Conyers: Peace Protestors Held Handcuffed in Buses For Over 12 Hours

[paineinthearse]

http://www.conyersblog.us/archives/00000256.htm

Peace Protestors Held Handcuffed in Buses For Over 12 Hours

I wanted me to share with you a letter I wrote to the Chief of the United States Park Police regarding the treatment of the 384 protestors arrested outside the White House yesterday, many of whom were held, handcuffed, for over 12 hours on a bus.

Office of the Chief
United States Park Police
Dwight E. Pettiford
1100 Ohio Drive S.W.
Washington, D. C. 20242

Dear Chief Pettiford:

I am writing to request information regarding the treatment of individuals arrested on September 26, 2005 in front of the White House and processed at the United States Park Police Anacostia Station.

Yesterday 384 protestors, including peace activist Cindy Sheehan, were arrested outside the White House and were brought to United States Park Police Anacostia Station. I was very surprised to learn that many of those arrested were kept handcuffed in vans and buses for up to 12 hours before they were charged and released. Some of those were released at 4:30 in the morning after being arrested at 4:00 the previous afternoon. Many of those held captive the longest were grandmothers and senior citizens. Those released after midnight were unfamiliar with Washington, DC and had no means to travel back to their hotels once the metro had closed. Anacostia is not frequented by taxicabs after midnight.

I have the following questions regarding the treatment of those arrested yesterday:

1. Why was the Anacostia Station chosen as the sole location to process all 384 arrestees when there were several other Park Police stations in the greater Washington, DC area?

2. In what other circumstances have arrestees been detained by U.S. Park Police for periods exceeding twelve hours before being charged with a crime?

3. In what other circumstances have arrestees been detained by U.S. Park Police, and kept handcuffed on buses for periods exceeding ten hours?

4. What is the established U.S. Park Police procedure for processing large numbers of arrestees in the Washington, DC area?

Please respond to the Judiciary Committee Minority Office at 2142 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515.


Sincerely,
John Conyers, Jr.

Rep. Conyers, :yourock:

Edit 1: link to yesterday's thread - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4895370

Edit 2: Added photo of Chief Pettiford.

[Owl]

1. Conyer's Rocks!

[Pam-Moby]

2. Keep this kicked,

Conyers rocks.

[redacted]

3. kick

[paineinthearse]

4. Somewhat related post in GDP

"Wheels falling off GOP under its own weight" :rolf:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4909083&mesg_id=4909083

[Carolab]

5. This man doesn't miss a THING! n/t

[alittlelark]

6. My AVATAR ROCKS!!!

Conyers is THE MAN. He pulls no punches, and is ALL OVER these parasitical Nazis.

[burrowowl]

7. KICK!

Go CONYERS!
and yes: WHY!?!?

[Nothing Without Hope]

8. Ugly bullying, intimidation and humiliation (when you are handcuffed

on a bus for 12 hours, going to the toilet becomes a major production).

Let's hope they give Rep. Conyers an answer - they're probably being told by the grateful neocons not to bother.

Recommended. Rep. Conyers just keeps rising in my pantheon of heroes every day, and he STARTED high!
:patriot: :loveya:

[tkmorris]

9. Anacostia? Oh holy shit

That cannot be a mistake. Anacostia is not a place you generally want to be wandering around in the middle of the night. You can't even get back into the city proper without walking across a bridge on foot. Just another intimidation tactic. These people are unbelievable.

[xchrom]

10. kick

[elehhhhna]

11. Note to self: Next time, wear a skirt (kilt for men) & pee directly on bus

floor. Gross but effective.

[Rambis]

12. What was there a Dead show?

Milwakee was famous for doing that to heads after the entrapped them. Their fave was trading pot for acid and then busting people holding them for 4 hours chained up in buses then letting them go (if they didn't find more drugs on them during the search on the bus)
God bless america!

[paineinthearse]

13. I attended Dead shows at....

Winterland, the Greek, the Warfield, Hank's Place, Shoreline, etc and never had that kind of an experience.

[Rambis]

14. What do those places have in common?

Just a sample
"Hey you put down that map and get outta here"
The cops Minneapolis MN 1988

"California dreamin fucking hippies go home"
The cops in really bad undercover outfits
Millwaukee 1989

Winterland 1988
"Lets clear the lot people we have Michael Jackson tapes and we will use them"
California's finest