2001 Mayday Trials not going well in Long Beach

there is much concern among supportive local activists, lawyers, and

defendants, that the unusually high proportion of demonstrators who marched

on Mayday while wearing symbolic "black block" clothing (black clothes and

masks) has deterred potential supporters and will continue to bias juries and

judges.

two anti-corporate activists, Yutaka Yokoyama (that's me) and Emily

Vanderlaan, are facing six charges, including conspiracy charges, in a trial

in Long Beach that began on September 4th. The charges stem from the Mayday

demonstration in Long Beach that was attended by around 100 demonstrators 92

of whom were arrested after a short non-violent march was met with

disproportionate police tactics. marchers were clubbed (sometimes in the

face), limbs were broken, and rubber bullets were fired on the mass of mostly

young demonstrators. Yutaka Yokoyama and Emily Vanderlaan, both of whom have

thus far declined plea bargains, may soon be serving six months or a year or

more for their attendance at the ill-fated event. as many as 39 other

arrestees who have declined plea bargains may soon be on trial as well. a

class action civil suit against the police is being considered.



Other groups having trouble excercising their first ammendment rights to

assemble in Long Beach include: the Cambodian community who were forced to

cancel their annual new year celebration due to a permit process which

required prohibitively high security costs, the Surf Riders whose Luau event

was met by police who billed them $450 dollars for protection, and People for

Community Empowerment and Energy Interdependence whose 4th of July festival

was met by police some of whom were disguised in "black block". Ultimately

the People for Community Empowerment prevailed in court where the ordinance

requiring a permit to assemble was declared unconstitutional. this ruling

strengthening the first ammendment has not been enough thus far to convince

Long Beach Judge Brad Andrews to dismiss the unlawful assembly charge against

the Mayday defendants.

citizens groups including the Social Concerns Commitee of the Unitarian

church, the Long Beach ACLU, OCT.22nd Coalition against Police Brutality,

ACTION-L.A., and the Long Beach Peace Network have come out in support of the

Mayday defendants. supporters are urged to pack the Long Beach court room -

room 306 on the third floor - and to call the Long Beach city prosecutor,

district attorney, and mayor and demand that the charges be dropped.

Don White / ACTION-L.A. can be reached at (323) 658-6846

Sharon Cottrell / Long Beach Peace Network can be reached at (562) 433-7025

Mary Anna Henley / civil attorney (for class action) (626) 794-9978

Ramona Ripston / So. Cal. ACLU (213) 977-9500

Long Beach City Prosecutors office (562) 570-5600

Mayor of Long Beach (562) 570-6801

District Attorney Long Beach (562) 491-6301



i can be contacted also:

yutaka yokoyama

home (310) 441-5416

cell (301) 704-3763

"Good Cop is Dead Cop" is not Yutaka Yokoyama's identification name.

I am not Yutaka. Yutaka wrote the article. I am only helping to distribute the article. Everyone please help forward and distribute.

The information is important. But Yutaka is on trial, and I don't think it's going to help his case to have his name associated with the id "good cop is dead cop." It's important to think about these things.

I am concerned that people who read certain comments responding to the article about the Long Beach trials not going well will think they are MY words and represent my opinions, ideas or position. The words are NOT mine! I DID NOT POST IT!

The response I am referring to uses the outrageous comments, "the only good cop is a dead cop," and other extremist positions.

(a) I did not post to indymedia comments, (b) I DID NOT write "written by Yutaka Yokoyama," (c) the post does not reflect my thinking, ideas or opinion, (d) it is a blatant attempt to misrepresent me and create a total misconception about my actual views and (e) someone has a motive, unknown to me, to create a total negative misconception about me.

What I did do is e-mail a message to a number of people on a personal basis and someone has altered the ideas, placed it in a different context, added outrageous inflammatory wording and sent it in using my name. This is a serious misrepresentation of my views. Yutaka Yokoyama

It is abolutely necessary that the public and the press be clear on this fact: I did not submit an article to indymedia. An article which lists me as the author is a total fraud. I consider this a serious misrepresentation and I am concerned that anyone would accept this article as representing my views.

The article refers to "the only good cop is a dead cop" and other extremist, outrageous views, clearly an attempt to damage my reputation in the community.

I never wrote, "written by Yutaka Yokoyama." I am asking that anyone who has read the article circulate as widely as possible the truth: the article is a fraud and was not submitted by me, nor does it represent my ideas or opinions and was submitted by someone with a motive to damage me.

I am very concerned about an outstanding, sensitive young man , a human rights worker in our community who has been victimized by a vicious hoax designed to damage him at a difficult time in his life.

Yutaka was the victim of a story posted to laindymedia, listing him as the author, which is clearly designed to prejudice the public and possibly the courts against him. Whoever posted the cruel hoax wants to cause real damage to Yutaka.

Many of us who have investigated the charges against him are convinced he is absolutely innocent

but that is a different issue. The issue tonight is that we help this fine young man correct the damage that the fraudulent story may have caused.

We support the work of indymedia where folks can post stories immediately, without an editor's fact-check process commonly used in journalism. I guess this kind of deceit is a price we pay for a wonderful indymedia resource. don white

I am very concerned about an outstanding, sensitive young man , a human rights worker in our community who has been victimized by a vicious hoax designed to damage him at a difficult time in his life.

Yutaka was the victim of a story posted to laindymedia, listing him as the author, which is clearly designed to prejudice the public and possibly the courts against him. Whoever posted the cruel hoax wants to cause real damage to Yutaka.

Many of us who have investigated the charges against him are convinced he is absolutely innocent

but that is a different issue. The issue tonight is that we help this fine young man correct the damage that the fraudulent story may have caused.

We support the work of indymedia where folks can post stories immediately, without an editor's fact-check process commonly used in journalism. I guess this kind of deceit is a price we pay for a wonderful indymedia resource. don white

It is abolutely necessary that the public and the press be clear on this fact: I did not submit an article to indymedia. An article which lists me as the author is a total fraud. I consider this a serious misrepresentation and I am concerned that anyone would accept this article as representing my views.

The article refers to "the only good cop is a dead cop" and other extremist, outrageous views, clearly an attempt to damage my reputation in the community.

I never wrote, "written by Yutaka Yokoyama." I am asking that anyone who has read the article circulate as widely as possible the truth: the article is a fraud and was not submitted by me, nor does it represent my ideas or opinions and was submitted by someone with a motive to damage me.

====Only moments ago there were three comments listed here explaining that Yutaka DID NOT submit that story and that it is a complete hoax, designed to damage him. Why were those comments erased almost immediately. Yutaka did not write the story nor does it relfect his views. He needs to get that message out.

Someone used terms like "the only good cop is a dead cop," and then put Yutaka's byline on the story. He is attempting to clarify this and wants folks to know he did not write the article...

====Only moments ago there were three comments listed here explaining that Yutaka DID NOT submit that story and that it is a complete hoax, designed to damage him. Why were those comments erased almost immediately. Yutaka did not write the story nor does it relfect his views. He needs to get that message out.

Someone used terms like "the only good cop is a dead cop," and then put Yutaka's byline on the story. He is attempting to clarify this and wants folks to know he did not write the article...