ALL FOR ONE, AND ONE FOR ALL:
YOU CAN PHONE/FAX/E-MAIL TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE OF SEATTLE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT POLICE
TORTURE AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AGAINST PROTESTERS OF THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
Please take a moment to join thousands of human rights activists, labor activists, environmentalists, and other citizens who are saying "NO!" to the massive violations of human rights in Seattle this past week, during the protests of the WTO.
ACTION -- PHONE/FAX/E-MAIL:
Norm Stamper, Chief of Police and/or Linda Pierce, Captain
phone: (206) 684-5577
fax: (206) 684-5525
e-mail: chief.police@ci.seattle.wa.us
MESSAGE: Make a civil demand that you want to know who issued the order to use torture and human rights violations against protesters; you want all human rights violations against people in jail to cease immediately; and you want an independent investigation, as requested by Human Rights Watch.
You can also e-mail the Mayor and Governor
(see below).
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December 6, 1999
To: Governor, State of Washington governor.locke@governor.wa.gov
Mayor, Seattle mayors.office@ci.seattle.wa.us
Chief of Police, Seattle chief.police@ci.seattle.wa.us
From: David Oaks, co-coordinator
Support Coalition International
Re: Human rights violations in State of Washington: Who is in charge, who is responsible?
We are receiving multiple, independent, confirmed, eye-witness reports of massive human rights violations in the Seattle on or about the Nov. 30, 1999 anti-WTO protests, and in jail.
We're hearing reports of incredible abuse -- plastic bullets piercing the flesh, massive chemical spraying, and shooting cannisters into the bodies -- of nonviolent protesters whose only crime was civil disobedience in blocking the street with their bodies.
Much media attention has been paid to a few dozen individuls in a clearly separate protest who broke store windows, but our understanding is that police tended not to target them.
According to reports, police focused instead on the thousands who were using their bodies to block the streets. On November 30, apparently someone issued an order that -- instead of arrests that day -- police were to use pain, torture, chemicals, abuse, bullets of plastic, direct firing of cannisters into people, etc. to clear the streets, by any means necessary. It didn't work, but it caused a lot of needless human suffering.
The policy of "abuse on Nov. 30, arrest on Dec. 1" does not seem to be an accident. Someone must have issued that order, as policy.
WHO ISSUED THAT ORDER?
Also, when hundreds went to jail, we understand that many were denied medical care, kept in solitary confinement, and that verbal and physical abuse were used to try to gain compliance.
WHO ISSUED THAT ORDER?
If none of you say you issued the order, then what you're really saying is that the police department and jail in Seattle are out of civilian control. If so, I'd like to know what you're going to do to re-gain control over these armed thugs, who caused nearly all of the flesh and blood suffering during the WTO protests.
Support Coalition is registering its strongest opposition to the human rights abuses in the State of Washington, and we encourage others to do the same.
Sincerely,
David Oaks, co-coordinator
Support Coalition International
454 Willamette, Suite 216
PO Box 11284
Eugene, OR 97440-3484 USA
Phone: (541) 345-9106 Fax: (541) 345-3737
E-mail: dendron@efn.org
Web: http://www.MindFreedom.org
Support Coalition: A non-profit federation
of 75 groups in 11 countries united to WIN
human rights in the "mental health system."
PLEASE NOTE TO OTHERS READING THIS LETTER:
The State of Washington is also one of the worst states when it comes to violations of human rights of people in the psychiatric system. Note that the State of Washington is taking steps to introduce PACT -- Program of Assertive Community Treatment -- which involves forced at-home psychiatric drug deliveries to assure compliance. To see animated photos of PACT, which is now in action in six other states, click on www.MindFreedom.org, then click on "campaigns" then "PACT." Click on photo to see more animated photos. WARNING: The drugs typically used are "neuroleptics" which can cause brain damage so severe as to be visible under MRI scan, and addiction so severe that withdrawal often includes even worse "psychotic" behavior than the person ever had before drugging. These mind control drugs can also kill. The campaign for PACT is being funded by the international psychiatric drug industry.
The above human rights alert originated via the free DENDRITE e-mail list. PLEASE REDISTRIBUTE.