Saturday, November 22, 2003

Miami on Friday - a police state

Sorry, I didn't get to the Miami news yesterday when it was happening.

Here it is, from IndyMedia.

Indymedia Reporters Among Those Attacked, Arrested At Peaceful Rally

Miami police have violently attacked a peaceful jail solidarity rally. As many as 75 people were arrested, including at least five independent journalists. Three legal observers were also detained. Many people were assaulted and arrested as they were following police orders to disperse [photos].

People can register their views with Miami Mayor Manuel Diaz by phone at 305-250-5300 and by free fax, and with Police Chief John Timoney by phone. When you call, make specific mention of the independent journalists that have been detained.

Many activists are now heading to Columbus, GA to confront US militarism at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, formerly the School of the Americas. The organizers of the three mobilizations have issued a joint statement explaining how their struggles are linked.




Damn. They really were prepared for trouble.


In what seemed to be less than two minutes, as activists were dispersing, a line of riot police moved in and split the fifty so activists into two groups.

The front group of 20-30 demonstrators had a clear path before them and began to run. Police were hitting them in the back with their billy clubs and pushing them in the back with shields. Police fired six shots from a gun loaded with rubber bullets were audible. There were several action medics with this group, all clearly marked with the red cross, at least one of whom was shot in the back with a rubber bullet. The reporter followed this group for a bit and says they all escaped the area.

At this point, approximately 4:30 pm, the reporter returned to the back group of demonstrators, who numbered 20-30. The back group was pushed off the sidewalk by the riot police and moved into a parking lot about 50 feet away from the street. This group was then encircled by riot police who blocked the view of the press. In the space of three minutes, police in a circle around this group fired over 100 shots into the group from guns loaded with rubber bullets. An aerosol sound, which the reporter believes to be the sound of mace being released from canisters, was heard. This went on for ten to fifteen minutes.

Then the riot police dragged the demonstrators out of the circle one by one. They were handcuffed with plastic ties and stood up in a line. The demonstrators were in visible distress and were drenched with liquid which the reporter believes to be mace. No clouds associated with tear gas were seen.

...At this point, the riot police began to move towards the press and the reporter ran from the area with two photo journalists from the corporate press.


article

....hey, do what you have to....you will anyway.

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