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SPECIAL COVERAGE
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Police & Legal
Police brutality, harassment, invasion, spying, selective enforcement, legal support, jail issues.
April 27, noon-2pm 6401 SE Foster Sponsored by the Committee Against Political Repression and the Portland Central American Solidarity Committee. What to do if the cops of ICE try to talk to you -- at home, in the street, or while driving. Presentation in English and Spanish. Conozca a su Taller de Derechos 27 de abril de mediodía a 14:00 6401 SE Foster Auspiciado por el Comité Contra la Represión Política y el Comité Centroamericano de Solidaridad Portland. ¿Qué hacer si la policía de ICE intentan hablar con usted - en casa, en la calle, o mientras se conduce.
On Sept. 17, 2006 James Chasse was stopped by three law enforcement officers on a busy streetcorner in Portland, Oregon. A dozen witnesses watched in horror as officers tackled, beat, kicked, and tasered James until he lay motionless on the pavement with 16 broken ribs and a punctured lung. He died in the custody of Portland police about two hours later. James had not committed a crime, so why did the officers attack him? Who was James Chasse? Officers told eyewitnesses he was a drug dealer, a homeless person, a non-person, a ghost. But that wasn't true at all. James was a writer, an illustrator, and a musician; he had a home and a family and friends who loved him. He was a small, shy, gentle person who had been living with schizophrenia for most of his life. Alien Boy: The Life and Death of James Chasse examines his childhood, his intense involvement in the early Portland punk music scene, the heart-breaking teenage onset of his schizophrenia, and his brave efforts to avoid institutionalization and maintain his independence. [...] Want to see the trailer? It's at http://alienboy.org
Alien Boy: the Life and Death of James Chasse plays at Cinema 21, February 24-28.
From the open publishing newswire:
The newest document released in the Pacific Northwest Grand Jury case reveals the federal government's criminalization of anarchists. On January 30, a redacted affidavit was unsealed by order of Judge Richard Jones. The affidavit can be found at: http://nopoliticalrepression.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/redacted-warrant.pdf
Throughout the document Geoffrey Maron, an FBI Special Agent assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, repeatedly refers to individuals under investigation as being "known anarchists," as if the ideology alone is evidence of a crime. Maron admits that "many anarchists are law-abiding," but continuously points to the "Oregon Conspirators" as being known as part of the anarchist community. Similarly, Maron notes that some of the Portland police had seen many of those individuals at squats in Portland ? as if that had any relevance to the investigation other than that it might corroborate that the targeted individuals are, in fact, anarchists. [...] Furthermore, according to Maron's statement, law enforcement used information gleaned from electronic records to identify "associates and conspirators" of the anarchists under investigation. By referring to "associates" (in addition to "conspirators"), Maron as much as admits that the FBI is casting its net over the entire anarchist movement, not narrowly investigating specific illegal acts. UPDATE: POSTED TO PIMC ON 3/1/13: Good News reported: Two released for refusing to cooperate in a federal grand jury: http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2013/03/422160.shtml
From the open publishing newswire:
UPDATE: Day 5 http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2013/01/421437.shtml Defense is doing serious damage to undercover FBI Agents' credibility What is emerging from the last four days of testimony by the two undercover FBI operatives known only as "Youssef" and "Hussein" is that every single action that Mohamed Mohamud took in the furtherance of his alleged crime was taken on the explicit orders of the FBI. Mohamed's knowledge of explosives was limited to "Piccolo Pete" backyard firecrackers. Youssef gave him a hand-written shopping list of bomb components to purchase, a list that Mohamed failed to heed orders to destroy after using and which has now been duly entered into evidence. Something else of interest in yesterday's proceedings was defense attorney Wax's effort, albeit a failed one, to convince Judge King to allow the jury to hear an "outtake" of FBI agent "Hussein" who apparently forgot to turn his wire off before using "colorful language" to express his glee at having "hooked" Mohamed following their August 19 meeting. The defense has also begun to lay a foundation for asserting that the very idea of using Pioneer Square as the setting for an attack may have been introduced to Mohamed by the FBI agent "Youssef" during their meeting on July 30, 2010. This, by the way, would be the meeting that was not preserved on tape due to the equipment's "malfunction." Related Previous PIMC Posts: "Impressions of An Inexpert Witness" http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2013/01/421358.shtml "Federal "justice" center FBI Entrapment of Mohamed Mohamud" http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2013/01/421299.shtml
Michelle Alexander is an associate professor of law at Ohio State University, a civil rights advocate and a writer. Michelle Alexander is coming to PCC at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 16 to discuss her new book, "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness." There will be a community tabling fair in the multipurpose room from 5-6 p.m., and a community panel will discuss topics of Alexander's lecture from 5:45-6:45 p.m. At 7 p.m., she will speak and be followed by a Q-and-A session and book signing. http://news.pcc.edu/2013/01/michelle-alexander/ http://www.facebook.com/events/335378566576076/?fref=ts http://www.pcc.edu/resources/aspcc/cascade/ UPDATE: The Full Video from this event is now online here: http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2013/01/421421.shtml
From the open publishing newswire:
please come down to the court for the ongoing SHOW trial.
if you want to come in, you must get through security. pepper spray can be checked at the door. laptops can be checked at the courtroom, or the overflow room with the video feed. cells phones must be powered down, because, you know, technology may outsmart their show trial system. [...] if the rest of the world knew how bogus this trial is, and what a lifeless spectacle it is, and how poorly the US GVT's lawyer's are representing the Outrageous Predatory FBI Bomb Plot, Portland would be the laughing stock of legal communities all the way to to London. the case is taking place in 9A of the federal Courthouse in downtown portland. the overflow room is at 12A. arrive at least at 8, for a guaranteed seat, perhaps earlier, it's a little bit of a stampede. US District Court www.ord.uscourts.gov 1000 Southwest 3rd Avenue #740 Portland Family of the entrapped Youth is present. Anyone who is good with media, video, sketches should come. Courtroom seating is extremely limited (possible 20 seats beyond what the media and GVT attys get). It is considered likely that the trial go on for 4 weeks at least. there is tons of media present but almost zero activists, or outside street demonstration. some banners would look great on the nightly news perhaps saying "FBI TRAPS" "Stop the FBI" "FBIWatch" or "FBI Predators Leave our Children Alone" or "FBI Oversight Now!" [...] It was extremely interesting to hear a long phone call with the FBI Fake identity trying to persuade Mo to help with the FBI's Fake Bomb. [RELATED] PIMC UPDATES: http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2013/01/421398.shtml
Today [12.17.12] activists returned to 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd. to show their ongoing support towards ending collaborations between the Multnomah County Sheriff and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Earlier in the day, a group that included Commissioner Amanda Fritz had met with Sheriff Staton and expected a follow-up response at 3pm. A number of people gathered on the ground floor where the Portland Radical Choir sang revised Christmas carols, harmoniously calling for an end to deportations. At 3pm the group went up to Sheriff Staton's office, crowding the lobby and spilling into the hallway. The sheriff was a no-show at press time, opting instead to send two representatives, one of whom remarked (emphasis mine): "He (Sheriff Staton) feels like for today he's made his statements and received your information," adding "He has more information to consider now." Not at all satisfied with his I-don't-feel-like-it-attitude, members of the crowd insisted that Sheriff Staton come out to speak to them directly, and the Radical Choir kept everyone entertained as his representatives were sent to try and summon him from his office. The sheriff still refused to show and it was clear that he had no interest in addressing the community, even though he had confirmed that he would during the previous meeting. [...] Related PIMC VIDEO POSTS [1.] VIDEO: Sheriff Staton Fails To Respond To Citizens On ICE Holds On 12/17 [2.] VIDEO: Sheriff Staton NO SHOW and the ICE Holds continue - Portland Oregon 12.17.12
joeanybody.com Report-Back Newswire The california law that has now spread into federal law, mandates that those deemed "suspicious" of being illegal aliens be subject to federal INS holds under the "discression" of the county, and is not mandatory. Over 100 people attended this rally and demonstration, and all of them proceeded to enter the building as it was verified that Sheriff Staton was in his office. A conference was arranged by a staff member and delegates met with him to discuss his role in placing the ICE holds and to ask him to stop the federal-county collaborations. County Commission Chair Jeff Cogen was also notified and came down to address the mass of citizens with a positive statement. This action was organized by Portland Jobs With Justice, ACT, Dream Activists, VOZ, PCASC, and other Portland Occupiers. A decision will be made on monday 12/17 by Sheriff Staton and protesters plan to rally once again at 3pm in hopes that his decision will be to not comply any longer with ICE holds. Video Links: Trailer (Short) | Sheriff Staton Meeting Video | Full Length Video
From the open publishing newswire:
The proposed agreement between the City Council and the Department of Justice to provide Portland with a police force which citizens can supposedly trust will no longer violate our civil rights. That agreement proposes hiring more police staff at tax payer expense - as if the fox can now be trusted to guard the hen house while the blood of chickens is still drying on his chin. To whom it may concern at the DOJ; to Mayor Sam Adams, and City Council members:
I attended Saturday's anti-austerity demonstration on November 3rd. . I was SO disgusted by the PPD's irresponsible reaction to the peaceful protest - pepper spraying some of us without prior warning or any apparent reason. The only violence was on the part of the police so it became obvious to anyone with eyes that the excessive police presence was a terrible waste of taxpayer dollars! There were far more police lining the sidewalks than were justified by peaceful protesters - there seemed to be almost as many cops as there were protesters. I was appalled by the insane waste of police man hours and of our tax money! I have no idea whose brilliant idea it was to send such an excessive police presence to the event; would that have been our City Council or the PPD itself? I have reason to think that the police are often taken at their word as to whether their presence is necessary and in what numbers. Doesn't it ever occur to anyone that the police cannot be expected to have an unbiased opinion - it is in their self interest to inflate the possibility of conflict and therefor exaggerate their own importance? OTOH, Portland is not known for its riots. - All the Occupy events and peace demonstrations I have attended were of the kind where protesters stopped at traffic lights or would stop to help an elderly person across the street. The violence I've witnessed on more than one occasion has been police violence - the theft of personal belongings I have witnessed was done by uniformed police officers. If I were to sit on the jury, a number of Portland's police would go to prison for assault. [...]
Alex Milan Tracy N3 PIMC Pepperspray Related Links N3 Pictures by Alex [1] | N3 Pictures by Alex [2] N3 Video by Alex
https://vimeo.com/51103273
Leah is a 24 year old political prisoner currently serving time at FDC Seatac. Leah was subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury three times, refused three times and was thrown into prison for civil contempt on October 10th, 2012. freeleah.org | supportresist.net [Related PIMC Post] http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2012/10/419046.shtml
A rally will be held in front of the Federal Court House (1000 SW 3rd Ave) on August 30th to stand in solidarity with grand jury resistors. The rally will begin at 12:30pm and will last until 3:30. A federal grand jury has convened and already 4 people in the Pacific Northwest have been subpoenaed to testify against their comrades. Two of the subpoenaed live in Portland and have boldly refused to cooperate with the grand jury, potentially facing jail time for doing so. For more information about the grand jury investigation please visit the Committee Against Political Repression's website: http://nopoliticalrepression.wordpress.com/
Come out on 8/30 to show resistance to the FBI's repression and to let our friends know that we support them in these difficult times. Help us to create a culture of resistance by showing solidarity with those who have their backs against the wall. Related PIMC Post: http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2012/08/417324.shtml
Update 8-29-12: http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2012/08/417777.shtml
Statement by the subpoenaed in PortlandThe two of us, Dennison Williams and Leah-Lynn Plante,were subpoenaed to the secret grand jury to begin meeting on Thursday investigating anarchists. We are releasing this statement to make clear our intention to resist the grand jury. We will not co-operate with their investigation. If we appear before the grand jury, we will not answer any questions other than our names. If we are asked additional questions, we will invoke our First, Fourth,and Fifth Amendment rights. Under no circumstances will we talk about other people. If you would like to join us, please visit:nopoliticalrepression.wordpress.com. There you can find out how to sign on to a solidarity statement, donate money to our defense and support campaign, and write us should we be imprisoned. More importantly, though, you can show your solidarity by refusing to co-operate with any police force and encouraging your friends and families to do the same. The police do not protect us, and do nothing to bring justice to those who have been hurt by others. If we want real safety, and real justice, we need to continue creating liberatory alternatives to the state?s institutions. Related Reportback: http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2012/08/417224.shtml |
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