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County Jail Planning for Mass Arrests
by Police State Victim (PSV)
Friday, Apr. 04, 2003 at 9:15 AM
County plans for mass arrests
The A04 post-gazette reports that ACJ warden Calvin Lightfoot has requested a large space sufficent to process 500 arrests in the event of future anti-war protest mass arrests. Termed 'alternative jail', judges, magistrates and police are going to organize a special system to process the arrested.
My comments:
This planning is a terrible waste of public resources. The police and warden are declaring war on our rights to express an opinion about U.S. policy. We have city neighborhoods that could really use the sort of resources the police are devoting to our protests.
My reaction:
At the next anti-war protest I can assure you I will come to the protest dressed as a life sized can of "Edgewood Brand" pepper spray. My dream is that someone out there has a pair of walking stilts and can come dressed as a 12 foot high police officer to 'spray me'. My opinion is that we need to be creative in our protest. I am a strong proponent of actions that legally disrupt public order. Take yesterday for example. Not one marcher left the sidewalk, yet the police effectively created a traffic jam by riding besides us with a fleet cars and wagons (and probably a mass arrest port authority bus just for good measure).
Reminder:
Baseball season is upon us. There will be several opportunities to legally protest on the sidewalk (opposite the stadium) and agitiate the powers that be.
Corporate media reports
by Another PSV
Friday, Apr. 04, 2003 at 9:23 AM
Newlin Archinal from WPXI "reported" that the county was looking into using Mellon Arena or the spiffy new convention center as temporary detainment camps.
In other hillarious county news, DeFazio's gestapo displayed two Vietnam era riot helmets in a claim that they had no riot gear. Every cop on 3/20 had brand spankin' new kevlar helmets, they want $100,000 of our money for equpment they already have. If they wouldn't instigate riots, they wouldn't need riot gear.
mellon arena?
by Evan N
Friday, Apr. 04, 2003 at 10:09 AM
my god. How many people do they expect to arrest that they would need mellon arena for detainment!?! thats nuts! We dont even have neough protestors that they would ever need to use either of those places. That's nuts.
nice idea but...
by anudda redundabed
Friday, Apr. 04, 2003 at 10:31 AM
"Baseball season is upon us. There will be several opportunities to legally protest on the sidewalk (opposite the stadium) and agitiate the powers that be."
PSV, I totally like the idea. Unfortunately I'm afraid that, given the City police's general policy of turning a blind eye to any laws broken by sports fans, and given the reaction that any such protest would be likely to engender in said fans, this would not be so much a protest action as an action of martyrdom.
You have a point though with the stadium thing, Pgh is so proud of its North Shore, the path alongside the river might be a good place for a peaceful high-visibility action. If it was during a game we'd have to figure out how to stay alive among the police and fans though (like, wear some of those little flotation armband things...).
Safety
by PSV
Friday, Apr. 04, 2003 at 10:50 AM
Good point on safety - drunk baseball fans, a dirty river, and peace protestors may not mix well. I wonder if there is a way to safely protest near the ball park? If we did do a protest near the ball park, at least the undercover cops dressed in pirates shirts would look like belonged there.
Mellon Arena Detention Center
by S Odamninsane
Friday, Apr. 04, 2003 at 11:33 AM
I really don't see why this is such a shock to you. Hell, the City has been financing the use of Mellon Arena as a torture facility for at least two years now, allowing the Penguins to brutally torture as many as 10,000 people a night.
Agreed
by PSV
Friday, Apr. 04, 2003 at 11:42 AM
S.O. - wow, we can agree on something. Hell, the City is paying still paying debt service on the late Three Rivers Stadium.
Agree
by #112031
Friday, Apr. 04, 2003 at 11:45 AM
Not to mention the atrocities commited at PNC park
Fuck with sports fans?
by ...
Friday, Apr. 04, 2003 at 3:41 PM
I'm sorry but if we mess with baseball fans when their trying to get to a game they will rise up and kick our collective ass! The cops will just stand by and watch and the media will glossit all over as: PIRATE FANS PATRIOTICALLY DEFEND THEIR NATION! It will be a PR nightmare, and may discredit us completely. Plus I didn't get into this to get my ass kicked by some drunk yinzer!
PNC Park Space
by Consent Agreement
Friday, Apr. 04, 2003 at 4:25 PM
Contact the ACLU to ask about me. I can clarify what space can be safely used to leaflet, etc. around PNC Park. This is not to say other areas are off limits, but I give specific protection for certain areas. Thank the No Sweatshops, Bucco! Four for their sacrifice.
articles
by frank little
Saturday, Apr. 05, 2003 at 2:10 AM
Here are the two articles mentioning stadium detainment:
http://www.post-gazette.org/localnews/20030404jail4.asp
http://www.post-gazette.org/forum/20030406edprotest0406p2.asp
This last one is the newest, and is an editorial.
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