9 Protesters Facing Charges. What You Can Do To Help!

[DistressedAmerican]

9 Protesters Facing Charges. What you can do to help!

On Friday March 4, President Bush arrived in Westfield, NJ to kick off his 60 day nationwide tour promoting his proposed Social Security reforms. He met with approximately 2,000 supporters inside Westfield Armory. Outside, some distance away was a mix of protesters there to voice their opposition to a variety of President Bush’s policies, among them Social Security and the Iraq War.

As may be expected at a presidential visit, protesters on the scene that day formed a mix of those participating in a large, official rally Sponsored by New Jersey Citizen Action specifically dealing with the Social Security reform issue and others that came independently to speak out on issues of concern to them, foremost among them being the U.S. intervention in the Middle East.

Around 9:30 AM, the New Jersey Citizen Action rally which, featured speeches by Congressmen Frank Pallone (D-Monmouth) and Robert Menendez (D-Hudson) came to and end and the group began an orderly march toward the Armory where the president was speaking. The march met up with the various other protesters that had gathered in a line along the perimeter the police had established for the event. This line was still some distance away from location of the President’s talk.

The number of protesters in attendance varied with time throughout the day. But, estimates range from 500 to 1,000 protesters in total. At approximately 12:30, as the town hall meeting was letting out officers from the Westfield Police Department and Union County Sheriff’s Office began making a series of arrests. In total, 9 protesters were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. Those include 4 adults, 4 sixteen year olds and 1 fifteen year old. Hearings for those charged are scheduled for Wednesday March 23rd.

There is a growing body of evidence that at least some of the 9 suspects are innocent and may have been wrongly charged. That evidence includes a number of eyewitnesses who are preparing to give sworn testimony in the case and an amateur video shot on scene by one of the protesters. That video shows the arrests of 4 suspects. In some of those cases, it appears to show the police reaching into the peaceful crowd and pulling protesters out of it to arrest.

In the presence of these serious questions concerning the arrest and as a matter of principle, these suspects who remain innocent until proven guilty must receive a fair trial.

You can help assure that they get one by contacting the following media outlets to encourage them to cover the cases as they are heard:

=======================
The Westfield Leader:
“E-mail your letter to [e-mail] by Friday at 4 p.m. prior to the Thursday of publication. Include your name, address, email address, telephone number. Paste the text of the letter in the body of your email; please do not attach files to your email (other than photos).”
=======================
The Star Ledger:
Charles Harrison
Reader Representative

Concentrates on reader suggestions and concerns exclusively. Frequently the best contact for readers. In the office every Monday to answer inquiries directly and catch up on messages
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Jim Willse
Editor

Has general responsibility for every item appearing in Star-Ledger editorial columns. Happy to talk to readers about special problems or suggestions
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
=======================

For additional details, to read collected eyewitness accounts and to view the video of the days events please visit this page:
http://www.seedsofdoubt.com/distressedamerican/main.htm

[Cha]

1. "Disorderly conduct"?!

bush should have been arrested for crimes against humanity and treason!

What an Orwellian Mind Fuck ..as one DUer says!

[DistressedAmerican]

2. Send 3 E-Mails. It Can Help These 9 And Possibly Others In The Future...

If you are that mad, :grr: please help out with a little e-mail of support!!!:pals:

Collectively there are a large number of us.

[Cha]

3. Yes, I will..with pleasure!

Thanks for the links..it could happen to any of us.

[distressedsister]

9. The cops just need to pick a few people

to make an example that they can leverage into total crowd dispersal and sqelching of free speech!

[bettyellen]

4. kick..

[DistressedAmerican]

5. Much Obliged! (n/t)

[distressedsister]

6. Additional Witnesses Sought

Local authorities have begun a disinformation campaign, calling protesters "despicable" - this is quoted from the Westfield police chief in the Westfield Leader!

Watch the video - this is an incredibly well armed and large force.

Would you want George Bush to bring this freakshow to your town?

[DistressedAmerican]

7. Evening Kick!

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:


18 year old protester Emily Colvin under arrest by the Westfield police.

[distressedsister]

8. I Shot This Video

but I couldn't shut my mouth!

[paineinthearse]

23. Lesson learned

If you plan to attend one of these 'DOG AND PONY' shows,

1. Go with an organized group. Hold a non-violence training/planning session.
2. BRING A VIDEO or DIGITAL CAMERA!!!!

[distressedsister]

10. Kicking helps

[distressedsister]

11. I Just Read Bush's Westfield Speech And I am SICK!!!!

I went to whitehouse.gov of all places and found out that, NO SURPRISE
he is exploited September 11th yet again when he was here! We lost a dozen residents that day and he has the nerve to come here and bring it up. And I quote

" Many of you were affected by the attacks of September the 11th. We'll stay on the hunt. We'll disrupt al Qaeda; we'll find them wherever they hide. But I will tell you the long-term solution to defeating hatred and hopelessness and the dark vision of al Qaeda and the likes of them is to spread freedom and hope around the world. And that's what you're seeing today. (Applause.)"

This was billed as a Social Security Town hall!!!!! Manipulative b#st$rd!

[coeur_de_lion]

13. Ugh. That is so sick.

One of the many reasons that people in Westfield hate * is that he did very little to try and catch the actual perpetrators of 9/11, and instead went after Saddam Hussein. They are also angry that he used the emotion people felt after 9/11 as an excuse to attack Iraq. Westfield is a commuter town and a lot of the people who live there used to commute to the Trade Center every day. Several were lost on 9/11. This idiot "president" has no shame.

In 2000, Gore won Westfield, and in 2004, Kerry did. For * to show up there was ridiculous. The fact that the real citizens of Westfield, who can't stand the President, were prevented from going anywhere near the Armory during his speech is just more evidence that he is afraid of the people. * never wants to even SEE protesters, never mind hear what they have to say. The heavy police presence shows that he knew there would be huge protests and he went anyway. Why?

"spread freedom and hope around the world" my a**. He has created a police state.

[FreedomAngel82]

21. So they can show it on the news

And say "see? Nobody is objecting!" And if they do show about protestors it's because they were being "rude and disruptive" etc. People don't believe what's going on. I've tried telling a few people but these people are right-wingers, so go figure. I don't know why W went anyway. I remember right before the election he asked democrats to vote for him. Yeah freakin right! :argh: This guy is a complete and idiotic moron. Somebody in Westfield should start showing the video's of him talking about how he doesn't care about Usama BinLaden. Bush's plans aren't working so that's why he's talking about him again. He knows people will rally behind him if he acts tough and brave about Usama. I'm surprised they haven't pulled another terror alert or video out to scare people with. That last video was such a joke.

[coeur_de_lion]

24. tough and brave

what a laugh. This guy can't even stand to see his detractors (protesters) never mind hear them. How tough and brave is that?

What happened in Westfield is happening all over this country. It was going on during the election and it will continue to go on as long as this idiot is president.

He wants to claim Westfield as part of his territory but something tells me they won't stand for it at all. If DistressedAmerican and DistressedSister have their way this will be all over the media, as it should be. We should all send letters to the editor of the Westfield paper.

Maybe he doesn't do "terra" alerts anymore because he doesn't need to get elected again. Now he just wants the country to think that people are behind his sicko policies. That is all we have left to fight against. We have to get the MSM to wake up a little and start writing about what is really going on in this country. Mandate? I don't think so.

[FreedomAngel82]

20. All of his rallys are manipulative

I remember reading during the campaign he even showed 9/11 photos and a little slideshow before he came out to speak and all that nonsense. Meanwhile while he's talking about freedom and hope people are being arrested for no reason. Talk about ironic.

[distressedsister]

12. Bringing This Video To The Attention of the Sunday AM Crew

Please take a look at the police state in which we live. Before there were laws, there was our Constitution but when Bush rolls into YOUR town, it will be canceled for the day!

http://www.seedsofdoubt.com/distressedamerican/main.htm

[distressedsister]

14. One Nomination In Hand

If anyone wants to join in, we can get this issue onto the greatest page and spread the word for the next 24 hours! Thanks to whoever made the first one!

[tinonedown]

15. Thanks for posting this

And doing the research work for us. Will do!

[H2O Man]

16. This is an important case.

I hope that DUers will take an active role in bringing it to the attention of a wider audience. And thank you, DistressedAmerican, for keeping us up to date. We appreciate your effort.

[Me.]

17. Kick n/t

[distressedsister]

18. More Local Coverage

I went over to the Activism Forum and saw that another DU'er had posted a link to a the following newspaper article:

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14122225&BRD=1847&PAG=461&dept_id=359925&rfi=6

Thanks to struggle4progress!

[FreedomAngel82]

19. This is freakin nuts!

So the police literally pull people out and arrest them? That kind of looks like what happened to the kid with the mohawk in one of your video's you posted. So much for freedom of speech. From hearing all these stories I'm convienced I'm in a facist country. Sad really what America has become. Lady liberty is crying. :(

[distressedsister]

22. I Wasn't Totally Alone In Objecting

but people were shocked and scared into just complying with the order to disperse.

Did you see the kid get shoved while he watched "the runner" be cuffed?

[coeur_de_lion]

26. I saw that -- what the heck was that all about?

The kid was just standing there and a policeman twice his size gave him a good shove -- at least twice.

Crazy.

[EFerrari]

25. Distressed people: CALL THE ACLU asap.

The locals probably acted on crowd control "tips" by the Feds because this is a pattern of MendacityCentral. Call the ACLU. By now, they have a fund of experience to draw on.

If they tried this in SF, we'd just go protest at the County Jail. There's not enough beds for all of us! The worry is, some cowboy will take his weapon out :(

Don't let the b@stards get away with it. And will email the papers. Keep us posted.

[Al-CIAda]

27. Done, Kick!

[izzybeans]

28. Distressed American

Check out the editorial page in the Newark Star Ledger. I can't remember if it was yesterday or the day before. It seems the cops are already lining up their own witnesses. Some "grandmother" was published saying she was cursed at by protesters and that the young girl your sister witnessed getting arrested was "cursing wildly" or something like it. She had "never heard an old lady sream so loud." I need to find the link, it there is one. But I have the papers in my recycle bin at home. You can bet your britches this woman will turn up as a witness. The video your sister shot debunks at least one of her (the author of this opinion)claims-from what I remember.

There was also a more reasonable account published the same day of the events that sounded familiar. Possible a DUer-it sounded like it. If not should be.


On edit: it was a mother not a grandmother. Here is a link to both editorials. The main reference to the mother is the second or third down. It will standout. The top one was written by a protester (thank you!).

http://www.nj.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-1/111052208262640.xml?starledger?for

[distressedsister]

30. That's How We Knew We Were Getting Somewhere

The police chief went on the offense (or, I should stay, stayed on the offense since that was their stance since the morning of the protest!)


Thanks for the link!

[izzybeans]

31. no problem, just thought I'd throw it in the pot on the off chance

that something relevant came about later on.

[Lizzie Borden]

29. KICK!

:kick:

[SouthernDem2004]

32. Did anyone ever find out what type of disorderly conduct charge?

Disorderly can be anything from public profanity to public urination.

[distressedsister]

33. Don't Know

We may find out soon - hearing 3/23/05

[EFerrari]

34. Please let me know one of you called

the ACLU or Amnesty International. This is b*ll, you guys aren't the first victims and you CAN make a difference.

[distressedsister]

35. SF Protesters Are Our New Role Models

Picket the courthouse indeed! Will follow up w/ ACLU tomorrow and get back to you. Thx!

[EFerrari]

36. Take good care of you and keep us posted. Peace. n/t

[distressedsister]

37. These Bush Events Are An Undemocratic Scam

The following article highlights the "prescreening" process used to determine who gets into the Social Security "orderly Town Hall meetings" . This had better be one tactic of Bush's that the Dems never copy. It is disgusting.

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/031005/dean.html

This shows how undemocratic this event was even before innocent protesters started being rounded up in Westfield. It very quickly degenerated to the point where the demonstrators were all sent home by police before having our chance to be heard by the exiting audience.

See the disturbing video at

http://www.seedsofdoubt.com/distressedamerican/main.htm

It will make you mad! When you go out to demand peace on 3/19, take a camera for your own protection and the protection of our Constitution.

[DistressedAmerican]

38. I Woke Up In Sunny, Warm, Bushfree, Mexico And Where Did I Go

Why right to the internet cafe, of course.

Just wanted to let people know that despite earlier claims that I would mostly be unavailable appear to be unfounded. Feel free to contact me, personal message me, etc. as this story continues to develop leading upto the March 23rd hearing on these charges.

I will drink a margarita for ya!

[coeur_de_lion]

40. lucky you!

I wish I were in Mexico too. I used to say that if * stole the election again I would move down there. Mexico is beautiful.

Be sure and drink a Margarita for me! Or at least a Mexcian beer with a couple lime wedges in it.

[lonestarnot]

39. When they are released they definitely need to file a civil suit! Bushit

ler coming to Tucson soon! Imagine some of the same could happen there the freak!