Not Quite Justice For Phoenix May Day 10

by bill krist
6:16pm Tue Nov 27 '01

After seven months and many pretrial hearings; "May Day 10" walk.

After two of the May Day 10 defendants were found not guilty by directed verdicts, charges of 'obstructing traffic' were dismissed against the remaining activists.

One defendant was found guilty of 'interfering with a po-lice officer' for trying to un-arrest one of those unjustly detained, and sentenced to no fine and time served.

Videos taken by the police and activists clearly showed that any traffic obstruction was done by the Phoenix po-lice. Po-lice video, it was revealed under oath; was taken by the Phoenix 'organized crime' unit. It was missing 3 minutes of action shot on West Van Buren.

Also, Lt. Crockett of the testified that the Feds had asked for specific intelligence on certain of the activists.

Lt. Crockett also testified that though he was in command, he had no idea how many officers were under his command, that he could not identify the defendants and that they were obstructing traffic EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY!

Lt. Crockett stated repeatedly that he gave three warnings to stay off the street using the bullhorn in his car; but the video tapes picked up no warnings. Arresting officers Shaw and Wirth testified that though on the scene, they heard no warnings.

So after seven months of pre-trial hearings, dismissal of 'failure to obey' charges in June, a bunch o' missed hours at work, a night in jail and grief and worry; the defendants are free.

See: The system works.

Solidarity- bill

May Day rally ends badly. Peaceful protest turns ugly, police reaction cited

By Pat Kossan
The Arizona Republic
May. 2, 2000

Four people were arrested Monday by Phoenix police in a May Day protest against economic inequalities.

One Prescott man suffered a deep cut over his eye and others were bruised during scuffles with police at City Hall.

''Nothing we did justified that kind of explosion,'' protester Daniel Patterson of Tucson said.

Police say the protesters, part of a larger, peaceful demonstration at noon, had been warned not to block traffic again on busy Washington Street.

The protesters had left Patriots Square about 4:30 p.m., headed west down the middle of Washington. They hoisted a black and red anarchist flag, a banner that read ''Free Trade Destroys Democracy,'' and
chanted, ''Ain't no power like the power of the people.''

Seventy-five officers, 50 helmeted in riot gear, surrounded the group as it stopped at City Hall. Police went into action when one or two protesters appeared to head back into the street.

Police wrestled two men to the hot pavement of Washington, which was quickly closed from First to Third avenues, and apprehended two women who came to their aid.

A line of helmeted police, with clubs across their chests, pushed the remaining protesters into a short-walled tree planter, leaving one man with a deep cut over his eye and others battered as they scrambled to get out of harm's way.

''We warned them after their first series of protests they would be arrested if they stepped into the street,'' said Lt. Steve Haynes, who ran the operation. The four were cited for ''obstructing the
thoroughfare.''

Haynes said the show of force - about 2 1/2 officers for each protester - was necessary in case of traffic problems or vandalism.

Many protesters were from Prescott and Tucson, college and high school students, most from activist groups including Earth First! and Arizona Citizen Action. A few had protested recent world economic meetings in Seattle and Washington, D.C.

The protesters were part of a group of 60 that had staged a Monday lunch-hour protest that shut down traffic up Central Avenue and wound west through Wells Fargo and City Hall plazas.

It was peaceful, at one time weaving through a McDonald's restaurant and briefly shutting down the western entrance to Bank One Building.

Police were generally accommodating and shut down streets.