PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Alert: Stop The Repression Of The Protests Against The G-8 In Georgia
by david Tuesday, May. 18, 2004 at 9:19 AM
info@saveourcivilliberties.org

The Miami Model is blowing into Georgia.

****ACTION ALERT****ACTION ALERT***

STOP THE REPRESSION OF THE PROTESTS AGAINST THE G-8 IN GEORGIA

Dear Friends,

From June 8-10, 2004, George Bush will host the G-8 Summit in Sea Island, Georgia. This has been declared a National Special Security Event (NSSE), and puts the U.S. Secret Service as the lead law enforcement agency. There is up to $67 million in security funding, over 20,000 police are being brought into the community of Brunswick (pop. 15,000), and the Miami Model of excessive violations of civil liberties and civil rights is alive and well!

As in Miami, prohibitive ordinances have been passed based on 'advice' from the G-8 Legal Subcommittee; permits have been hard, if not impossible to secure; at least two organizers have been fired thanks to visits of Secret Service to their employers; and the story goes on.

George W. Bush has already shown his disdain for democracy and civil liberties, both at home and abroad. We call on the United States Congress to fulfill its role as a check and balance to Bush's power and send a delegation of observers to the Georgia protests.

We ask that you contact the following elected officials between now and Friday, May 21 to ask them to send a Congressional Observer Team to Brunswick and Savannh, Georgia during the protests of the G8, June 8th, 9th and 10th:

Hon. John Conyers (D-MI)
Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee
2142 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5126, Fax: (202) 225-0072
Email: John.Conyers@mail.house.gov

Hon. John Lewis (D-GA)
343 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-3801, Fax: 202-225-0351
Email: john.lewis@mail.house.gov


MORE BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

We also join the local organizers in calling for President Bush, Attorney General Ashcroft and Homeland Security Director Ridge to:

1) Support the First Amendment Cooperation Agreement as a way for demonstrators and law enforcement to work together to protect the rights of demonstrators. (see below)

2) Public assurance of no harassment of or violence against demonstrators.

3) Urge local officials in Brunswick and Savannah to repeal unconstitutional and unreasonable ordinances, permit fees and waive indemnification agreements.

4) Support our permit applications for PUBLIC property for our events.

5) Offer the same level of Hospitality offered to the G-8 Summit participants

6) Support the Calgary Model instead of the Miami Model


FIRST AMENDMENT COOPERATION AGREEMENT:

We are an alliance of local, state and national organizations and activists who oppose the G-8 Summit. We are committed to asserting our democratic rights to free speech, to peaceful assembly, to dissent, and to organize in opposition to the G-8. We demand that the police and other local, state and national law enforcement agencies in South Georgia respect these rights in the following ways:

1) End harassment, intimidation, spying, and arrest of people involved in organizing and free speech.

2) No raids, disruption, or intimidation of organizers, meetings, trainings, residences or other designated activist spaces.

3) No pre-emptive arrests of politically profiled individuals or profiling based on race, class, gender, sexuality, age or appearance of either their persons or their vehicles.

4) No bans or confiscation of free speech materials: signs, puppets, artwork, banners, theater props, or materials that are not designed to cause personal injury to people.

5) Respect 4th Amendment rights protecting us from illegal searches.

6) Refrain from initiating violence or using any potentially lethal wooden bullets, metal shot sacks, rubber bullets or other projectiles, tasers, concussion grenades, chemical weapons, tear gas, pepper spray, sound or energy weapons, or explosive devices against protesters.

7) Respect and do not interfere with designated legal observers, medics, and all members of the media. a) Embedded reporters and other information warfare tactics will not be employed to marginalize demonstrators or justify use of force.

8) Provide an official, accountable police liaison system with whom concerns and violations with these agreements can be addressed including: a) Direct line of communication with commanding officer(s) b) Direct line of communication with the City/County Manager's office. c) Direct line of communication for jail concerns such as withholding of medication and human rights abuses.

9) Respect and communicate with designated community liaisons.

10) Respect the rich American tradition of protest, civil disobedience and direct action and do not attempt to criminalize the organizing of such activities.

11) There will be no restriction on demonstrator's movement including the use of blocking, isolating, or dividing tactics; the use of check-points; or mass demonstrations of force that impede mobility or intimidate people from participation.

Initiated by the SAVE OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES CAMPAIGN

The Save Our Civil Liberties Campaign (SOCL) is a national grassroots campaign that formed in response to the violent paramilitary suppression of free speech, assembly and protest that occurred during the 2003 Free Trade Area of the Americas Ministerial in Miami.

http://www.saveourcivilliberties.org

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