Member of OA legal team arrested 11-5-11 (Occupy Asheville)

[G_j]

Run time: 01:24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x1v4ay5yqE   Posted on YouTube: November 06, 2011 By YouTube Member: OccupyAsheville Views on YouTube: 187   Posted on DU: November 07, 2011 By DU Member: G_j Views on DU: 1620

 
Occupy Asheville Arrests made during Oakland Solidarity Vigil
watch: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x631618



Police snatching Occupy Asheville participants in retaliation for Oakland solidarity march
by occupy

Sunday Nov 6th, 2011 2:24 PM

On Nov 2nd over 100 people took to the streets of Asheville, NC in a fun, spirited and family friendly march to show support for Occupy Oakland and their general strike. People of all ages from toddlers to grandparents participated in the march carrying banners reading, “We are all Scott Olsen” and “Asheville is Oakland, Oakland is Asheville”. The march was the largest protest to take the streets in Asheville without a permit since the Iraq War started in 2003. By all accounts it was a well received and empowering event for those that participated in it. Unless that is you are the Asheville Police Department.

On Nov 2nd over 100 people took to the streets of Asheville, NC in a fun, spirited and family friendly march to show support for Occupy Oakland and their general strike. People of all ages from toddlers to grandparents participated in the march carrying banners reading, “We are all Scott Olsen” and “Asheville is Oakland, Oakland is Asheville”. The march was the largest protest to take the streets in Asheville without a permit since the Iraq War started in 2003. By all accounts it was a well received and empowering event for those that participated in it. Unless that is you are the Asheville Police Department.

Though the APD did little to stop the march, they did bring out dozens of officers, including the forensics team and undercover officers to video and photograph Asheville residents expressing their First Amendment rights. The APD has done this sort of unconstitutional surveillance for years at all types of protests. However this time is different. Starting Saturday Nov 5 the APD began grabbing Occupy Asheville participants off the streets that they claim they identified from police footage of the march. So far 7 have been arrested, and the police say there are many more arrests on the way. They are being charged with resisting public officers, impeding traffic, unlawful assembly. One person has an additional charge of wearing a mask in public.

This is a truly frightening assault on the right to protest in this country. The APD is utilizing the very same tactics that the repressive regimes of countries like Iran, Libya, and Egypt have used against their people. If marchers were breaking the law, why did they not arrest us on November 2nd? It is clear that the APD wants to create a state of fear and to conduct their operations behind the scenes, away from the cameras. We won’t let them do that. We will not go silently.

We are calling on our fellow Occupiers around the country to demonstrate in solidarity with Occupy Asheville and demand an end to the APD’s witch hunt. Make some noise for Asheville. Occupy Asheville will be rallying at 5pm on Wednesday, Nov 9th at the Vance Monument to demand an end to police repression and to show that we will not be silenced. Please support us by flooding the mayor and DA’s office with calls and emails all day and demand that all charges be dropped and that those responsible for this police operation be held accountable for violating our rights.

Mayor Terry Bellamy:
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: mayorbellamy avlcouncil.com

District Attorney Ron Moore
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/11/06/18697927.php

[barbtries]

1. they arrested the lawyer?

or an observer? sorry i'm at work can't watch the video.

[G_j]

2. yes

on the local news they said she was "belligerent"

[W T F]

3. is being "belligerent" against the law?

[barbtries]

4. journalists, lawyers,

protesters, passersby...the police seem to be acting unprofessionally in too many cases. wish there was a smiley for understatement.

[PatrynXX]

5. Welcome to Hell.

unlawful arrest. whats the fucking charge.

[formercia]

6. We all knew this was going to happen.

Welcome to the American Gulag. Minorities have been dealing with this for Centuries. Maybe White folks getting arrested is what it will take to wake this Country up.

[G_j]

7. Facebook posts on Occupy protests draw scrutiny; lawyer freed

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20111108/NEWS/311080033/Asheville-police-employee-under-probe-Occupy-post?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFrontpage

ASHEVILLE — City police have put a department employee under investigation following accusations she called Occupy Asheville protesters ??nasty” in a Facebook post and complained they left “stinky belongings” on a sidewalk.

Police acknowledgment of the investigation Monday continued a string of developments tied to an Occupy Asheville demonstration last week.

An attorney with the movement was released after two days in jail on contempt-of-court charges filed when she demanded more information about weekend arrests.

Police also continued to use video from the demonstration at Pack Square Park to arrest Occupy protesters on trespassing charges.

The internal police investigation will focus on Lynn Fraser, a member of the department’s forensics team who helped shoot video of Occupy Asheville activities, police Lt. Wally Welch said.

..more..

[KansDem]

8. They did this in daylight?

I thought these kinds of "arrests" were done in the middle of the night.