PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Glynn Co Sheriff Restricts Meetings Of G8 Arrestees; Says Sue Me In Court
by noG8 Friday, Jun. 18, 2004 at 9:44 AM
press@nog8.org

GLYNN CO SHERIFF RESTRICTS MEETINGS OF G8 ARRESTEES; SAYS SUE ME IN FEDERAL COURT; BRUNSWICK TEN ISSUE STATEMENT Legal Assistants, Family, Media Denied Access; Guard Tells Arrestees, "That Swift Justice Thing Don't Happen 'Round Here."

G8 JUSTICE MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release: 17 June 2004

Contacts:
Naomi Archer, G8 Justice Media Coordinator, (786) 390-4952,
press@nog8.org
Carol Bass, GA Peace and Justice, 404-556-7326, robochik@riseup.net

GLYNN CO SHERIFF RESTRICTS MEETINGS OF G8 ARRESTEES; SAYS SUE ME IN
FEDERAL COURT; BRUNSWICK TEN ISSUE STATEMENT
Legal Assistants, Family, Media Denied Access; Guard Tells Arrestees,
"That Swift Justice Thing Don't Happen 'Round Here."

Brunswick, Georgia - The Sheriff of the Glynn County Detention Center,
which houses the "Brunswick Ten" - the remaining ten of original 17 G8
related arrests that occurred a week ago during the G8 Summit- has
separated the group members and is denying access to media, legal aids,
family members and anyone other than their direct attorneys says legal
advisors close to the inmates.

These restrictions follow on the Sheriff's decision to prevent group
meetings with their attorneys, resulting in individual meetings lasting up
to seven hours. These actions both hamper the defense attorney's work and
limit the group to communicate and provide support to each other.

Like other political prisoners, the group is being harassed and prevented
from meeting together and speaking out. The ten have been denied writing
utensils, and phone calls with family members and supporters have been
shortened or cut off arbitrarily and without notice.

The Sheriff said he will deny visitors and group meetings until further
notice and has told legal aids to the ten to sue him in Federal court if
they don't approve.

The "Brunswick Ten", nine men and one woman, refuse to give their names in
solidarity action. They continue to express their concern for the land,
air, and water quality of Brunswick and the impoverished condition of the
community. A peaceful prayer vigil led by community members is held
outside the jail each day to show support.

Activists demand that the charges of "disorderly conduct" and "giving
false identification" be dropped immediately as the ten are not guilty of
violating these or any other laws. Two of the inmates have now been moved
to general population where they will be further restricted from
communicating with the other eight.

The activists maintain that it is their First Amendment right and their
duty to speak out regarding the grievances they hold with their
government. The activists continue to promote their peaceful resistance
and have this to say to the American people. . .

** June 15th Statement from the Brunswick Ten on Jail Solidarity,
Anonymity and Peace **

"We have come from across the hemisphere to confront the G-8 and the
policies they pursue, policies that have wrecked our global environment
and continue to impoverish the majority of the people of the world.

"On Thursday, as we walked the nine miles towards Sea Island, our actions
were in direct conflict with the authoritarian, anti-protest permit
ordinances of Brunswick and Glynn, and also the Secret Service's arbitrary
closure of these corridors to political speech and people without cars to
transport them across the checkpoint. We consider this entire county a
free speech zone, and freedom of movement a basic human right.

"Our message Thursday was directed towards revealing the suffering of the
Palestinian people under the Israeli military occupation, and exposing the
role of America in sustaining that occupation. We have seen firsthand the
brutal repression of non-violent protest in the occupied territories, and
we condemn continued weapon and bulldozer sales to Israel by the G-8
countries. In doing so, we join our voices with Anarchists in Tel Aviv who
demand an end to all occupations, and justice for the Palestinian
refugees.

"We are not all self-proclaimed anarchists. We are a blend of peoples,
cultures, beliefs, and values, just like the human union we represent. We
stand together in solidarity for the rights of all peoples and in support
of diversity and peace, not occupation, militarization, and the various
tactics used by government agencies to send a message that is received in
fear and results in silencing the people's opposing voice.

"While working this week to clean and remodel dilapidated houses for unwed
mothers within the Fix Shit Up projects we have met residents who were
scared by the overwhelming presence of the soldiers and police. Watching
Brunswick turn elementary schools into criminal processing centers and
turn public parks into military encampments was profoundly disappointing.
The injuries we have sustained this week while speaking out have done less
damage to our bodies than the Governor's casual militarization of civilian
law enforcement has done to American democracy.

"We have peacefully assembled, marched, spoken our minds, and, as a
result, we have been imprisoned. We are political prisoners in the Glynn
County Detention Center. We urge all to join us in our struggle for a
society free of the chains of racism and militarism, and to help us build
a new world.

"We are standing together without recognizable identities like the
millions of others around the world whose suffering is ignored. Our
solidarity stands to empower each other and to make sure all arrestees
rights are upheld. We have spoken and acted because we want to change our
world not because we want to read our names or see our faces in the paper.
Additionally, we have no desire to facilitate the creation of political
blacklists. We are innocent.

"We remain nameless as do the billions of people across the world who
continually suffer as a result of the neoliberal and imperialistic
policies of the G-8. These countries are in a position of power, and as
such seek to maintain the status quo and an ostensible peace. Their
concern is not for the oppressed people of the world living under military
occupation or suffering from disease, hunger or poverty. In fact, these
countries are only able to continue their standard of living by keeping
the majority of the world's population either malnourished, illiterate and
impoverished, or entertained and distracted. Otherwise, the people of the
world would rise up and demand their rightful place as equals politically
and economically.

"We, as prisoners, are bound by these laws, but our hearts and our minds
are bathed in a freedom they cannot take away. We will not be silenced
whether imprisoned or out in the streets. Our cries for freedom,
democracy, justice and the world of our dreams will be heard."

Signed PLUR (Peace Love Unity Respect),
The Brunswick Ten
G-1082
G-0110
G-1098
G-0177
G-0147
G-0002
G-0176
G-0112
G-1081
G-1097

---
The “Brunswick Ten” are nine men and one woman of the original 17 arrested
during the Thursday G8 protest walk and Friday jail solidarity vigil. They
are political prisoners because they were arrested while peacefully
exercising their constitutional rights to free speech and assembly in
dissent of their government. In fact, the original 15 arrested were
sitting down following a 6 mile escort from police and military personnel
to the gate of Sea Island. This was as far as the demonstrators could go
since the G8 Summit was held on a private island, with leaders unavailable
to citizens wishing to speak out against the Summit. For more information
about the mobilization against the G8 Summit, visit http://www.nog8.org
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