Pigs Suck...

[normalnoises]

Here is a good reason why I hate pigs.

POLICE SPYING OPERATION EXPOSED

The lead editorial in the December 17 Washington Post,

commenting on a public D.C. City Council investigation

into police spying, brutality and pre-emptive arrests

against demonstrators, is evidence that the national

campaign to defend the First Amendment is effectively

striking back at the war waged today by various law

enforcement agencies against dissent in the United States.

Citing the litigation brought by the Washington D.C.-based

Partnership for Civil Justice (International Action

Center, et al., v. The United States, et al.) the Post

Editorial opens with an excerpt from July 10, 2003, ruling

by U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler:

"The District of Colombia, through [assistant police chief

Alfred Broadbent] seems to be admitting that it maintains

widespread, extensive spying operations on the activities

and operations of political advocacy organizations, such

as Plaintiffs [international Action Center, et al.], on

the basis of their political philosophies and conduct

protected under the First Amendment. Moreover, Chief

Broadbent admitted in his testimony that such operations

are carried on even in the absence of allegations of

criminal activities by the organizations being spied

upon." The Post editorial goes on to cite three other

major protest cases being handled by the Partnership for

Civil Justice.

The Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD),

along with the FBI, Secret Service and National Park

Police, have been the subject of a broad-based legal and

political action campaign to win justice for those who

have been the victims of police misconduct.

The Partnership for Civil Justice (PCJ) has filed four

major lawsuits in Washington DC in the past three years

that have uncovered a body of evidence showing that law

enforcement agencies have been engaged in systematic and

coordinated efforts to spy on and disrupt political

organizations engaged in First Amendment protected

activities. Evidence obtained in the discovery phase of

litigation also includes police undercover operatives

engaged in violent assaults against peaceful demonstrators

protesting against George W. Bush during the January 20,

2001 Inaugural Parade. (For more information on the

lawsuits go to http://www.justiceonline.org)

In the last few weeks more than 20,000 organizations and

individuals have signed on to a petition opposing the

FBI's illegal spying operation against the U.S. antiwar

movement. The FBI operation was revealed in an internal

FBI memorandum, written ten days before the October 25

demonstration in Washington DC that demanded Bring the

Troops Home Now, End the Occupation of Iraq, that was the

subject of a New York Times story on November 23. To see

the petition go http://www.votenowar.org or

http://www.internationalanswer.org

As the spotlight on police and law enforcement misconduct

gets brighter as a result of the litigation and political

action campaigns, elected officials in Washington D.C.

have scheduled two days of hearings to scrutinize the

police department in the District of Columbia.

The following is the statement of Mara Verheyden-Hilliard,

given on behalf of the Partnership for Civil Justice and

National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Committee on December

17, 2003, at the Public Oversight Hearing on Current

Policies and Practices of the MPD Related to

Demonstrations, Committee on the Judiciary, District of

Columbia Council.

* * * * * * * * * *

STATEMENT OF MARA VERHEYDEN-HILLIARD

On Behalf of the Partnership for Civil Justice and

National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Committee

December 17, 2003

Public Oversight Hearing

On Current Policies and Practices of the MPD Related to

Demonstrations

Committee on the Judiciary

District of Columbia Council

Litigation by the Partnership for Civil Justice (PCJ) over

more than a three year stretch has uncovered systematic

police abuse of demonstrators and revealed that the

District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)

is engaged in an ongoing illegal domestic spying operation

on political activists and that it has used undercover

agent provocateurs to commit felonious assaults against

peaceful demonstrators.

Today's hearing will include dramatic video footage of MPD

undercover police officers carrying out violent assaults

against protestors at the Inauguration of George Bush.

This footage was obtained by and is in the possession of

the Partnership for Civil Justice, which is litigating on

behalf of activists who were assaulted.

The illegal conduct carried out by the MPD - which was

exposed in the litigation filed by the Partnership for

Civil Justice and the National Lawyers Guild - is just the

tip of the iceberg regarding law enforcement's illegal

violation of the First and Fourth Amendments. It is not

only the MPD but the U.S. Secret Service, FBI and National

Park Police, in cooperation and coordination with the MPD,

that have waged a war against dissent in Washington, D.C.

We salute Councilmember Kathy Patterson for holding these

hearings. It is evidence that elected leaders can be

responsive to the rising people's movement in the United

States that is using both street demonstrations and legal

action to push back the government to a constitutional

line and to defend free speech rights.

The purpose of the lawsuits is to win justice for those

whose rights have been violated, and it is also to ensure

accountability by police and law enforcement officials.

MPD Chief Charles Ramsey, Mayor Anthony Williams and other

officials have made the avoidance of accountability a

primary focus of their conduct after the egregious

violations of demonstrators' rights in episode after

episode in the District of Columbia. This is evidenced in

their public conduct as well as when the Chief testified

under oath in a recent deposition conducted by the

Partnership for Civil Justice.

The police department and Mayor of Washington have

ratified the shocking and illegal conduct of law

enforcement both by word and by deed. They have repeated

their illegal tactics time and time again. It has only

been through the litigation by activists that the truth of

these unconstitutional actions has been brought to light.

As we fight for justice in the Courts, we again thank the

Council for providing public forum and for using its

authority to oversee the police department to also seek

accountability and change on behalf of the people of

Washington, D.C. and the people of the United States who

come to Washington, D.C. to exercise their First Amendment

rights.

The Partnership for Civil Justice's First Amendment

litigation on behalf of demonstrators in Washington DC

includes:

Alliance for Global Justice, et al v. District of

Columbia, et al

- IMF/World Bank Demonstrations in April 2000

- Includes class action claim for mass arrest of over 700

lawful protestors in advance of days of protests,

calculated as a preemptive political sweep to take

activists off the streets; the illegal raid, seizure and

closure of the convergence center; confiscation of

political literature; brutal beatings of peaceful

activists.

International Action Center, et al v. United States of

America, et al

- Counter Inaugural Protests against George W. Bush in

January 2001

- Violent assaults by MPD agents provocateurs; detention

of protestors and splintering of groups and assemblies by

the Civil Disturbance Units (CDUs); infiltration and

domestic spying by the MPD posing as activists; joint

unconstitutional action with the Bush-Cheney Inaugural

Committee and federal government to deny access to the

parade route.

Bolger, et al v. Ramsey, et al

- Antiwar demonstrations in April 2002

- Arrest based on political ideology, targeting

anarchists, or persons perceived by their manner of dress

to be or to associate with anarchists in the absence of

any criminal activity.

Barham, et al v. Ramsey, et al

- Anti-war and IMF/World Bank Demonstrations in September

2002

- Class action certification. Rounding up and jailing over

400 people, including activists, legal observers and

passers-by, in advance of weekend of planned protests

against corporate globalization and war against Iraq that

was calculated to take political activists off the streets

and disrupt their ability to assemble and advocate for

change in U.S. policy.

upcoming litigation:

April 12, 2003

- police beating of peaceful demonstrators at anti-war

march including the filmed beating of a protester while

held down by police officers.

Partnership for Civil Justice

http://www.justiceonline.org

*****************************

A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition

(Act Now to Stop War & End Racism)

284 Amory St.

Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

617.522.6626

answerboston@iacboston.org

http://www.iacboston.org/answerboston

http://www.internationalanswer.org

[jamiroguy1]

ok.. listen. I hear ya, bro. I hate pigs too but get this. We shouldn't wish them dead as you did in your previous thread.

I'm right there with you when it comes to avoiding becoming an orwellian police state but have a little tact.

Preach on.

[kramadas]

Dude, granted that some of them get arrogant and corrupt because of the power, there are still lots and lots (if not the majority) that actually became cops so they could - um - just protect and save our lives!

Really man, whats with this hate of cops? Next time you're getting mugged, who's gonna help you out?

[jamiroguy1]

I agree with raver_mania... Maybe I shouldn't have said, "I hate pigs" cause that's not true. I've actually met many that I have tremendous respect for. In the end they are the ones that you call when you need help. Although, to be a balanced here... They are very helpful if you're are in an economically "well to do" community.

I've actually gotten robbed at gun point in my neighborhood and the cops were very unhelpful so I wouldn't necessarily want to paint them with that rosey colored brush either.

[pattbateman]

finally something we all can agree on.

like raver said who are you gonna call when you get shot or mugged or your ass kicked???

the aclu???are they gonna save you then???

granted some may be bad cops but there are hundreds of thousands of good ones that try to do good for the community.

if your so adamant about gettin rid of police cause they are pigs

then why dont you become a cop and rid us of all the bad people in this world???

[eccentricmofo]

Scary it is, how you can generalize with such certainty about an entire career, soley on posting stories of only the bad apples.

I think being a police officer is one of the most self-less jobs you can do. To put up with shit, all day, every day, both on duty and off and still get payed on average less than most other government or civil related jobs. Kudos to every single officer out there.

I bet you are the same type of person that shits on teachers as well right? All teachers are loosers becuase they make a pittance of pay and spend their whole lives educating YOUR youth.

I hope you keen of my sarcasm.

But all in all, I have many a friends and family in the police career. They are the most admirable people I know, granted I too know some bad apples as well, but hey everywhere (if you look) you can find bad apples.