Dear friends,
I was arraigned and released last night about
1 AM after thirty some hours in custody - I’m fine
though have reached a new state of sleep deprivation
that I wish I could market as a tranquilizer - anyway,
I hope later today or tomorrow to write up the
full story. For now, there are still people in
jail from the mass arrests on the 31. Most were
arrested for horrible crimes like walking on the
sidewalk—swept up by police nets or corralled
by the cops while they were perfectly legal. Many
New Yorkers who were not in the protest were caught
in the sweeps. We were held on Pier 57, now referred
to as “Guantanamo on the Hudson”—a big pier full
of metal, fenced pens with an asphalt floor soaked
in diesel oil, a highly toxic and unpleasant environment.
Then we were taken to the Central jail, for a
long period of waiting and being transferred into
various cells. The process was agonizingly slow
and uncomfortable and exhausting, but the cops
and the guards on the whole were professional
and decent and many are supportive, and said privately
that they don’t like Bush either. I’ve heard
a few rumors of beatings or unpleasant treatment,
but I didn’t see anything like that.
However, they are making it extremely difficult
for people to reclaim their property -- death by
bureaucracy. As that property includes our indispensable
cell phones, it makes for a difficult day.
I don’t know as yet how many people are doing
jail solidarity—the Pagan Cluster decided not
to as we judged that the vast number of people
arrested weren’t expecting to be, weren’t prepared,
and that we didn’t have the numbers to make it
effective. Plus upping the ante might end up
making a stressful experience even more traumatic
for the vast majority who got swept up by the
police in illegal arrests. When I left the jail
vigil this morning at 5 am, all of our Pagan Cluster
men and about half the women were out. I’m about
to head back there.
You can help support those who are still in jail
by calling or emailing Bloomberg and the Police
Commissioner and telling them:
Release the RNC prisoners. Drop the charges.
Stop doing illegal, pre-emptive arrests.
(Numbers below).
Thanks for all your support!
-- Starhawk
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
(212) 788 7418 or (212) 788 3000 or (212) 788-9711
FAX (212) 788-2460
E-MAIL: nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html
District Attorney Robert Morgenthau
(212) 335-9000
Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly
www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mailnypd.html
or call
(646)610-5410 or (646) 610-5865
or
NYC Police Switchboard
(646)610-5000
Ask for Commissioners office