Fuck with my friends again at your own risk;first and final fuckheads.
The Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross Federation (LA-ABCF) has been the
target of the police harassment many times in the past, so it should never
come as a big surprise when it happens again. Regardless of this fact, the
police, especially the Anaheim Police Department, always seem to find ways
to amaze me when it comes to being a**holes. The LA-ABCF, with the
assistance of youth organizations in Orange County, put together a benefit
show for political prisoners in the United States. The event was suppose to
take place at the Unitarian Church of Orange County on January 25th, 2003.
The church is located in the city of Anaheim, which is known for several
things. The most well known of course is Disneyland: "The Happiest Place on
Earth," except for all the strong arm thugs and high-tech security hidden
in every crevice Outside these Pearly gates of Disney is another story.
Anaheim, which sits in the heart of ultra-conservative Orange County, is
also known for its history of racism. Back in the 1920's, a Reverend Leon
Myers, was able to turn the Klu Klux Klan into the powerful organization in
town. During this period, the Klan ran Anaheim's leading daily newspaper,
controlled the city government, and post signs on the outskirts of the city
greeting newcomers with the acronym "KIGY" (Klan I Greet You.)
Within the last few years, the Anaheim Police Department has been known for
the harassment and brutal treatment of people of color in the community.
The police department and city goverment have come under much criticism
recently for allowing the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS)
enforcement to build a station inside the Anaheim police station. People of
color are routinely stopped in order to check their immigration status. But
don't worry folks, racism is long since gone in Anaheim! Lastly, Anaheim
city government and police has gone through great lengths through the years
in the harassment and spying on progressive organization in Orange County.
In the early 1990's, the police routinely called animal rights hotlines to
prepare for any upcoming events. Within the last few years, they have
channeled their efforts towards radical and youth-based organizations.
On January 24, 2003 at 9:00 pm, we received news that both the City of
Anaheim and the Anaheim Police Department contacted the Unitarian Church of
Orange County regarding the benefit show for political prisoners. They were
told that the location has a maximum occupancy of fifty people and that the
show had to be canceled. According to members of the church, during the
interview the police seemed to show concern regarding the names of the
bands, claiming the bands names had "anti-government" implications.
The names of the bands are as follows:
Branchless Tree
Jupiterciples
Sorimodum
Los Plebes
Cuathemoc
Scott Keltic Knot / Yaoh
Over The Counter Intelligence
It is important to note that the church has had many shows of equal or
greater size than this event. In addition, many of these bands have played
shows at the Unitarian Church in the past. Most of the people attending
this show have frequently attended the shows that have taken place there.
In all the events organized at the church, which ironically sits across the
street from the police station, the police have never even stepped across
the street to see what all the loud music and upside down American flags
were about.
The church, whose willingness to appease everyone seemed endless, worked
with organizers of the events to come up with an idea. The board of the
church voted to allow the bands to play at the entrance of the church with
crowd outside in the parking lot. The church contacted the police and
informed them of our intention. The police replied that they were not going
to be there to help them. This was taken as either a threat or a notice
that we were on our own.
Despite the fact that word had gone out that the show had been canceled,
causing speakers, supporters and even members of the group not to show up,
we were determined to make this happen. About a half-hour before the show
was to start, we were approached by a police officer and his partners in
crime, who seemed to be enraged that the show was still going on.
Communication in the department seems to be a big problem. They informed
us, that we could have a show but we could not amplify it. They claimed
that amplification would be considered a code violation.
Only two of the groups playing were bands. Others groups consisted of a
Korean drum group and spoken word groups.
After several warning about this code violation by the head officer, an
LA-ABCF member and key organizer of the event, informed the officer that
she had looked up the code and he was full of sh*t. The officer, aware his
bluff was called, admitted he lied. So the show went on, amplification and
all (albeit on low, due to the concerns of the church)!
The police next step was a show of force. The police parked next to the
show with nine cop cars, two motorcycle cops and several police dogs, all
ready to bounce on our event. Then the police marched a small little army,
about a dozen or so, to stand on the outskirts of the church property for
all the event-goers to see. They managed to wake up a code enforcer from
bed, whose opening remarks were "you woke me out of bed for this?"
Determined to not allow the show to continue, the police informed the
church members helping us with the event, that the show would be considered
an unlawful assembly if it did not end at 9:00 pm. We tried to extend it as
long as we could but the police were successful in shutting the event down.
The crowd, which was estimated at 90-100 people, became angered by the
constant harassment. A portion of the group, in between 50 to 85 people,
marched to the police station to file charges of harassment on all the
police involved. The police handcuffed the doors of the station shut,
determined not to let us in. To nones surprise, the police were never far
behind the crowd. After sometime the police began handing out the forms.
The crowd after receiving the forms, lined up along the side walk, yelling
chants about police brutality and harassment. The crowd then marched back
to the church to fill out the forms and then within an hour or so dispersed.
The police returned to their position near the church, police dogs and all.
It is important to note, that the crowds actions after the show was
canceled were not organized by the organizers of the event rather the
action happened spontaneously. It was the event-goers that took every
action and made ever decision at this point. One ABC member, after the
event was shut down, overheard someone yell, "f*ck this, all the kids
inside the church, we are gonna march!" Organizers worked with the legal
observer to collect names and badge numbers of the police and assisted in
content of the reports. But the idea of the march and the filing of the
complaints was all part of the crowds actions. I do not know how effective
complaints are, I have little faith in such things, but I sure do admire
the determination of these kids from the Anaheim community.
So the question must be asked, why was this show canceled? The police had
informed the church, that when they looked up our name, "a flag was next to
our name." This was the excuse of the police for the all this harassment.
But don't worry the police informed us this was not political harassment. I
do not know what "a flag" means exactly except maybe an investigation is
taking place of some sort. If someone can help me out with an explanation I
would appreciate it. I just hope the flag is black.
Monday, January 27, 2003
ANAHEIM POLICE LOSE BATTLE TO SQUASH FREE SPEECH
People defend their rights while under seige by a platoon of police
By Duane J. Roberts
ANAHEIM, CA -- Last Saturday night, the streets and alleyways surrounding
the venerable Unitarian Church of Orange County suddenly came alive with
huge armada of Anaheim police cars and motorcycles passing by. What
happened a neighbor might ask?
Did an armed robbery occur? Was someone brutally raped? Had a mass murder
taken place?
No.
The Anaheim Police Department was waging a fierce battle to shutdown a
small event being held on church grounds that was organized by the Los
Angeles Anarchist Black Cross Federation, a political prisoner support group.
In a scene reminiscent of the kind of intense repression that routinely
occurs in "third world countries", a platoon of Anaheim police officers
spent several hours spying and harrassing the crowd that peaceably assembled.
The war against civil liberties began early Friday afternoon when Anaheim
Police and City Code Enforcement left a flurry of frantic messages on the
Unitarian church's answering machine inquiring about the event.
Several church members met later that night with a very hostile Anaheim
police sergeant who bullied and intimidated them into pressuring organizers
to cancel the whole affair.
But this decision was reversed the next day as everyone concluded that
under no circumstances should the church capitulate to unreasonable demands
by Anaheim Police to curb free speech.
It was a veritable war zone Saturday evening as a untold numbers of Anaheim
police cars and motorcycles circled around the church much like hungry
sharks looking for an easy kill.
About a dozen police officers quickly seized control of a nearby elementary
school parking lot, bringing along a K-9 unit whose German Shepherds could
be heard barking and yelping in the background.
As people arrived, six church members stood their ground as the same police
sergeant mentioned earlier came over and tried to bully and intimidate them
into submission.
But this time the sergeant's tactics backfired and he was forced to back
off a bit as one church member whipped out his cellphone and contacted an
Anaheim police captain he knew.
Despite the intense police harrassment, the event proceeded without
incident until a City Code Enforcement officer arrived and ordered that all
amplified sound be shut off under threat of citation.
The crowd of mostly young people remained peaceful even when the police
sergeant called up about a dozen of his men and lined them up along an
alleyway in a brazen show of force.
But instead of getting angry, all seventy of them proceeded to walk across
the street to Anaheim Police headquarters to get what forms they needed to
file a complaint.
Upon arriving at the front entrance, they soon discovered that Anaheim
Police had locked all the doors with handcuffs to prevent any of them from
going into the lobby.
After several minutes of negotiations, three police officers opened the
doors and handed out forms to everybody who requested them, and they
promptly returned to the Unitarian Church to fill them out.
It was then that Anaheim Police realized they had lost this battle, and
they gradually withdrew all their forces and faded away into the darkness
of the night.
The battle that occurred last Saturday showed that civil liberties are won
only when masses of people organize with one another to vigorously assert
and defend their rights.
At grave personal risk to themselves, seventy people openly defied efforts
by a small platoon of police officers to deny them of their rights to free
speech and assembly.
http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=03/01/27/7437967
