And now:LISN <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
Subject: TB DEVIL RAYS
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1999 19:32:24 EDT
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],
[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],
[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],
[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],
[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],
CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: August 30, 1999
CONTACT: Sheridan Murphy, State Executive Director/Mark Madrid,
Information
Director
PHONE: (727) 826-6960
FAX: (727) 550-2207
<<...>>
FLORIDA AIM FILES CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINTS AGAINST TROPICANA FIELD, SAINT
PETERSBURG AND TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS
Saint Petersburg, FL- The American Indian Movement of Florida (Florida
AIM)
filed complaints today with the United States Department of Justice
Office
of Civil Rights, United States Attorney's Office Middle District of
Florida
(Tampa), the Florida Commission on Human Rights and the City of Saint
Petersburg. Citing the city, Tropicana Field and the Tampa Bay Devil
Rays
with violating civil rights and public accommodations regulations when
they
expelled two AIM members with tickets from the Cleveland v. Tampa Bay
game
August 7, 1999
The complaints center around the expulsion of Florida AIM Executive
Director Sheridan Murphy and North Florida Director David Narcomey from
the
stadium on August 7, 1999 when both purchased tickets and unfurled a
banner
declaring that American Indians are Human Beings not a Sports mascot for
America's Fun and Games. Tropicana Security demanded both men remove the
banner because banners are not allowed inside Tropicana Field-which was
inconsistent with the fact that numerous banners were being displayed
throughout the stadium. Pinellas County Sheriffs Deputies contracted for
security for the stadium escorted both Mr. Murphy and Mr. Narcomey out
of
Tropicana Field and informed them that they were asked to leave based on
the
fact that the banner declaring that Indian people are human beings was
offensive to Tampa Bay Devil Rays owner Vincent Namoli and the Cleveland
"Indians" fans.
Florida AIM believes that these actions unfairly single out that
offensiveness only matters if it offends non-Indians. Had Tropicana
Field
and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays acted in providing equal service and equal
standards the Cleveland baseball team, which is highly offensive for its
use
of Indian peoples as a sports mascot, would have been expelled from the
field as well. Instead, this tax supported facility owned by the City of
Saint Petersburg clearly chose to side with that which offends Indian
people
and determined that a sign stating Indian peoples are human beings was
offensive.
Florida AIM will review its options and may consider further legal
action
should it be viable.
-30-
--
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League of Indigenous Sovereign Nations of the Western Hemisphere
"Many Nations, One People"
L.I.S.N. is an alliance created to unite all Indigenous people
of the Western Hemisphere into one great Confederation to
politically empower our Nations as one people.
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
LISN Web Site: http://www.lisn.net
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