-Caveat Lector- ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, March 21, 2003 6:50 PM Subject: Police brutality at anti war march in Austin, Texas
> march 20, 2003 > > POLICE BRUTALITY AGAINST PEACEFUL AUSTIN PROTESTERS > > just want someone to know what happened here > today...seems like there is a media blackout on > austin, texas... > > today all day nearly 2000 people expressed their > opposition to the war on iraq by blocking traffic on > the main drag near the university of texas, then > beginning at rush hour marched very slowly with > die-ins in the intersections from the capitol to the > main tourist bridge. > there were signs that said, "'Iraq' is arabic for > 'Poland'" and "Iraqi lives are sacred too" and "Draft > the twins" (a reference to bush's daughters) and "Not > in my name" and so on. > dozens of riot police with no names, no badge numbers, > (unaccountable and anonymous) waited for night to fall > and then began "clearing" the street of protesters. > about 20 or so people committed to sit in the street > in an act of peaceful civil disobedience and be > arrested and the rest of us stayed on the sidewalks as > witnesses. > with absolutely no cause a policeman approached those > of us on the sidewalk and sprayed us in the face with > pepper spray. when we complained that it was uncalled > for and that the sidewalk is public property, we were > told that "tonight it's not" and "we're about to spray > you again if you don't leave." we began walking with > the police walking behind us and they started to walk > faster and hitting us in the back with their batons, > screaming "move." we screamed that we WERE walking and > they had no cause or right to hit us in the back but > they kept doing it. as soon we were pushed far enough > away so as to block our view of those who were sitting > in the street, they began the arrests. > the chants of "this is what democracy looks like, > quickly turned to "this is what a police state looks > like." > as we were pushed along off the sidewalk and into an > intersection, one of the riot police grabbed a young > man (right in front of me) who was chanting > peacefully, just like the hundreds of us who remained, > and slammed him onto the concrete. at the same time > another cop sprayed a woman at close range directly in > the eyes with pepper spray. the rest started running > toward us to push us far away so as not to see what > was happening with the young man who was on the > ground. > all of this was completely, utterly, unprovoked. it > actually seemed as if they were trying to provoke a > riot so that they could become even more violent. > it was clear that this group of riot police had a > sense that it was accountable to no one and/or that > they could do absolutely anything and that they would > be protected/absolved at a higher (federal?) level. > > my name is annette d'armata, i am a composer and human > rights activist. i was there with my partner, lourdes > perez, vocalist/songwriter and activist, diana hamad, > of palestinian childrens' welfare fund, and patrice > mallard of american friends service committee, all of > whom were also pepper-sprayed in the face. there were > many other witnesses to what i wrote above. there > were several television cameras but to our knowledge > nothing was shown on the 10 p.m. news. > we are meeting tomorrow with latino community leaders, > city councilpeople and the mayor about these > deplorable actions against peaceful people. > there are actions planned every day while there is > war. > please let the rest of the world know that austin is > overwhelmingly against war and the only reason you > don't hear about it is because it is not being > reported. > > peace, > annette d'armata > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http://archive.jab.org/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http://archive.jab.org/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
