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Pgh 122 Defense Strategy
by Chris Steiner
Tuesday, Apr. 01, 2003 at 11:54 PM
pittsburgh122@yahoo.com
Summary of defense committee meeting for the 122 arrested on M20 for Pittsburgh Indymedia. Contains info on what was covered, what is coming up, and how anyone can help.
Howdy jailbirds and jailbird sympathizers!
We missed some of you at last night's meeting, but hopefully have planned some events and activities that will be effective in getting our charges dropped.
Our next meeting for arrestees and supporters is this Sunday at 2:00 at Cafe SuSu (between Neville and Melwood on Centre Ave). We need your help and input!! Please come!
Our next meeting with the lawyers is tentatively scheduled for April 9th.
The main focus of the meeting was obviously how to go about getting our charges dropped. We have decided our approach should be generating positive public opinion for our cause, something we currently lack, if you go by the majority of the letters to the editor in the Post-Gazette. Regardless of what they may tell you, the Judicial system is influenced by popular opinion, so lets make sure our voices are heard.
Some of the means to achieve this we discussed include:
1. A letter writing campaign to District Attorney Zappala requesting that our charges be dropped. Attached you will find sample letters and a fact sheet. Please distribute these electronically to your friends and family. If you do not wish to mail them, letters will be accepted at the Quiet Storm on Penn Ave in Garfield, just tell the person behind the counter that the letter is for Jonas. We are also asking that everyone get out in the community during events such as peace rallies, concerts, and political events and encourage people write letters to the DA. Bring copies of the letters and pass them out at these events, if possible set up a table at these events and make people aware of what happened. Up coming events of note include the silent peace vigil on Thursday, and on Friday; Flux 9 and Anti Flag's benefit show at 1877 (see IMC's event listing for more info). Anyone interested in working a table at any upcoming events please contact us at pittsburgh122@yahoo.com. If you are unable to print out sample letters, go to the Thomas Merton Center during regular business hours (M-F 9-5 and Sat 10-2) to pick up sample letters. Letters to the DA should be addressed; Stephen A. Zappala Jr. D.A. 436 Grant Street Room 303 Courthouse Pgh, PA 15219
People who were arrested should not write letters to the DA.
This is one of the most effective means to of getting our charges dropped, but it may take several thousand letters to make a difference so lets get to work.
Jonas is organizing several letter-writing marathons. The first marathon will take place on Wednesday, April 2 at the TMC. If you are interested, please contact us at pittsburgh122@yahoo.com.
2. A Letter writing campaign to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
All of us should write letters to the Post Gazette. We should also encourage friends and family to write letters. Those of you who are college students should have your professors write to the Post Gazette as well. In your letters, focus on the fact that we were on the sidewalk when we were arrested. You don't have to be defensive about the two or three people who vandalized something during the rally. According to Daniel Heryer they are also more likely to not print letters that are overly accusatory towards the police, so keep that in mind if you want the letter to be printed.
Email letters to Editor John G. Craig, Jr. at letters@post-gazette.com . Or snailmail you letter to; Editor, John G.Craig Jr. Pittsburgh Post Gazette 34 Blvd of the Allies Pgh, PA 15219. It would probably be helpful to read the letters people have been sending before composing your letter: http://www.post-gazette.com/forum/ and http://www.post-gazette.com/forum/letters/20030401lets0401p1.asp
3. Interviews with reporters / talks at meetings, churches, etc.
The Merton Center would like a list of people who are interested in speaking to the media, churches and organizations, as they receive calls daily for this. They will train you if you are interested. According to Tim Vining (the Center director) this is one of the most effective means for us to get the word out to those who don't know about the arrests.
If you are interested in speaking or being interviewed, please contact us ASAP at pittsburgh122@yahoo.com . We will collect names and forward them to the Merton Center or you can call them directly at 412.361.3022.
4. Speak out on Tuesday, April 8th at 7:00 pm (this date is subject to change depending upon the availability of a venue which has yet to be decided upon- stay posted).
We hope to invite members of the community to this event to inform them of our arrest. We will discuss this further on Sunday.
5. Press conference on April 11th.
We will discuss this on Sunday. If you are interested in speaking at the Press Conference, please let us know on Sunday.
6. Letter writing to alternative media.
Get the word out any way you can. Post messages. Email. Whatever it takes. If you have any associations with members of the community who are sympathetic and may have some influence in this matter, then by all means get them to write letters!
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, doubts, great ideas, or if you would like to volunteer for something, please contact us at pittsburgh122@yahoo.com.
See you Sunday!!
-Sample letters to send to District Attorney Stephen Zappala, Email us at pittsburgh122@yahoo.com if you wish to have this emailed to you in an easy to download format.
Stephen A. Zappala, Jr.
District Attorney
436 Grant Street
Room 303 Courthouse
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Dear Mr. Zappala:
After following the media coverage closely since the March 20th Peace Demonstration, I�ve come to the conclusion that the police acted unfairly and in some instances, with extreme force. The police are, once again, giving Pittsburgh, a bad name and reputation.
In all fairness to those arrested and for the sake of the city and justice, I hope you�ll drop the charges against the 122 who were arrested that day.
Sincerely,
or a more potent version:
Dear Mr. Zappala:
As a taxpayer and resident of the city of Pittsburgh, I�m disgusted with the police conduct at the peace demonstration on March 20. I understand from the many accounts I�ve heard and read about that the 122 anti-war demonstrators were arrested when they were leaving the demonstration. In fact the majority of them were standing on the sidewalk when the police attacked.
What was their crime? What would make a police officer break a young woman�s nose or attack an ACLU observer and throw her to the ground for recording a police officer�s badge number. Several more demonstrators were beaten; others verbally assaulted.
It appears that the police were out of control and acted with total disregard for civil and constitutional rights. Shame on the Pittsburgh city police for continuing to act in this manner. Have they learned nothing from the scandals of the last several years?
Please drop the charges now!
Sincerely,
-Fact Sheet by Amiena
Dear Friends and Family:
On March 20 I was walking down the sidewalk when I was arrested and detained for 22 hours. At the time of my arrest, I was peripherally attending a peace rally in downtown Pittsburgh. I had walked/marched for about 15-20 minutes before I was arrested. Needless to say, I was shocked and awed by my arrest and subsequent detention for 22 hours.
One hundred and twenty-one other shocked and awed protesters were arrested with me. Most of us were trying to get to our cars or apartments, and all of us were complying with police orders to stay on the sidewalk. Numerous incidents of police brutality took place during and after our arrest:
� An ACLU observer was thrown to the ground and arrested when she tried to record the badge number of an officer who was beating a young man.
� A woman on a bicycle was thrown on her face and her nose was broken as she struggled to follow police orders to step onto the sidewalk.
� An African-American woman was thrown to the ground and beaten after recording several incidents of police misconduct on video. This woman was dragged to solitary confinement in the jailhouse where she was further beaten and attacked with racist comments.
� Several protesters were beaten and pepper-sprayed directly in their faces after being cuffed.
� Once in prison the police continued to harass us both verbally and physically. An officer picked up one young man and threw him against a wall after he allegedly 'smirked' at the officer. The officer threatened the young man by saying, "If you say one more word, I'll rip your f---ing throat out."
Similar incidents of police brutality during protests have been documented in Austin, Texas, New York, and Chicago. In all cases, the police attack, arrest, and detain protesters even if they are complying with police orders. Basically it's a scare tactic to silence dissidents, and it works. The protesters are then charged with misdemeanors. My criminal record now contains two: failure to disperse and blocking of a public passage.
While this event has been politically interesting, I must say that it has been personally horrifying. I'm still shocked that I was arrested while walking down the sidewalk. I thought walking down the sidewalk was my right as an American, but apparently in George Bush's America, unless I'm waving an undulating flag, it means that I'm a criminal.
So, why am I telling all of you this? Well, mainly because you're a group of people that I love and trust, and I know that I can rely on you to be shocked and horrified with me. More importantly, though, you're a group of people who are inclined to help your friends. Interested? I thought so. A~
Letters to the Editor
by Theo
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 9:56 AM
TheoK444@aol.com
Be careful when writing letters to the editor. Anything you say in the letter could be admitted into evidence at a trial. My advice is to keep them factual and to the point. Avoid unecessary information. Also, please keep in mind that letters that contain contradictary information won't help us. People saw different things. I heard an order to disperse prior to the arrests, others did not. The more the letters support each other, the more effective they will be. I am not suggesting that people refrain from writing letters, in fact i strongly support it and will probably write one myself. I just want to caution people to be careful and think about what they say.
Be CAREFUL !!
by S.Odamninsane
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 10:10 AM
THeo you idiot...anything you say on this website can be admitted into evidence (including those increminating video clips), but no one seems to give a shit about that. Oh, I forgot, that is because they are just plain stupid adn have no respect for the Kops theKourts or any other institutions of governemnt that offend their sense of individual rights and anarchy. My fault.
Oh Shit. I caleed them all Stupid. I guess I get censored. Well to hell with yuo censoring oppresssive bastards. I stand by my stemetns and my right to free f=speech. I have a voice and you probably would listen to my statemetns if I didn't get radical and use such terms meant to offend, to make you think, to question, and to exercise my freedoms that you wnat to take away from me. You willnot be happy until you have removed the last shreds of individuality form all of society, just so everyone can look and think like you. Well I for one will not be a part of that oppression of free and intellegent discourse and thought. I rise up and say with every thread of my person "STICKS AND STONE MAY BREAK MY BONES BUT WORDS WILLNEVER HARM ME !!!"
Good advice
by CalTechGuy
Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 10:11 AM
I can fully agree with over 20 years experience in rallies, etc. Often, we would write letters to the editor following an event if, for nothing more, to raise public awareness that an event happened. We usually would meet before-hand to make sure that we are consistent in our message. This is especially important when you're reporting police brutality or other eye witness type events. If we are seen as a loose band of rebels, then we defeat our cause and effect. I'm relatively new to Pittsburgh but hope to use some of my west coast experience to increase public awareness of some of our more important issues (war, discrimination, etc) in this sleepy (somewhat backwards) town.
CPRB
by Pittinger
Thursday, Apr. 03, 2003 at 10:10 AM
Beth.Pittinger@city.pittsburgh.pa.us 412-765-8023 816 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15219
The Citizen Police Review Board was created by the people of Pittsburgh to receive, investigate, hold public hearings on complaints of police conduct and make findings and recommendations to the Chief of Police and the Mayor of the City. If you have a complaint call us, 412-765-8023 - that's why we're here.
The Mayor
by P
Friday, Apr. 04, 2003 at 5:15 PM
I wrote to the Mayor about March 20. I received a response from the Mayor's service center. The response made false claims about the March 20 demonstration, saying that the demonstrators were spray painting cars. The response also said that if I had a problem, I should take it to the magistrate. I interpreted this response as a hostile response by the Mayor's office.
My family has lived in Pittsburgh for nearly 100 years. I was pretty disappointed by the Mayor's office's response.
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