Date: Thu, 07 Sep 2000 17:32:45 -0700
From: Joshua Houk <jlhouk-AT-uswest.net>
Subject: Seattle Citizens Review Board comes down hard on police


Apologies for not having an actual news clip, but this news just hit locally.

The last of the three citizens review boards set up by the Seattle City 
Council has weighed in on the WTO debacle. The board found that the police 
basically fucked up by using too much force, and by using force 
inappropriately.

Included in the board's recommendations is to use arrests instead of tear 
gas as a tactic against unlawful demonstrators, and to absolutely *not* use 
tear gas against non-violent protestors.

And there appears to be a very good possibility.that the city of Seattle 
will ban tear gas altogether.

This report (at least, what I've heard of it so far) is, in my opinion, 
very good news. It appeared that none of the review boards were going to 
look at specific police actions, which had quite a few folks upset - but it 
looks like this will be a rather nice vindications.

For reference, the other two panels looked into the actions of city 
officials in bringing WTO to Seattle, and their reactions during the week 
of N30.

joshua h
jlhouk-AT-uswest.net
"On a recent ASCAP statement, three of my pieces are listed as 'Blank Tape.'
They can't be mine. I'm not a minimalist." - Ilhan Mimaroglu