PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

A2 Action Update
by John-RPGH Tuesday July 29, 2003 at 11:51 PM
radicalizepgh@yahoo.com (email address NOT validated) 412 429 3384

For Pittsburgh Indymedia: STOP THE POLICE STATE! FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS AND BRING JUSTICE FOR THOSE MURDERED BY THE OPRESSIVE UNITED STATES TERROR CAMPAIGN!!

On January 24th, 2002 RaiseTheFist.com webmaster Sherman Austin's home was raided by 25 heavily armed members of the FBI, Secret Service, LBPD, and the LAPD. Copies were made of all computer data and all political literature, computer hardware and software, and an anarchist flag were taken out of his home. Shortly afterwards, Sherman drove across the country to attend the World Economic Forum protests in New York City. He was greeted at the protests by federal agents and NYPD officers who targeted him and arrested him. For 13 days he was kept in numerous federal prisons, until finally being released with charges dropped.

Over a year later, he is expected to be sentenced to up to a year in prison on August 4th on the charge of "FELONY 18 U.S.C. 842 (p)(2)(A): DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION RELATING TO EXPLOSIVES, DESTRUCTIVE DEVICES, AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION WITH THE INTENT THAT SUCH INFORMATION BE USED IN FURTHERANCE OF A FEDERAL CRIME OF VIOLENCE." Austin's lawyer recommended he undergo a psychological examination to prove that he is not violent by nature and that being put into a violent prison setting would harm him instead of rehabilitating him. The Judge threw the psychiatrist's findings out, and said he wanted to make an example of Sherman to future reovlutionaries by giving him the maximum sentencing.

This is not the first time people have been imprisoned for their political convictions. We must remember Mumia Abu-Jamal is still on death row for his views, we must also remember the MOVE 9, Leonard Peltier, and countless others of our revolutionary brothers and sisters serving sentences in America's unjust justice system.

If you do not think we live in a police state more and more each passing day, ask the mother of Michael Ellerbe who was shot in the back while running away from state police in Uniontown. Or you can ask the mother of Charles Dixon who was suffocated and murdered by 13 police while at a birthday party. Bernard Rogers was shot by the Pittsburgh Housing Authority while running down a flight of stairs, unarmed. In none of these cases were any police charged with a crime. And you cannot tell me that the chief of police of pittsburgh who was seen laughing while being screamed at about the murders during the recent protest to greet Emporer Bush cares about the victims.

Join us to protest the injustices done in our own communities against us, and free those who are held captive by the illegal U.S. regime.

WHEN: August 2nd, 2pm
WHERE: Federal Building on Liberty and Grant (Downtown)

Bring drums and pans to make noise and call the attention of those in power :). We will rally and march.

This action is organized by Radicalize Pittsburgh.

pittsburgh.raisethefist.com/

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