{"article":{"id":11146,"heading":"ESCALATING POLICE INTERFERENCE WITH FIRST AMENDMENT","author":"LA-CISPES","created":"2001-10-02 23:54:19","modified":"2001-10-03 00:28:58","last_modified":"Wed, 03 Oct 2001 07:28:58","article":"
========UPDATE! WORSE THAN WE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT!====================
[from CISPES-L.A.] This situation, reported in the post below, is worse
than we originally thought. Reports are coming in from folks who read it.]
A couple who actually spoke at the rally returned to the UCLA parking
lot after the event and found the parking lot locked, with cars inside.
They approached the attendant and asked why the lot was closed. The
attendant told them that he was ordered to lock up the facility while FBI
agents \"scanned the automobiles\" inside. The UCLA attendant, assuming that
the couple was not involved in the rally and march, spoke openly about the
\"scanning\" of the cars by federal agents. It appears that license numbers
were recorded although it is uncertain how the FBI would know which cars
belonged to participants of our event and which were \"Westwood shoppers.\"
We are posting this to illustrate how the escalation of activity by police
agencies and federal agents is quite intense. We are also alerting
progressive legal agencies about these developments.
>====ESCALATING POLICE INTERFERENCE WITH FIRST AMENDMENT=============
> The \"pro-peace, anti-war, defend civil liberties, solidarity with the
>Arab and Muslim communities\" march and rally in Westwood on Saturday was an
>enormous success and we were proud to have collaborated with many groups in
>the movement around this important event. The 2500 folks there made a
>strong statement to the administration and the world......
> BUT THERE IS A FOOTNOTE HERE WHICH CAN'T GO UNCHALLENGED!
> An activist came up to the security team and said he was blocked from
>parking in the UCLA parking lot ($2 all day) because he told the attendant
>he was going to the demonstration. Apparently the police went to the
>parking lot attendants and said, \"Ask where they are going. If they say
>they are going to the federal building rally, don't let them park here.\"
> The activist who spoke to us said to the attendant, \"Let's just
>pretend
>I'm going shopping in Westwood!\" The attendant responded, \"You have
>already
>said you are going to the rally; I can't let you park here.\"
> What POSSIBLE right would the police have to interfere with a parking
>lot, way over in the Westwood village, NOT RUN BY THE FEDERAL OR CITY
>GOVERNMENT and impede first amendment rights by restricting parking. This
>is an outrage!
> WE ARE ASKING OTHER ACTIVISTS WHO HAD THIS EXPERIENCE TO SEND DETAILS
>TO: <lacispes@igc.org<\/a>> so we can follow up on this escalation of police
>misconduct. Mil gracias!\n","contact":"","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"Allegations of police scanning cars parked in the UCLA parking lot have surfaced Monday on the web.","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2001\/10\/11146.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}