-------- Original Message -------- Subject: (en) Update on DC IMF/WB political prisoners Weds. 4/19 Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 04:28:18 -0400 From: "Matthew Williams" <mw21 at mindspring.com> Reply-To: a-infos-d at lists.tao.ca To: "a-infos-en" <a-infos-en at tao.ca>
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A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
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> From: "Denis Moynihan" <dmoynihan at hotmail.com>
PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY PLEASE CALL - SEE NUMBERS BELOW
Update on DC IMF/World Bank Political Prisoners Over 200 activists, most arrested Monday, 4/17 in the afternoon outside the World Bank meeting remain jailed. They are successfully practicing jail solidarity, in which they refuse en masse to cooperate with the authorities, clogging the system and indicating their willingness to stay in jail indefinitely unless their demands are met. They are fasting. Conditions are considered good for they women, and improving for the men. The women's warden, a woman, is said to be impressed by the group's organization and resolve, and has allowed the women to meet together in a spokescouncil, and to grant fairly ready access to the lawyers of the Midnight Special Law Collective. It is unclear if the men have been allowed this opportunity (interestingly, the women are being held at a privte, Corrections Corporation of America facility that abuts the city jail at 1901 D St. SW).
Jews For Global Justice are trying to organize seder for prisoners.
There are some protesters who have been kept in isolation, and beaten. One, a woman named Jenny (this may be a code name, as part of jail solidarity involves remaining anonymous to authorities) was arrested at 8:30 am on Monday, and has been in isolation since. Two men at least are also in isolation.
The prisoners in solidarity have presented the following demands to the authorities to gain their cooperation. The deciding prosecutors are the DC Corporation Counsel (DCCC)and the US Attorney's Office (US). Any reaction to the demands from these two entities is noted.
1. All charges be reduced to infractions. OK'd by DCCC 2. No monetary fines. DCCC wants $10 each. 3. No names will be given. OK'd by DCCC, not OK w/ US 4. Drop the 5 bogus felony charges (such as brushing up against a cop counting as assault). 5. Accept a no contest plea (DCCC says it's up to the judge) 6. These terms will cover all IMF/WB arrests made between 4/12-4/17. 7. These terms will be retroactively applied to people who "cited out" (ie, gave their names, either due to work obligation, etc. or, as we have heard, due to violent intimidation by the US Marshals). OK'd by DCCC.
The DC jails are illegally over capacity. They have 72 hours to remedy the situation, and clearly want the protesters to go away. They're not leaving until these demands are met.
HOW YOU CAN HELP Call the following places with these demands: 1. The IMF/WB political prisoners be granted their plea bargain. 2. All prisoners in isolation be returned to the same place as the other political prisoners. 3. Express outrage at the brutality of the U.S. Marshals during their attempts to intimidate people into breaking jail solidarity.
Updated List of Numbers to call: 1. US Attorney for DC: 202-514-2000 2. Corporation Counsel: 202-727-6248 3. Your Congressperson: 202-224-3121 4. DC Jail (ask for warden of shift cmndr): 202-673-8000 5. DC Superior Court Chief Justice Eugene Hamilton: 202-879-1600 DEMAND OF HIM THAT JUDGE BECK BE DISBARRED. In front of the Midnight Special Law Collective members, she lied to arraignees, telling them that all other protesters had given their names. Our lawyers were prevented from interceding, and many gave their names.)
6. US Marshals Office: Call to shame them for their brutality, and to assure them that we are all watching: 202-616-8600 US Marshal Director John Marshall (real name!) 202-307-9000
Thanks for your support. Check out the action website at http://a16.org , and the alternative news at http://indymedia.org
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