May 8th not just during the meeting in the evening around 6 or 7. So we can go there early to organize, make phone calls, exchange information etc.
i called the SDI co-op in Anaheim and got a list of names of arestees which andreia and i are compiling into a list of 50+ names with some phone numbers. many last names and phone numbers are missing and of course people are unaccounted for and the accuracy of the list is not certain. we will make over a hundred copies of this list and distribute it tuesday at the quaker house and elsewhere to help us all keep in touch. i will also have a list of support and relevant contacts of lawyers, etc.
perhaps a lawyer could call the Long Beach jail and get a list of all arrests made in LB on May 1st. i'll look into this but any of you can ask a lawyer to do the same.
once you have a list please fill in as much uncontroversial contact information as you can and make copies. also add support, legal, media, and other contacts if you have them. once we have these lists circulating, we may be able to coordinate better. the mainstream assumption seems to be that the black bloc is a secret organization rather than what it is - a tactic. it is difficult for many people to understand that many activists who were there do not know one another.
i understand that Midnight Special Law Collective people have advised many of us in previous meetings not to discuss court and trial strategy publicly because the prosecution may then formulate alternate plans of attack. maybe this makes sense. i don't know. so don't mention tactical issues on this website or on the phone if you feel that it is unwise to do so. but we are the only ones who haven't been able to get all the names of the arestees and that has to change.
Jim DeMaegt (310) 673-4302 is a lawyer who wants to help us.
Legal Support Hotline: 1-877-258-1524 (i haven't called this number yet. i'm not sure it works)
Don White is a prominent Los Angeles activist who i am told is following our case: (323)852-0721
Siu Hin did jail solidarity outside twin towers for the DNC and he is following our case and helping: (626)695-3405
fundraising: (310)325-2623
jail support: (562)437-4300
use your discretion about talking about details if you have good reason to do so but my experience is that many of us are very grateful to be given the latest information without which it is difficult for us to act cooperatively and with a minimum of centralized power.
i am not sure i am going to stick with the court solidarity game plan myself until i hear what exactly is going on and i advise others to be equally skeptical of our ability to hold it together. in any case, the more informed we ALL are, the better. please keep one another up to date.
i have a cold, a terrible cough, and i'm tired so i know i'm forgetting things. if i'm screwing things up please tell me so.
-Yutaka Yokoyama