{"article":{"id":543,"heading":"Unrestrained Stories:  False Police Claims of Protestor Violence","author":"Tim Ream","created":"2000-08-12 00:10:27","modified":"2005-08-15 00:18:50","last_modified":"Mon, 15 Aug 2005 07:18:50","article":"<br>  <br> Unrestrained Stories: <br>  <br> False Police Claims of Protestor Violence <br>  <br> Tim Ream - 8\/10\/00 <br><br> Summary <br><br> A disturbing trend is developing regarding police pre-emptive response to mass protest.  In numerous situations since WTO protests in Seattle in late 1999, police have issued misinformation claiming unsubstantiated evidence of violent plans by protestors gathering for mass actions.  The false information is then used as a pretext for unwarranted police actions.  The misinformation concerning protestor plans have ranged from chemical weapons to bomb-making.  None of the numerous claims of violent plans have been substantiated.  Nonetheless, many media outlets appear to have been predisposed to repeat information provided by police without fact-checking or seeking responses from the organizations accused.  The damage to free speech and the mass protest movement has been extensive. <br><br> Introduction <br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>\n","contact":"","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"\r\nA disturbing trend is developing regarding police pre-emptive response to mass protest.  In numerous situations since WTO protests in Seattle in late 1999, police have issued misinformation claiming unsubstantiated evidence of violent plans by protestors gathering for mass actions.","numcomment":20,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/2000\/08\/unrestrain.txt","filesize":"12.4 kibibytes","article_url":"\/news\/2000\/08\/543.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":1002,"heading":"Media: ignorant or sensationalist dupes?","article":"This article is an excellent summary.  I was in Seattle and Washington DC, and the author has written an accurate account.  However, the media need to be viewed as part of the conspiracy by the ruling class, and the police as the ignorant dupes and puppets--usually with pathological problems.  We witnessed here in Illinois novice college students solving capital crimes that expert police and prosecutors could not solve.  The police know force and nothing else.  The propaganda originates above the police department level.    ","author":"Harold","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-15 19:46:55","modified":"2000-08-15 19:49:15","fileurl":""},{"id":1012,"heading":"Don't Give Up The Ship","article":"Instead of don't give up the ship, I should have quoted John Paul Jones,who said \"I have not yet begun to fight.\"  Your article is good, execellent, and but one more in a series of articles and reports results from the attempt to criminalize activism, because such activism is an embrassment to those in power, to this so-called democracy that is so hightly touted, but denied to its own people, who protest injustice and seek the right to protest injustice.  Your article does an execellent job of the manipulation of the public, through the use of the media and the big lie, said often enough and loud enough, to make people who know no better and who do not receive fair and accurate news, by of the mainstream medias failure to do its job and censorship by omission.  The local Marquette Mining Journal, Sat. 8\/12\/00, published a letter of mine. The first sentence was \"I don't suppose many people, in this area,or the nation, are aware of what happened, and is happening in Philadelphia, to the protesters...\" and finished it with \"Activism should not be criminalized!\" Sorry this is so long, will end now. Stay with it and I will be watching and listening and trying to pass the word along.\r\n\r\nTake care,\r\n\r\nFred","author":"Fred Jakobcic","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-15 20:28:19","modified":"2000-08-15 20:29:51","fileurl":""},{"id":1203,"heading":"Lawsuits Pending","article":"Just so everyone knows ...\r\n\r\nThere *are* lawsuits pending right now against the police departments of Washington, DC and Philadelphia for their actions, by the National Lawyers Guild.  Of course, these lawsuits aren't getting any press from the corporate media, but believe me, the police will feel the consequences.","author":"Gish","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-16 13:12:23","modified":"2000-08-16 13:24:56","fileurl":""},{"id":1505,"heading":"Unveil The Media","article":"People need to flood the corporate-owned media with letters letting them know that we want accurate and unbiased reporting.  Until the media is no longer a factor, free speech is just a dream.","author":"Anthony","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-17 02:38:33","modified":"2000-08-17 02:51:04","fileurl":""},{"id":1630,"heading":"All Power To The People!","article":"Transform Mumia into a Mummy!","author":"Huey P Newton","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-17 12:37:50","modified":"2000-08-17 12:58:55","fileurl":""},{"id":1633,"heading":"Nifty Riot Gear - Make A Fashion Statement!","article":"After the \"revolution\" has been ratcheted up to the \"second level\" as outline by --JdPrez at LAimc.  I recommend you go to the second level in riot gear accessories as well.  Don't leave home without one.  Be the first in your  neighborhood to go home in one these.  Make a fashion statement.  Express yourself.  Go to this web site for a complete selection of apparel.\r\n\r\n","author":"Johnny Versace","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-17 12:40:16","modified":"2000-08-17 12:58:55","fileurl":""},{"id":1666,"heading":"Unrestained Stories \/ false accusations of vi","article":"This accusation of planned violence (a fabrication)\r\ncan be dated, by myself, to the Gulf War Protests.\r\nPerhaps you have older examples.\r\nI was arrested with \"the Cathedral 8\" during the war parade\r\n(welcome home) in New York along with father Castle and other activists.  We were charged with trespass (in a Cathedral on a Sunday!) for sitting in pews.  We were quietly waiting for the speaker General Schworzkof (sp?) to show up.  The accusation in court was that we INTERFERED WITH A BOMB SEARCH by the FBI.  We did no such thing.\r\nIt is interesting as it shows this plan to accuse people\r\nof being bombers is , in my opinion, hatched by Federal law enforcement agencies, hatched in advance, no matter what the situation and used in any instance of the need to arrest people withou cause.\r\nMary Titus\r\nNew York City","author":"Mary Titus","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-17 14:43:28","modified":"2000-08-17 15:04:02","fileurl":""},{"id":1842,"heading":"Cotton Banners","article":"People need to have a friend who works in a sewing shop. They can give tips on how to construct a cheap banner. If you and your environmental org go to pay a sign company for a banner that says \"Black Lung Kills One Person Every 6 Hours\" you will have to pay 90$. This is money you need to buy rice, vegetables, fruit and honey. Also childcare and a few auto repairs. I want to say hello to Radio B-92 in Yugoslavia and Radio 68_H in Indonesia. Also to The University of Iowa. Radio Free georgia 89.3 FM is doing well.","author":"Paul Atlanta","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-17 21:00:24","modified":"2000-08-17 21:14:50","fileurl":""},{"id":2963,"heading":".just the facts","article":".while overall this was awell written and informative article there was at least one instance of misleading\"reporting\" I'm from D.C. and I was there to imply that the majoity of the 1200 arrests were due to the threats of violence is bullshit the police and the media certainly did engage in a misinformation campain to create a false image of scary,..violent protesters that .had nothing to do with the over 600 arrests of people doing non-violent civil disobediance and almost all of the other arrests occured at the protest against theP.I.C. on 4\/15 00when you take a well .written article and distort it with partial truths you do .yourself and the \"movement\" a great disservice don't be so lazy,sloppy or dishonest isn't that what the mainstream media\"s job is supposed to be there are enough people trying to .discredit the \"movement\" without doing the job for them","author":"cathy","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-21 00:34:48","modified":"2000-08-21 01:03:29","fileurl":""},{"id":3110,"heading":"the cops' False Reports should make page 1","article":"Examples like the ones  mentioned above of police building a campaign of lies that are easily refuted needs to be on page 1 of the conventional press. Historically cover-ups and the dissemination of lies by people in power has attracted plenty of media attention by investigative reporters working in the public interest. Now we have examples of police lies that even the police have been forced to retract in the face of the facts. Why aren't these in the paper? If you're reading IMC than I'm sure you know why however that doesn't mean the fight to end the cops' anti-dissention propaganda should be abandoned. We must call our local press' hotlines, you know the ones that asks for \"tips\" or \"newsbreaks\" and tell them about the cops propaganda campaign, especially when the cops themselves have been forced to retract. While it may be in the corperate media's interest to repress stories that show the guilt of their advertisers, there is no conflict in self-interests for journalists when the cops are concerned. What with the Ramparts scandal making page 1 we need to capitalize on the publicity.  ","author":"Red","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-22 16:02:04","modified":"2000-08-22 16:20:05","fileurl":""},{"id":3401,"heading":"Chicago 1996","article":"I'd like to agree with all this, but also to stress that this pattern of behavior includes the Chicago 1996 \"Democratic\" National Convention.  The stunts they pulled there should be familiar.  As with an event in Los Angeles, they alleged that the local independent media organization (CounterMedia) covering the event had \"a bomb\" in their media van, and seized it for the duration (one story I heard was that they were \"sending it to FBI headquarters to be tested\").  They smashed video cameras of more than one person covering protests.  They made a raid on the puppet-making headquarters, though by Philadelphia standards this was \"mild\", since they allowed the puppets to be displayed during one of the early marches and only seized them (together with the pepper spraying of various people) the day before Clinton showed up.  (In Los Angeles there was some court order prohibiting it, so apparently they only confiscated puppets for shorter intervals or from smaller numbers of people).  There was the inevitable bogus trial of five \"leaders\" picked out from the group, on absolutely ludicrous felony charges selected apparently either humorously or as a method of underscoring their complete confidence in their ability to abuse so-called legal processes; for instance, they accused the animal rights fanatic of burning a police horse with a lit cigarette.  Eventually they made their dominant charge that the five of them (from various organizations) had conspired to throw a plastic bottle at police.\r\n\r\nIt cannot be stressed enough that even if such ``harassment'' tactics remain only at a level pitch, they are not simply time honored American tradition, however bogus \"democracy\" in this country has always been.  The factor that changes everything is the degree to which technological advances make seizures and arrests more dangerous to liberty.  A person arrested in the 1960's was only subject to fingerprinting, for example --- now, the police are pushing to use the opportunity for DNA testing, which then allows them to begin to isolate those genetic factors which predispose people to activism and protest, and find CURES for them.  Even now, it is possible to determine the isoform of tryptophan hydroxylase a person has and predict that certain people are more prone to violence.  That is just ONE gene; mass arrests allow them to find others.  Likewise, seized equipment was only prone to destruction --- now, it could be bugged; the whole innards of a videocamera could have been replaced by something sending secret signals (not that I think that would be necessary; they've probably already arranged that with the manufacturer!).  Prisoners once had to worry only about poison or diseases in the food --- now, there is only-the-NSA-knows-how much research about the best ways to use neurotoxins to blunt people's potential.  When these police project paranoid, bizarre schemes onto protestors, it is of course an act to falsely justify attacks... but it is also a reflection of the kinds of actions they themselves consider.  The people who bombed and massacred at MOVE and Waco no longer need to expose themselves to such criticism to carry out schemes of evil intent.\r\n","author":"Tommy the Terrorist","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-26 22:18:16","modified":"2000-08-26 23:00:05","fileurl":""},{"id":551,"heading":"superb analysis and research","article":"\r\nthis is one of the best analyses i've seen of why the movement is getting thrashed.\r\n\r\ni daresay it's time for protestors to find competent legal counsel, successfully sue the m-f'ers who are simply thugs in police uniforms, and use the money to build a more robust indymedia organization.\r\n\r\nlaw-abiding police and their unions:  it's time to renounce these tactics that the politicians have imposed, and work for peace and justice.\r\n\r\nit's about time.","author":"Law-Abiding Cop","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-12 05:11:11","modified":"2000-08-12 05:34:18","fileurl":""},{"id":553,"heading":"EXCELLENT article!","article":"This is the kind of quality reporting we need more of!\r\n\r\n-Edison\r\n","author":"Edison Carter","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-12 08:07:56","modified":"2000-08-12 09:00:02","fileurl":""},{"id":557,"heading":"Yes, THIS is Indymedia at its best","article":"Thanks so much for the above report: no offense whatsoever to any and all others, but it is of the quality we need to see more of here!!  ","author":"Noel","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-12 11:13:45","modified":"2000-08-12 11:23:04","fileurl":""},{"id":564,"heading":"Excellent!","article":"While the whole concept, of Indy Media sites, is to provide access to uncensored reporting, thus allowing for a whole range of quality, which in my opinion is true freedom of the press in action, there arises every now and then a true gem. This editorial is such a gem. I have been trying for over a week to summarize my thoughts and feelings about all that is taking place in America today. This editorial hits the nail right on the head and will be widely distributed and shared with others in my community.\r\n\r\nThank you for taking the time to share it with the world. I look forward to reading more from you.","author":"Baalam's Ass","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-12 13:30:30","modified":"2000-08-12 13:48:04","fileurl":""},{"id":566,"heading":"Another incident","article":"Yes, a great article.  I was wondering if there is any information about what the actual convictions were for and how many felonies.  To the best of my knowledge, since Seattle there has yet to be a conviction for assault of another person.\r\n\r\nAlso it should be noted that protesters as of a few days ago won their court battles against the police and the city in Seattle.  When we lose in the streets, we can win in the courts (although the press under-reports this).\r\n\r\nOne other incident I recall hearing about was that in Windsor during the OAS protest a car was searched by the police and sticks of incence were found.  The two occupants of the car were charged with attempted arson as the incence sticks were claimed to be slow matches for lighting fires.\r\n\r\nGiven the Rampart scandal in LA, not only should we fear what the police say to the public that is misleading, but we should be wary of fabricated evidence.","author":"sarin","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-12 13:48:53","modified":"2000-08-12 13:50:31","fileurl":""},{"id":5973,"heading":"Peacefull Protest is an oxymoron at this time","article":"The heading above is a sad one for me to pronounce,but it's truth is now zooming up onto 30 years of power consolidation by the powers that be, since the government was finally completely ripped out of the hands of the people by a coup that was put into motion in the late 1800s',strange as that may sound to most of you.Two world wars were STAGED and setup by the Internationalists to contain and manage the large socialist and communist movements that they themselves manufactured as a way to split people and families apart philosophically and politically with a really brilliant actually,Depression that was totally setup and successfully staged by the richest elites in America(With alot of help from their European relatives and compadres).The Internationalists if you will,that in conversation will be quite stoney faced and grumpy if their ownership in totality of the United States is even jokingly referred to in a not serious tone.When it was apparent to them that they could assassinate a sitting U.S.President without even having to give up a shooter and completely skate free without even the discomfort of answering any questions under oath, The American public suddenly didn't seem just stupid,but stupid, vapid, and completely devoid of that one quality, that had given them pause,since our semi legit revolution.People stupid enough to buy the complete implausibility of the explanations given surrounding Kennedys murder,welllll, no one that could be that stupid individually and collectively,could possibly be as human and as lofty in development as we.\r\n As far as the Vietnam War went, the government accomplished what they set out to do which was to provoke the North( A Soviet Bloc Partner)into a conflict that would force them to arm themselves with tech of sorts and act as an nonvolunteering buffer between China and the offshore oil and shipping routes, not to mention the lucrative trade with Taiwan,Indoneshia and Australia.We didn't gain a thing but cheap thrills for all our peaceful and not so peaceful anti war protests.But we lost alot of good brothers and sisters along the way,all the while foolishly believing that we could affect and cause positive change from within.Are you experienced? Do you understand? Hell they were shooting and killing us almost up to the last day of the war. That's accomplishment???? Cells........Everyone must awaken to the fact that this is not now nor has it ever been a democracy,for,of,and by the people.It's only ever been that in peoples minds, not in reality.If you stay in peaceful protest mode, one day you'll awaken from your dream, so that you can go down and claim your children from the loving arms of the police, and wonder why things don't seem any different than when you had your one year to make a difference.There is absolutely nothing in Gods creation that you can bargain with, with these people, to make them give you one minute of their time, let alone an inch of ground.After all they and their families have controlled three quarters of the Earth and humanity for a few thousand years now.They'll only pay attention when there is no longer anyone between them and you.France made the mistake of letting some of them escape during their revolt. Have you checked out the French lately? And you think these cops are brutal.Stay calm and keep a smile on your face........Cells.......Well I'm 57 years old and all this typing has made me late for my old man snooze.Luckily I've got a riot gun and an AK so I can still safely snooze on the lawn.And remember.....Cells.....And if you want a democracy, you'd better be able to keep up with us old guys,We've had to learn to be pretty ruthless in our old age.Forget Protest.It doesn't work.Didn't even work for Ghandi.Well, thank you for your hospitality and the venue        ","author":"David Weber","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2001-04-21 05:23:57","modified":"2001-04-21 06:00:01","fileurl":""},{"id":790,"heading":"this happened in my town","article":"\r\n\r\n I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada  . Recently the WPC (World Petrolium Congress)had their meetings at the newly built convention centre named after the telephone monopoly in western canada but payed for by the people. The building itself is a full block wide on a street that used to be lined with historical buildings . Two years ago i saw a man surveying on the corner which at that time was a park called speakers corner the symbol of free speech in my city. I questioned him and he replied with an old fasioned \"It's okay honey we are just taking pictures\". Now on that corner sits another concrete atrosity blocking the sun. So it seems ironic the first convention was the WPC. I at this time was working in on of the hotels downtown in the kitchen. About three weeks before the event the media hype of violent protests began. We were told professional protesters trained in camps we being sent to the city. They sectioned off streets around the WPC including the street i worked on with armed police. I had to carry three pieces of i.d. and a signed letter saying where i worked just to walk down the street. It was present at work as well with signs above every telephone describing proper procedure for bomb threats. Even my boss had comments against the so called violent tree hugggers. I was torn having to continue working knowing i was against this whole thing. I was a prisoner in my own city ,with a lack of information . I tried everything to try and contact an action group ,including the internet but all websites relating to the protest sites had \"disappeared\". All local news channels and mainstream newspapers ran footage of the protests in seatle and warned the public not to get involved . Despite my desire to make a difference i was powerless due to mis information. As a result the protest was limited to 1500 people in a city where there is too many people to get a seat on the bus. Only after the WPC had left the city did i finally see any coverage supporting the protesters,who had communicated with the police the whole time assuring non violent demonstration. That article only ran in the weekly free news and entertainment paper FFWD. Shortly after that the police chief announced her retirement. This silence can continue no longer","author":"jenny alice","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-15 00:06:28","modified":"2000-08-15 00:07:48","fileurl":""},{"id":8946,"heading":"This is just the beginning","article":"I am from Australia and have just dicoverd your website. Excellent !!!. The violence in Seattle, Melbourne and recently Genoa is a state organised attack on the peoples demorcratic rights. On CNN website there is a feature article on urbanwarfare. Basically the army in the US is being trained for urban warfare. Just as in Australia there is a rise in the training of police in paramilatary tatics.\r\nThis is nothing more, than the prerparation of our so called democratic goverments to protect the interests of the multinaltional giants and their corporate greed. Laws have been passed in Australia where it makes it easier for the goverment to order soldiers against civilians, it is named the 'shoot to kill' legislation. Another law up for debate gives powers to police, if 15 mins after they issue an order for a picketline, a march or protest to disperse, even if the gathering is paeacful, thay can use force to disperse the crowd and fines of AUD$1000 can imposed on individuals. In Melbourne there is a weekly campaign against the Nike sportswear retailer, to bring the attention to their explotive work practices in third world countries. The police violently arrested several protestors. Some weeks later it was revealed that Nike offered considerable discounts to police offciers in uniform.!! So much for democracy and human rights. But the good people globally united will win!!","author":"Andrew","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2001-07-27 01:29:25","modified":"2001-07-27 01:46:39","fileurl":""},{"id":928,"heading":"Concerned in Seattle","article":"I live in Seattle and am watching as the WTO ACcountability Review Committee winds down its review of the events of the WTO week.  One thing that has become clear is the use of misinformation by the police to justify their actions. The police reported that protesters had gathered lighter fluid of the shelves of a local store to make molitov cocktails. In fact the manager of the store pulled the merchandise. The police reported that protesters were filling gas canisters at a local gas station. They admitted later that this was a bogus report. They need the threat of terrorism to justify the attacks on our rights. Unfortunately the media has accepted most of what they say without investigation.  The retractions are never as visible as the original reports.\r\n\r\nI have followed the Philly and D.C. activities with concern. Thank you for clearly stating this issue which needs more public attention.\r\n\r\n","author":"John Kohlsaat","parent_id":543,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-15 16:56:26","modified":"2000-08-15 16:58:13","fileurl":""}]}