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Author Topic:   I survived the police riots in Miami!
Harpyr
Newflake

Posts: 12
From: Alaska
Registered: Jun 2010

posted November 24, 2003 12:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Harpyr     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hi everyone. I could really use a hug.

I just returned home from Miami and some of the most harrowing experiences of my life. The feeling I had before getting on the plane to go there was frighteningly accurate. It truly was a war zone. The entire downtown of Miami was totally militarized. Riot police on every corner..they even had tanks!

The contrast to this was the activists' convergence/welcome center. It was decorated with banners that were hopeful and inspiring..that described the world we wanted to live in.. "The new global currency is LOVE" was one of my favorites. There were hundreds of young, vibrant, generous and loving people taking care of one another and organizing SO MANY different things. A healing center, a community garden in Overtown, community outreach, legal teams, media center, puppets and banners, FOOD NOT BOMBS, housing, outreach to the unions and other organizations..I was deeply amazed and inspired by what these kids -yes..the majority of them teenagers and young adults..were accomplishing.

It was extraordinarily difficult to go from an enviroment of love and acceptance and then attempt walking down the street in downtown Miami with a couple friends to simply pass out fliers and be suddenly surrounded by a herd of bicycle cops that felt the need to follow us where ever we went. I knew that the police would be attempting to intimidate and repress free speech but I didn't think they would go to the lengths they did. Three women (one of them a good friend of many in our cluster) were walking home from the convergence center on Thursday night and were surrounded by 60 cops, forced face down on the ground and kicked repeatedly and severely. They were then arrested and later released without charges. As the cops were beating them they were told by one cop, "we could kill you and nobody would know".

On Friday a group of 250 activists went to the jail to offer support to those being held as political prisoners inside. The police gave an order to disperse and most attempted to leave but the cops opened fire with their rubber bullets and pepper spray and arrested about half of them..even those who were attempting to walk away.

A hispanic man was beaten so severly by the cops that he is in the hospital with brain hemmoraging. Inside the prison, people of color and transgendered persons are being targeted for beatings, pepperspraying and sexual assault.

I am angry and grieving and emotionally drained all at the same time.
I expected violence at the hands of the cops when we were on the street and they delivered that as expected..beating and gassing peaceful protesters but I was unprepared for the violence that is taking place inside the jails at the hands of the police.

These are the people that are supposed to be protecting and serving us! I now have no doubt that many, if not most of those officers would have had no problem opening fire upon us with live ammunition. I don't think people in this country realize how precariously we teeter on the brink of being a country that murders it's own citizens for protesting in the streets.
All one needs to do to see the reality of the police state we live in is attempt to excercise your first amendment rights in the streets and it becomes painfully obvious.

So, this is why I could use some REALLY BIG hugs right now, please.

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trillian
Knowflake

Posts: 51
From:
Registered: Apr 2009

posted November 24, 2003 01:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for trillian     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote


I'm so sorry about your experiences. Sending big hugs and much healing light...



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lioneye68
unregistered
posted November 24, 2003 02:00 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Oh, Harpyr! That gives me a very heavy heart

We don't have a hug smilie, so this one will have to do At least the heart is getting a hug. And here's a kiss too

I don't want to sound ignorant, but what was the protest about? Why wasn't it on the news?

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Harpyr
Newflake

Posts: 12
From: Alaska
Registered: Jun 2010

posted November 24, 2003 03:59 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Harpyr     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thank you for the hugs, trill and lioneye..
the protests were in opposition to the FTAA..The Free Trade Area of the Americas.
Basically it's NAFTA on steroids.
It wasn't on the news because the media is totally controlled by the corporate forces that want to silence dissent in this country.
I'm going to share more but I'm off to pick up my son from the babysitters.
Check out these websites for more info- http://ftaaimc.org
http://stopftaa.org

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juniperb
Moderator

Posts: 9284
From: Blue Star Kachina
Registered: Apr 2009

posted November 24, 2003 04:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for juniperb     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
{{{hugs}}} Harpyr and lite to help heal you.

------------------
If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans. ~James Herriot

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StarLover33
unregistered
posted November 24, 2003 05:15 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I'm sorry Harypr, I hope everything is fine now.

-StarLover

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La-Tee-Da
unregistered
posted November 24, 2003 06:04 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
How sad for all the people involved...both innocent and not. Miami is a harsh area. I have lived there before and the police are used to rough times, so they always react in the same way.

I am sad that things turned so bad. Here is a hug for you {{{{{{{{{hug}}}}}}}}}

------------------
Hugs,LTD ~~The struggle keeps us young~~Daring to make mistakes and knowing there are none.~~DGM

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proxieme
unregistered
posted November 24, 2003 06:13 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Damn.

It saddens me to think that that's my country; every time I hear something like that it saddens me. The DC police aren't quite as harsh (at least w/ protestors...they know that there will be media coverage there), but what you've said isn't surprising.

{{{SUPER SAGGIE CHICK}}}

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TINK
unregistered
posted November 24, 2003 07:05 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Tanks! So if anyone had any doubts ... this is what happens when an everyday citizen ( oops, I'm supposed to say "consumer" now, right?) has the audacity to question Big Brother.

Most frightening is the lack of media attention. I didn't hear it mentioned anywhere.

Hapyr, how brave you are!

"The humblest citizen of all the land, when clad in the armor of a righteous cause, is stronger than all the hosts of error"

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trillian
Knowflake

Posts: 51
From:
Registered: Apr 2009

posted November 24, 2003 07:47 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for trillian     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hmmmm, I watched the coverage all that morning on CNN(we have TVs at work, I work in the media)...however, it began the day the news was also breaking on the bombing in Turkey, and the allegations about Michael Jackson, so I can see how it might have been somewhat eclipsed...

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pixelpixie
Knowflake

Posts: 474
From: ON Canada
Registered: Apr 2009

posted November 24, 2003 10:18 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for pixelpixie     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Wow! *shakes head sadly* I'm glad you are okay though, I hope that can be said of everyone.

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Harpyr
Newflake

Posts: 12
From: Alaska
Registered: Jun 2010

posted November 25, 2003 11:51 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Harpyr     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
oh thank you for all the love, everyone!
It feels good to be back home.

Yes, I must say that I found it hard to believe I was still in the US at many times during the events. The actions of the Miami police are truly shameful.

"The humblest citizen of all the land, when clad in the armor of a righteous cause, is stronger than all the hosts of error"

Thank you for that quote, TINK..it bears repeating. Those guys had an insane amount of armor, you'd think they were preparing for all out war instead of just pushing around some peaceful protesters. They intended to intimidate and divide us but in fact, their ridiculous, overreactionary amounts of violence only served to bring all of the protesters closer together and strengthen our resolve to stand up in the face of injustice and repression.

I was there with the Pagan Cluster. We are witches that work with currents of energy unseen. One thing we worked on was summoning up the winds to protect us from the tear gas. It couldn't have worked more beautifully. It was probably my favorite moment of all the actions. My affinity group was standing up on a grassy hill about 300 feet away from the riot cops when they unleashed upon us all. There were rubber bullets flying by our heads (those can be lethal if they strike in the temple) and enormous amounts of tear gas and other unknown gasses of strange colors billowed up....and then blew right back into the cops faces. I experienced in that moment a taste of what Starhawk has described as 'frontline spirituality'. I felt the hand of the divine working on our side in that moment. It was spectacular. Here's a picture..

This next one is just about exactly the view I had..
The National Lawyers Guild is conducting an investigation into the strange colored gasses..they think the police were experimenting on us with new chemical weapons. As it turned out it was more like they were experimenting on themselves.

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Harpyr
Newflake

Posts: 12
From: Alaska
Registered: Jun 2010

posted November 25, 2003 12:54 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Harpyr     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
So this morning I'm busy compiling a collection of photos from the web. I thought perhaps I'd share some of the really candid ones..



...this woman was peppersprayed shortly after this was taken..

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Harpyr
Newflake

Posts: 12
From: Alaska
Registered: Jun 2010

posted November 25, 2003 01:21 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Harpyr     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
WARNING- there is a that is picture fairly disturbing in here.

I felt the need to post this series because I think it is important to see the people that were bearing the brunt of the police brutality. We cannot sit down while this goes on.. if we let them get away with this it will only get worse.


Nikki Hartman meditates with her prayer beads while sitting in front of a long line of Miami city riot police during a Free Trade protest in Miami, Thursday Nov. 20, 2003


here are the police aiming their rifles at eye level. Rubber bullets are classified as 'semi-lethal' weapons. Meaning if they strike a person in the head they are potentially fatal.


Nikki Hartman (see above) holds a rag to her head to stop the bleeding from a wound after being hit by a rubber bullet


This is the sort of thing that makes me feel these officers would have had little, if any qualms, about using live ammunition on us.

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Aen
unregistered
posted November 25, 2003 01:47 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Harpyr,

*hugs*
*more hugs*

I'm so glad you posted about your experiense. It shouldn't be hidden away.
I wish you strenght.

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Annie Kuzma
unregistered
posted November 26, 2003 08:20 AM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
PLEASE HELP US GOD!!!!!
We have wiped away our Freedom of Speech!!!
We have let the Constitution be ripped out from under us!!
We will be arrested for writing this!!!
Our current administration is trying to take over the WORLD!!
That is EVIL!
Send as much White Light to our country as you can invision.
WE NEED ALL YOU CAN GIVE US!
Not just for American's but for the Whole Human Race!
You are correct, I am VERY disturbed by these pictures.
A Peaceful demonstration should NEVER have this much Police action!
When I was looking at your photos, I almost felt like it was an "Invasion movie", like the cops were robots, and this was a movie!!

I think I am trembling.......


Pray for Peace and Light , and open the minds of the Americam people so they aren't blindly robbed of their Rights!!
If it happens to us here....it will spread all over the World in NO TIME!!!

Evil=
"The New World Order"..George Bush Sr.
"The 1000 Points of Light"( I hated that he used that word)
Just look up New World Order on Google!!

I am scared for my children......

------------------
Peace and Love
L.V.X. Annie
"Bind the consciousness of the denial of self-worth that says, "I am not worthy." I AM is the Name of God. To say this is to say, "God is not worthy. God in me is not worthy. I am worthless." When you are worthless and so say it, beloved, you have denied all God within you".

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Harpyr
Newflake

Posts: 12
From: Alaska
Registered: Jun 2010

posted November 27, 2003 05:29 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Harpyr     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for the hugs Aen! I completely agree that this sort of thing should not be shut away. People need to realize how precariously our Constitutional right to peacefully assemble in protest (a superb, long standing American tradition!) is balanced on the edge of a knife right now. If we allow the police to get away with this unchecked, we may lose the right entirely.
I'm still feeling a need to rejuvinate myself inwardly before I talk about it as much as I'd like. I'm many hundreds of miles away from Miami but I still feel incredibly jumpy and unsettled.

Here's a really good essay about it in the meantime: http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1126-08.htm

Annie,
I agree that this is almost too freaky to be real. Many times I felt like I was in a bad cop movie or somthinng..everything was soo surreal.

Not sure I believe in the whole good/evil dichotomy but I agree that those things are representative of forces that are unbalanced right now, thereby causing great destruction.

It's time to sit more heavily on the other side of the teeter-totter, so to speak before things get any more unbalanced.
This world needs more love to balance out the profusion of hate everywhere, more compassion to cure this over-whelming sense of apathy that hangs over us, cooperation to keep the competition in check and a greater understanding of the sacred interconnectedness of all things to stamp out this raging inferno of consumption that grips so many..
or atleast that's how things look from where I'm standing. It's a perspective from which it seems increasingly more people are viewing from as well, if ya ask me.

ah well..right now my mind keeps drifting to turkey and birthday cake.

Before I head off to the family's house I want to leave a cool picture I found of myself in Miami. I am marching in the parade as a part of the 'Living River' created by the Pagan Cluster..check it out-
I apologize it it is slow in loading..

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proxieme
unregistered
posted November 29, 2003 12:41 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
This world needs more love to balance out the profusion of hate everywhere, more compassion to cure this over-whelming sense of apathy that hangs over us, cooperation to keep the competition in check and a greater understanding of the sacred interconnectedness of all things to stamp out this raging inferno of consumption that grips so many.


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Annie Kuzma
unregistered
posted December 05, 2003 08:15 AM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
CLASSIFIED FBI MEMO DIRECTS LAW ENFORCEMENT TO SUPPRESS PEACEFUL PROTESTS

The ACLU has denounced a classified FBI intelligence memorandum, obtained by the New York Times, which gives police detailed instructions on how to target and monitor lawful political demonstrations under the rubric of fighting terrorism.

The FBI memorandum is online at: http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=14452&c=207&MX=1055&H=0

"This bulletin confirms that the federal government is targeting innocent Americans engaged in nothing more than lawful protest and dissent. The American people deserve an explanation for what is clearly a return to the days of J. Edgar Hoover's spying tactics," said Anthony D. Romero, ACLU Executive Director.

According to a front-page story in the New York Times, the memorandum was circulated to local law enforcement agencies around the country in advance of mass marches and rallies in Washington, DC and San Francisco against the U.S. occupation in Iraq.

The memorandum, the Times reports, details peaceful protest activities such as rehearsing for demonstrations, and using the Internet for activities like raising money and purchasing gas masks to defend against tear gas.

Of particular concern is one section warning law enforcement about protesters' use of videotaping as an "intimidation" technique. Most mainstream demonstrators often use videotape during protests to document law enforcement activity and, more importantly, deter police from acting outside the law.

Citing no evidence of suspected unlawful activity by the protesters, the memorandum claims that law enforcement officials, including the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF), should track these lawful protest tactics.

Disturbingly, the ACLU has already seen proof that peaceful activities were being monitored by the JTTF. Documents recently obtained by the ACLU of Colorado as part of its "Spy Files" lawsuit against Denver police confirmed that the local JTTF has been collecting information about peaceful protest activities that have nothing to do with terrorism or any other criminal activity.

Read more about the FBI memorandum and the ACLU's response to it: http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=14450&c=206&MX=1055&H=0

------------------
Peace and Love
L.V.X. Annie
"Bind the consciousness of the denial of self-worth that says, "I am not worthy." I AM is the Name of God. To say this is to say, "God is not worthy. God in me is not worthy. I am worthless." When you are worthless and so say it, beloved, you have denied all God within you".

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Harpyr
Newflake

Posts: 12
From: Alaska
Registered: Jun 2010

posted December 05, 2003 11:42 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Harpyr     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
wow. Thanks for the info, Annie. I had no doubt this was going on but I hadn't yet heard about this FBI document. It's pretty disturbing to think that COINTELPRO could very well be alive and kicking in this country.

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jwhop
Knowflake

Posts: 8466
From: Madeira Beach, FL USA
Registered: Apr 2009

posted December 05, 2003 12:36 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jwhop     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
OK, I read the FBI memo to law enforcement and it's a recap of the well documented tactics extremist protesters have used in the past to disrupt events, some of which involve confrontational and often illegal tactics of physical engagement with police and destruction of property.

The memo also says most protests and protesters are peaceful.

Illegal activities should be dealt with by police and reported to the FBI.

This is more hysterical whining by the ACLU over normal and routine police procedures. If these activities occur, the protesters should have their butts hauled off to jail and prosecuted. This is a nation of laws. There is no place in America for mob rule.

jwhop

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Lost Leo
unregistered
posted December 05, 2003 12:57 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thank God for Jwhop

Nice to see someone with their feet firmly planted on the ground...

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jwhop
Knowflake

Posts: 8466
From: Madeira Beach, FL USA
Registered: Apr 2009

posted December 05, 2003 01:11 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jwhop     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hey LL, glad to see you're back!

jwhop

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juniperb
Moderator

Posts: 9284
From: Blue Star Kachina
Registered: Apr 2009

posted December 05, 2003 03:46 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for juniperb     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
LL Howdy

------------------
If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans. ~James Herriot

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pidaua
Knowflake

Posts: 67
From: Back in AZ with Bear the Leo
Registered: Apr 2009

posted December 05, 2003 04:05 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for pidaua     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Okay, I must be CRAZY, but I read the FBI document. I didn't see anything wrong with it.

It gave an advisory, much like we receive in biomedical research concerning safety measures and what to look out for concerning people falsely representing themselves in order to gain access to a person or persons.

So in the document is states to be watchful of violent organizations. It states that MOST DEMONSTRATIONS ARE PEACEFUL, but to be mindful of those violent protestors that communicate via cell phone and gain illegal access to building by providing false identification. It instructs that "Extremist elements may engage more aggressive tacits such as vandalism, physical harrassment of delegates, trespassing, formation of human shields, barricades...etc..." Whereas it condones normal / "traditional" protesters that march, use banners or conduct sit-ins.

They did not state 'Hurt, maim, beat, attack any protester" There was nothing in their about using tactics AGAINST protesters but it does serve as a warning of what to look out for regarding the extremists.

I'm sorry, but I see nothing wrong with being warned. Infact, I do not see the difference between this kind of warning and a warning pointing out violent protesters at an abortion clinic or a potential watch on a criminal in a region.

Please show me where I misunderstood the part about tracking law abiding citizens performing legal demonstrations.

By the way, I am totally FOR protesting for your rights and views. I have nothing again lawful protests in any way, whether it is against a church, abortion clinic, animal research facility or so forth.

I also think that the cops getting out of line of hurting innocent people should be dealt with and those cops need to be held accountable.

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