Feds harass LA S29 protesers!
Date: 10/1/2001 7:42:47 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: lacispes@igc.org (C.I.S.P.E.S.)
The "pro-peace, anti-war, defend civil liberties, solidarity with the
Arab and Muslim communities" march and rally in Westwood on Saturday
[September 29] was an enormous success and we were proud to have collaborated
with many groups in the movement around this important event. The 2500 folks
there made a strong statement to the administration and the world......
BUT THERE IS A FOOTNOTE HERE WHICH CAN'T GO UNCHALLENGED!
An activist came up to the security team and said he was blocked from parking
in the UCLA parking lot ($2 all day) because he told the attendant he was
going to the demonstration. Apparently the police went to the parking lot
attendants and said, "Ask where they are going. If they say they are
going to the federal building rally, don't let them park here." The activist
who spoke to us said to the attendant, "Let's just pretend I'm going
shopping in Westwood!" The attendant responded, "You have Already
said you are going to the rally; I can't let you park here." What POSSIBLE
right would the police have to interfere with a parking lot, way over in the
Westwood village, NOT RUN BY THE FEDERAL OR CITY GOVERNMENT and impede first
amendment rights by restricting parking. This is an outrage!
A couple who actually spoke at the rally returned to the UCLA parking lot after the event and found the parking lot locked, with cars inside. They approached the attendant and asked why the lot was closed. The attendant told them that he was ordered to lock up the facility while FBI agents "scanned the automobiles" inside. The UCLA attendant, assuming that the couple was not involved in the rally and march, spoke openly about the "scanning" of the cars by federal agents. It appears that license numbers were recorded although it is uncertain how the FBI would know which cars belonged to participants of our event and which were "Westwood shoppers." We are posting this to illustrate how the escalation of activity by police agencies and federal agents is quite intense. We are also alerting progressive legal agencies about these developments.
WE ARE ASKING OTHER ACTIVISTS WHO HAD THIS EXPERIENCE TO SEND
DETAILS
TO: lacispes@igc.org so we can follow
up on this escalation of police misconduct. Mil gracias!