-------- Original Message --------
Subject: LA: Labor Video Project Press Release On Attack Of Photographers
Date: 19 Aug 2000 22:44:28 -0000
From: "Oscar " <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
On Thu, 17 Aug 2000 22:54:09 -0500 (CDT) Michael Eisenscher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
Labor Video Press Release
Attack On Labor Video Project Photographers, Demonstrators & The Media
By Los Angeles Police
For Immediate Release
8/16/2000
Labor Video Project
On 8/14/2000 at approximately 9:30 PM two photographers from the Labor
Video Project, Bill Sparks and Bud Gundelach were attacked by the Los
Angeles police simply for shooting video for the project. We were also
filming for the Los Angeles Independent Media Center
(www.la.indymedia.org) Sparks was hit by a rubber bullet on the arm in
two locations and Gundelach was attacked with a baton which left a large
bruise in his stomach. They were not the only ones under assault.
Thousands of demonstrators and people who were observing the
demonstration as well as Democratic Party delegates such as Miguel
Contreras, Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles Country Federation of
Labor all faced a barrage of police going wild. Miguel Contreras said
"officers shoved him even though he identified himself." USA Today of
August 15, 2000 reported.
Based on many other interviews and evidence, we believe that these
attacks were premeditated and were organized with the intent of
terrorizing dissenters and preventing the protesters from meeting and
debating with the thousands of delegates who were attending the
convention. We also believe that these actions were encouraged by the
Mayor of Los Angeles Richard Riordan and Democratic officials who gave
the "ok" for the massive attacks.
On Monday night, there were confrontations between a small group of
demonstrators and the police. The massive police assault however against
the 10 to 15,000 participants who were peaceful did not begin until
after Clinton had finished speaking to the convention. According to the
New York Times of Wednesday, August 16, 2000 "police officials strongly
defended their tactics and Democratic officials were on the roof watching
and approving their tactical decisions backed them up."
According to television producer and videographer Jesse Escochea of
Street Heat Productions in Los Angeles, the order to clear the area came
only after Clinton was done speaking. He was listening on a police band
and heard the orders given out. This was despite the fact, that the
permit for the rally had more than an hour remaining.
In our view, the reason for this was to clear the area quickly, so no
delegates would be confronted with the demonstrators. Over ten thousand
participants in an enclosed "cage" were charged by police on horses with
batons. With only a small exit they were literally pinned in. At the same
time, hundreds of police used their clubs to beat and shoot thousands of
protesters with rubber bullets, bean bags and gas concussion grenades.
Besides targeting the press, they also targeted Los Angeles activists
who they knew. Homeless advocate Ted Hayes was shot point blank on
Olympic Boulevard by a rubber bullet fired by the police and was rushed
to the hospital in serious condition. Many reporters including from CNN
and the Los Angeles Times have also been targeted with the rubber bullets
or police batons. These bullets can blind or cause serious injury. Many
of those hit were bleeding or displayed deep, silver dollar-size bruises.
On Tuesday morning this reporter asked Mayor Richard Riordan at his
restaurant "The Pantry" what he felt about the demonstrations. The mayor
said that the demonstrators had been throwing concrete and other objects
and the police "had done a fantastic job" handling the protestors. He
also said "$25 to $50 million had been spent on the FBI, State and local
police forces" and that because of this, the money was not going to the
inner cities.
This is not a new experience for the Los Angeles police department. They
have falsified charges, murdered innocent civilians and continuously
attack journalists and photographers. In the Laker riot under the glare
of helicopters, the police created a wedge not against the rioters but
against the media who were convering the event. This was also caught live
on televison. According to Escochea, helicopters were "banned" from the
convention area so the actual assault was not filmed from above. This was
clearly designed to be a "clean" action without spotlights and video from
above.
The previous week, the same Los Angeles police had been used to break up
a picket line of the union busting New Otoni Hotel in Los Angeles. Again
democratic rights were violated when over 10 workers were arrested. These
illegal actions have taken place for years in Los Angeles County. One of
the most publicized incidents was the beating of dozens SEIU janitors in
Century City who were trying to win a contract.
The use of the police to terrorize the population and the media must
come to an end. We call on all labor unions, federations and councils to
protest these actions. We demand the removal of the police chief and
criminal charges against the police who engaged in these violent attacks
as well as the officials who ordered these attacks. We also condemn the
silence of the Democratic Party leadership and officials in this blatant
violation of civil rights of those protesting the record of the
Democratic Party. We demand a full independent investigation of not only
the role of the police and the Mayor but also the Democratic officials in
these actions. These assaults on the democratic right to picket and
protest are a threat to all working people and a threat to any democracy
we may have left.
We also call on labor and media organizations to endorse this call as
well as supporting the lawsuit the ACLU is filing against the Los Angeles
police department.
The Labor Video Project also has video interviews of Mayor Riordan and
some others quoted in this article.
In Solidarity,
Steve Zeltzer
Producer, Labor Video Project
Please send a copy of your statement or resolution to the
Labor Video Project
P.O.Box 425584
San Francisco,CA 94142
(415)282-1908
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
If possible please email it as well.
And To the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and your local newspaper
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Click here for Free Video!!
http://www.gohip.com/free_video/
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