Roughly 45 people attended Phoenix's sixth annual march and protest against police brutality held on Friday, October 22 2004. Those gathered, came from both collectives of the Phoenix Anarchist Coalition (the Anti-Power Society from the west valley and the Monsoon Anarchist Collective from the east valley), the Women in Black, and a couple dozen other folks who are just sick of police brutality, met at Patriot's Square Park in downtown Phoenix. A contingent from the police monitoring group Phoenix Copwatch was also present to videotape and document any police brutality or abuse at the demonstration.
The march left Patriot's Square Park shortly after 5:30 and headed straight to the Phoenix Police Department's main station, just down the street from the Park. The police presence was very light, four red squad cops (Police who spy on radical groups under the guise of acting as public relations for the department), two cops on bikes, a couple of cops sitting in unmarked cars across the street from the park, a police van that kept cruising by the march, and a helicopter briefly hovered over the park. Once the march arrived, the department's front doors were guarded from the inside by a cop and, to discourage anyone from entering, 20 gang task force officers were standing ready in the parking lot across the street from the station next to a row of unmarked cars. The Phoenix cops used this same tactic last year, placing heavily armed cops across the street from the police station and using a few bicycle cops, but keeping most of the bike cops out of the sight of the demonstration and just a few blocks away at all times. Demonstrators called the police out on the killings and brutality in Phoenix, the harassment and repression of anarchists and radicals in Phoenix, and one demonstrator mentioned the 21 year old woman who was murdered by a police officer in Boston after a Red Sox game that week. A couple of marchers overheard one police officer saying "Yeah, there's a bunch of little terrorists out here," as he was exiting the station, word of the insult moved among marchers.
The march then left the Police station to move to the Madison Street Jail, passing by the crowd of police in the parking lot first, demonstrators chanted "police are the terrorists" and "cops are bin Laden" while flipping off the gang task force thugs, who could only stand by watching as they were mocked and insulted.
It was important for the protest to end at the Madison Street Jail, a site that is notorious for it's master, Maricopa county sheriff Joe Arpaio, who took jailing and policing in Arizona to new level of scandal and horror. Most recently, inmates at the Durango jail went on hunger strike due to the conditions in the jails, conditions that have led to the Maricopa Count Sheriff's Office receiving warning from the US Dept of Justice and from Amnesty International. The demonstration halted at the steps to the Madison Jail where a handful of sheriff deputies stood keeping watch, the deputies and the jail were quickly denounced by the crowd. Protesters screamed "Fuck sheriff Joe" in unison, along with pro-inmate slogans knowing that the inmates inside would be able to hear the chants inside the jail. The anti-police brutality day ended back at the park where signs and banners were held in front of passing traffic.
Showing posts with label Monsoon Anarchist Collective. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Monsoon Anarchist Collective. Show all posts
Monday, November 1, 2004
Thursday, July 8, 2004
Inmate solidarity rally on Monday
CALL TO ACTION:
The Monsoon Anarchist Collective (MAC) calls for a solidarity rally to be held in support of inmates rights.
WHAT: Maricopa County jails house prisoners awaiting trial or serving sentences of up to one year, and conditions in the jails have been cited by human rights group Amnesty International and the US
Department of Justice as inhumane and unconstitutional. Two weeks ago inmates in Maricopa County's Durango Jail went on hunger strike to take action against the poor conditions prevalent in County jails.
2,200 inmates refused meals to take action against the horrible quality of the food served and to demand that a third meal be served, as only two are served in Maricopa County Jails. In the days following the start of the strike, inmates returned to eating, but a core group continued the hunger strike. The strike has ended now, but the poor conditions of the Maricopa County's jails persist, and, at least, one of the strike organizers has faced harassment and unjust persecution for organizing inmates to stand up for their human rights. Members of the Monsoon Anarchist Collective, Phoenix Copwatch, and Mothers Against Arpaio came together and held a solidarity rally two days after the strike began. We gathered at Durango Jail and received a lot of support from family members and friends of inmates who were going to the jail for visitation, but most importantly, the word was
passed on to inmates by their family members and friends coming to visit them, and letting them know that folks on the outside support their struggle. Come out to the Sheriff's Office on Monday to stand in solidarity with inmates rights and struggles and against the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, their lies and their brutality.
MAC has three demands to support the struggles of County inmates:
1. We demand an end to the harassment and unjust persecution of inmates who participated in the Durango Jail hunger strike and the hunger strike organizers.
2. We demand that the inmates demand of three meals a day be acted upon immediately by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and that inmates receive a more balanced and healthy variety of food.
3. We demand that Maricopa County close the Tent City jails immediately due to the brutality delt by the guards upon inmates and the well known and documented flagarent disregard for human rights and life.
WHERE: 100 W. Washington in downtown Phoenix. Meet at the northwest corner of Washington St. and First Ave. at the Wells Fargo Bank Plaza, where the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is located. Parking is located on the streets and is metered, as it is a work day it may be difficult to find metered parking space. There is a surface parking lot just east of Patriot's Square Park inbetween Central Ave. and First St., and Jefferson and Washington. The daily rate is $2.00 and is a few minutes walk from First Ave. and Washington where the rally will be held. There are other parking garages around the area and fees will range in price.
WHEN: Monday, July 12th at 9:30 AM.
For more info, read Amnesty's report on Maricopa County Jails:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/usa/document.do?id=5EA95096ECE9FFC28025690000693391
Contact us at: pac@...
http://www.phoenixanarchist.org/
The Monsoon Anarchist Collective (MAC) calls for a solidarity rally to be held in support of inmates rights.
WHAT: Maricopa County jails house prisoners awaiting trial or serving sentences of up to one year, and conditions in the jails have been cited by human rights group Amnesty International and the US
Department of Justice as inhumane and unconstitutional. Two weeks ago inmates in Maricopa County's Durango Jail went on hunger strike to take action against the poor conditions prevalent in County jails.
2,200 inmates refused meals to take action against the horrible quality of the food served and to demand that a third meal be served, as only two are served in Maricopa County Jails. In the days following the start of the strike, inmates returned to eating, but a core group continued the hunger strike. The strike has ended now, but the poor conditions of the Maricopa County's jails persist, and, at least, one of the strike organizers has faced harassment and unjust persecution for organizing inmates to stand up for their human rights. Members of the Monsoon Anarchist Collective, Phoenix Copwatch, and Mothers Against Arpaio came together and held a solidarity rally two days after the strike began. We gathered at Durango Jail and received a lot of support from family members and friends of inmates who were going to the jail for visitation, but most importantly, the word was
passed on to inmates by their family members and friends coming to visit them, and letting them know that folks on the outside support their struggle. Come out to the Sheriff's Office on Monday to stand in solidarity with inmates rights and struggles and against the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, their lies and their brutality.
MAC has three demands to support the struggles of County inmates:
1. We demand an end to the harassment and unjust persecution of inmates who participated in the Durango Jail hunger strike and the hunger strike organizers.
2. We demand that the inmates demand of three meals a day be acted upon immediately by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and that inmates receive a more balanced and healthy variety of food.
3. We demand that Maricopa County close the Tent City jails immediately due to the brutality delt by the guards upon inmates and the well known and documented flagarent disregard for human rights and life.
WHERE: 100 W. Washington in downtown Phoenix. Meet at the northwest corner of Washington St. and First Ave. at the Wells Fargo Bank Plaza, where the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is located. Parking is located on the streets and is metered, as it is a work day it may be difficult to find metered parking space. There is a surface parking lot just east of Patriot's Square Park inbetween Central Ave. and First St., and Jefferson and Washington. The daily rate is $2.00 and is a few minutes walk from First Ave. and Washington where the rally will be held. There are other parking garages around the area and fees will range in price.
WHEN: Monday, July 12th at 9:30 AM.
For more info, read Amnesty's report on Maricopa County Jails:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/usa/document.do?id=5EA95096ECE9FFC28025690000693391
Contact us at: pac@...
http://www.phoenixanarchist.org/
Friday, April 2, 2004
Concert aims to support accused Tempe activist
By Bryon Wells, Tribune
Since his arrest last year on suspicion of federal weapons offenses, Tempe activist Laro Nicol has amassed a large following of supporters.
Nicol, a former air traffic controller, was already well-known in Valley peace activist circles.
Now, typing in Nicol's name on the Google search engine reveals 10 pages of links that exclaim "Free Laro!" and call him a "prisoner for peace."
Widespread support is found on Web sites for Cop-Watch, a group that opposes police brutality, and other leftist political organizations.
On Saturday, the Monsoon Anarchist Collective is hosting a benefit concert with local punk, reggae and hip-hop acts for Nicol and Sherman Austin, "a political prisoner imprisoned in Tucson."
"It's incredible, there's definitely a large level of support for my cause," Nicol said, adding that he lost his job after his arrest, and his family is just scraping by.
Nicol was arrested March 4, 2003, by agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on suspicion of unlawfully possessing explosives and unlawfully possessing firearms on the grounds that he is an illegal drug user, court records state.
Nicol said that much of the government's case against him stems from the statements of an informant who was under threat of arrest.
A recent motion to postpone Nicol's trial suggests that a plea deal may be in the works.
"The parties are now actively attempting to achieve a pre-trial resolution," court records state.
Nicol said he believes his political leanings and past involvement in CopWatch had something to do with his arrest, facilitated under the USA Patriot Act.
"I have a family. I was not out there raising hell," Nicol said. "The government intrusion is so pervasive that no one is safe from it anymore. With as little as an informant's statement, boom, I was raided."
If Nicol ends up behind bars, his family will need help, and that's where the benefit show comes in. Proceeds will help Nicol's family and Austin, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year in prison in Tucson on charges related to publishing information about explosives on his Web site.
Activist fund-raiser
What:Benefit concert featuring Bodhisattva, Financial Panther, Joey G, Kitch Kitchen, Queen, Mohammed, FNX Underground & Ill Phonix, Yavin 4, Kindread
When: 6:30 p.m. to midnight Saturday
Where: Kid's Place, 1245 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix
Cost: $5 suggested donation at the door
www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=20285
Since his arrest last year on suspicion of federal weapons offenses, Tempe activist Laro Nicol has amassed a large following of supporters.
Nicol, a former air traffic controller, was already well-known in Valley peace activist circles.
Now, typing in Nicol's name on the Google search engine reveals 10 pages of links that exclaim "Free Laro!" and call him a "prisoner for peace."
Widespread support is found on Web sites for Cop-Watch, a group that opposes police brutality, and other leftist political organizations.
On Saturday, the Monsoon Anarchist Collective is hosting a benefit concert with local punk, reggae and hip-hop acts for Nicol and Sherman Austin, "a political prisoner imprisoned in Tucson."
"It's incredible, there's definitely a large level of support for my cause," Nicol said, adding that he lost his job after his arrest, and his family is just scraping by.
Nicol was arrested March 4, 2003, by agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on suspicion of unlawfully possessing explosives and unlawfully possessing firearms on the grounds that he is an illegal drug user, court records state.
Nicol said that much of the government's case against him stems from the statements of an informant who was under threat of arrest.
A recent motion to postpone Nicol's trial suggests that a plea deal may be in the works.
"The parties are now actively attempting to achieve a pre-trial resolution," court records state.
Nicol said he believes his political leanings and past involvement in CopWatch had something to do with his arrest, facilitated under the USA Patriot Act.
"I have a family. I was not out there raising hell," Nicol said. "The government intrusion is so pervasive that no one is safe from it anymore. With as little as an informant's statement, boom, I was raided."
If Nicol ends up behind bars, his family will need help, and that's where the benefit show comes in. Proceeds will help Nicol's family and Austin, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year in prison in Tucson on charges related to publishing information about explosives on his Web site.
Activist fund-raiser
What:Benefit concert featuring Bodhisattva, Financial Panther, Joey G, Kitch Kitchen, Queen, Mohammed, FNX Underground & Ill Phonix, Yavin 4, Kindread
When: 6:30 p.m. to midnight Saturday
Where: Kid's Place, 1245 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix
Cost: $5 suggested donation at the door
www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=20285
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