Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 19:00:06 -0500
From: Anarchist News Service <news-AT-overthrow.com>
Subject: Anarchists Initiate New Program to Help Victims of Police Brutality;  Bails Of Montgomery County Brutality Victims Will Be Paid




Anarchists Initiate New Program to Help Victims of Police Brutality
Bails Of Montgomery County Brutality Victims Will Be Paid

October 30, 1998

Burtonsville, MD -- Matt Walter, 29, of Burtonsville, is not an
anarchist.  He doesn't even know what the word means.  But today he is
free on bail due to a new anarchist program designed to help poor and
working class victims of police brutality.

    On October 29, 1998, a Montgomery County police officer forced her
way into Mr Walter's apartment on an alleged noise complaint and became
aggressive.  When one of Mr Walter's associates, noticing she had no
warrant, asked her to leave, she attacked.  A fight broke out and she
was forcefully removed from the apartment.  All was well until the rest
of the pigs arrived.

    The police knocked down Mr Walter's door, arrested him and his
associate, Christopher Parkman, of Briggs-Chaney, MD, and beat both of
them bloody.  They then arrested them and charged Mr Walter with
resisting arrest, assaulting an officer in the course of resisting
arrest, and no other charge.  Until today, he was being held until trial
on $1000 bond.

    But Mr Walter is poor, and no one he knows, not his family or his
friends, had the $125 to bail him out.  No one until the UAP came along.

    Stating, "We are sick of police beating people and charging them
with assaulting an officer," UAP PR Coordinator Bill White today paid
bail for Mr Walter, making him the first release under the UAPs new
anti-police brutality program in Montgomery County.  The UAP is pledging
to contribute money and pay bonds for anyone in Montgomery County who is
beaten by the police and then arrested, and is pledging to provide
advice and assistance to victims in their defense and the filing of
criminal and civil complaints against officers.

    "We're hoping to see an increase in civil and criminal actions
against the Montgomery County Government and individual officers," said
Mr White in interview with ANS today, "And we're going to send the
police a message:  They think they can brutalize people who are poor and
working class because they lack the resources needed to defend
themselves;  today we are telling the police that an attack on any poor
and working class citizen is an attack on the UAP, and will be met with
the resources and political willpower of the UAP."

    No comment was available from Montgomery County officials.  Mr
Walter is planning to file criminal and civil complaints against the
officers involved.  Mr Parkman, who was charged with felony assault and
more serious crimes, posted his own bond.

    Mr White said funding from the program was coming partially from
revenue being generated on the UAP website, http://www.overthrow.com.
The site was visited nearly 55,000 times in October, a 15,000 visit
increase from the previous month, and, due to the high traffic, is
expected to generate several thousand dollars yearly in revenue as a
part of new UAP deal with internet bookseller Amazon.com .

-----

For more anarchist news and information, contact:

    Utopian Anarchist Party
    Post Office Box 12244
    Silver Spring, MD 20908

    uap-AT-overthrow.com
    http://www.overthrow.com

HTML VERSION:

October 30, 1998

Burtonsville, MD -- Matt Walter, 29, of Burtonsville, is not an anarchist.  He doesn't even know what the word means.  But today he is free on bail due to a new anarchist program designed to help poor and working class victims of police brutality.
 
    On October 29, 1998, a Montgomery County police officer forced her way into Mr Walter's apartment on an alleged noise complaint and became aggressive.  When one of Mr Walter's associates, noticing she had no warrant, asked her to leave, she attacked.  A fight broke out and she was forcefully removed from the apartment.  All was well until the rest of the pigs arrived.

    The police knocked down Mr Walter's door, arrested him and his associate, Christopher Parkman, of Briggs-Chaney, MD, and beat both of them bloody.  They then arrested them and charged Mr Walter with resisting arrest, assaulting an officer in the course of resisting arrest, and no other charge.  Until today, he was being held until trial on $1000 bond.

    But Mr Walter is poor, and no one he knows, not his family or his friends, had the $125 to bail him out.  No one until the UAP came along.

    Stating, "We are sick of police beating people and charging them with assaulting an officer," UAP PR Coordinator Bill White today paid bail for Mr Walter, making him the first release under the UAPs new anti-police brutality program in Montgomery County.  The UAP is pledging to contribute money and pay bonds for anyone in Montgomery County who is beaten by the police and then arrested, and is pledging to provide advice and assistance to victims in their defense and the filing of criminal and civil complaints against officers.

    "We're hoping to see an increase in civil and criminal actions against the Montgomery County Government and individual officers," said Mr White in interview with ANS today, "And we're going to send the police a message:  They think they can brutalize people who are poor and working class because they lack the resources needed to defend themselves;  today we are telling the police that an attack on any poor and working class citizen is an attack on the UAP, and will be met with the resources and political willpower of the UAP."

    No comment was available from Montgomery County officials.  Mr Walter is planning to file criminal and civil complaints against the officers involved.  Mr Parkman, who was charged with felony assault and more serious crimes, posted his own bond.

    Mr White said funding from the program was coming partially from revenue being generated on the UAP website, http://www.overthrow.com.  The site was visited nearly 55,000 times in October, a 15,000 visit increase from the previous month, and, due to the high traffic, is expected to generate several thousand dollars yearly in revenue as a part of new UAP deal with internet bookseller Amazon.com .

-----

For more anarchist news and information, contact:

    Utopian Anarchist Party
    Post Office Box 12244
    Silver Spring, MD 20908

    uap-AT-overthrow.com
    http://www.overthrow.com