Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 12:34:38 -0500 (EST) From: "Liam R.Flynn" <trinity-AT-hot-shot.com> Subject: M-G: Human Rights in the USA ? > > ------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted > from the Dec. 11, 1997 issue of Workers World newspaper ----------------------- > -- Plymouth rocked by police riot Cops brutally assault Native people > & supporters at Nat'l Day of Mourning By Moonanum James & Mahtowin > Munro Co-leaders, United American Indians of New England Plymouth, > Mass. > Special to Workers World Police attacked a peaceful march of several > hundred Native people and our supporters in Plymouth, Mass., on > "Thanksgiving" day. > > More than 150 cops=97latter-day descendants of Custer and the U.S. > Cavalry=97descended on women, children, elders and men who were merely > attempting to march on a side street of Plymouth. The cops attacked > without warning and with no provocation. > > Those of us at the front of the march tried to avert trouble. We > sent negotiators to speak to them to explain where we were marching. > The cops refused to negotiate. > > As the sea of blue uniforms approached us, we yelled to them: "Look! > You can see we don=92t want any trouble! We have all women and > children up here at the front!" The police response was to knock two > men down to the ground and grab a leader of United American Indians > of New England=97Mahtowin Munro. Mahtowin says: "They handcuffed me > and dragged me off. As the cops grabbed me, I could feel several > people behind me grabbing me around the waist and trying to pull me > away." One woman yelled, "You are not taking my sister!" But there > were too many cops. > > Some of the cops were dressed in full riot gear. A few were on > horseback. Some were dressed in plain clothes and did not even > identify themselves. They used pepper spray and mace. They sprayed > the eyes and mouths of people who were already down on the ground > and handcuffed. > > They gassed two children=97one an 8-year-old Black child from > Providence, R.I., and the other a 10-year-old Latino boy from New > York. Some Plymouth residents came out of their houses to offer > water to those who had been gassed. > > The cops knocked people to the ground and arrested people who had > stepped aside to get out of the way. > > Carefully planned cop attack When the police assault began, > supporters whisked another UAINE leader=97Moonanum James=97to the > sidewalk "so I would not be arrested," Moonanum says. "This made no > difference. The cops swept down on me anyway." It was clear that the > combined forces of the Plymouth Police Department, the county > sheriff=92s office, and the Massachusetts state troopers had planned > and rehearsed this assault for some time. > > This was a carefully orchestrated police assault. Cops pointed at > the march=92s leaders and peace keepers and said: "Get that one! That > one!" A Chilean who was one of those arrested said he had not seen > anything like it since Chile under the fascist military junta. > > He told us: "I remember being in school and the authorities would > come into the classroom and point to students, saying: =91That one! > And that one!=92 Then they would take away my friends, and often I > would never see them again." We still don=92t know who the cops in > plain clothes were. They could be troopers or federal agents. Many > of the cops used counter-insurgency tactics such as hitting pressure > points on the body to immobilize protesters. Marchers wearing > T-shirts or buttons calling for freedom for Native political > prisoner Leonard Peltier were also targeted. As they dragged people > off, cops said, "Do you know he=92s a fucking cop killer?" Peltier was > framed on charges of shooting two FBI agents in South Dakota in > 1975. > > Those who were not arrested pressed forward, chanting against police > brutality and declaring that "the whole world is watching." In fact, > many cameras and video cameras recorded the police violence. > > Racist brutality In all, 25 people were arrested. > > Those arrested included not only several Native people but also > Black, Latino and white supporters. The ages of those arrested range > from 18 to 67. The cops arrested a 67-year-old Penobscot medicine > person, Sam Sapiel, who is on the Council of UAINE. Sapiel had just > told the cops that he would get everybody to stop marching if they > would just stop attacking people. When he turned his back, the cops > jumped him from behind. > > Several youths leaped forward to try and save this respected elder. > They too were arrested. > > The cops were particularly brutal to the Black people arrested. They > ripped out dreadlocks from the scalp of Kazi Toure, a Black former > political prisoner. They refused to take the handcuffs off the two > Black women who were arrested, Imani Henry and Nicole Wood, until an > hour after all the other women=92s handcuffs had been removed. Imani > Henry said: "This shows the importance of multinational and > multi-gender solidarity. There were a lot of lesbian and gay people > there, and a lot of people of color there who were arrested." John > Caruso, a gay man from Provincetown, said: "The cops never even used > bullhorns to communicate to the crowd. The police are lying when > they say that they warned us to stop. "We saw one of the Native > people down on the ground. The cops were dragging him by his hair. > He was in regalia. They made him take his clothes off in front of > many cops and put on a prison uniform. "Nobody else was forced to do > anything like that. People of color were frisked, but myself and > other white people were just patted down." Caruso=92s lover, John > Perry Ryan, was injured and arrested. He has a big gash on his > forehead from the cops knocking him down on the pavement. > > "The cops pepper-sprayed people who were standing on the sidewalks > trying to get out of the way," he said. "I got jumped from behind, > grabbed around the neck, and tackled onto the ground." It=92s all on > videotape The charges ranged from disorderly conduct and unlawful > assembly to assault and battery on a police officer. The latter > charge usually means police have assaulted someone, whom they then > charge with assault. And sure enough, we have videotapes showing the > people charged with assault and battery being tackled to the ground > and slammed up against walls by cops. > > In fact, we have the entire police assault=97all of it=97on videotape > and in photographs. We have dozens of witnesses. There is no doubt > but that we are telling the truth about what happened. > > Every single person arrested was guilty of only one thing: daring to > stand up and support the Native struggle. > > One of our peace keepers, Steve Gillis, described the scene: "As the > march approached the Plymouth business district, a squad of state > and local cops, some on horseback, ambushed us at a full run. > Several members of my union, the Steel Workers, attempted to > negotiate with the brass, who immediately ordered a squad of six > cops to put us down. "They threw me down to the ground, smashing my > head on the pavement, choking me, hitting a pressure point in my ear > to immobilize me, ripping off my clothing and spraying burning gas > in my face. "We=92ve seen these cop war tactics before on numerous > union strike lines, and know that they were ordered by the highest > levels of the political and business establishment." Many of those > who were not arrested rallied at the Plymouth police headquarters. > They raised money for bail and cheered as those who had been > arrested came outside after being freed hours later. > > Protecting tourism profits Several hundred Native people and their > supporters had gathered in Plymouth for the 28th Annual National Day > of Mourning. Since 1970, UAINE has organized the National Day of > Mourning, a protest against the U.S. celebration of the mythology of > Thanksgiving and against the racist "Pilgrim Progress Parade." > Before the police assault on the attempted march, there was a > speak-out on Cole=92s Hill. Native people representing the Maya, Yaqui, > Inuit, Wampanoag, Lakota and other nations spoke. > > UAINE chose not to disrupt the parade this year. The police attacked > anyway. > > Why? Because the government is afraid of the people=92s movement we > have been building at the National Day of Mourning. We have been > able to bring people of all races and ages and genders and sexual > orientations, together like one fist. This is the oppressors=92 worst > nightmare. This year, we were especially effective in getting out > the word about what we are doing, and why. For instance, a few days > before the Day of Mourning the Boston Globe printed an opinion piece > in which we expressed our point of view about why we don=92t > celebrate Thanksgiving. This police attack was clearly meant to > protect the reputation and business interests of Plymouth. Much of > Plymouth=92s income is from tourism. The Plymouth establishment has a > huge stake in protecting the sacred image of the pilgrims. > > The police assault was planned and carried out simply to protect the > tourist industry in Plymouth. The human and civil rights of people > of color=97and especially of Indigenous people=97are expendable when > money is to be made. But this has completely backfired on them. Even > people who had not supported us before are disgusted by the show of > brute force by the police. Now anyone with a shred of decency will > stay away from Plymouth. > > It sure doesn=92t look very good for this town that calls itself > "America=92s Hometown" to be assaulting peaceful protesters on > "Thanksgiving" Day. The racism and brutality were on display for all > to see. > > Clearly the town of Plymouth and the Plymouth police have declared > war on Native Americans and those who support our struggle. > > Those arrested were arraigned Nov. 28 and Dec. 2. Many supporters > turned out at court. > > In fact, support has been pouring in to UAINE. We have been > receiving about 150 email messages a day. Expressions of solidarity > have come not only from this country, but from Latin America and > Europe. --------------------------------------------------------------------- > -----------=93If they thought they could stop us, they were dead wrong > =94 At a Dec. 2 news conference, Sam Sapiel, a 67-year-old Penobscot > medicine person who is on the Council of United American Indians of > New England, said: "We Indians are prisoners in our own country. We > are not free; neither are Black or Latino people or any people of > color." Sapiel, Moonanum James and Mahtowin Munro of UAINE, and all > the rest of the people who were arrested during a police riot > against participants in the National Day of Mourning in Plymouth, > Mass., made it clear that they are not intimidated by police-terror > tactics. > > Statements issued by United American Indians of New England at news > conferences on Nov. 28 and Dec. 2 said in part: "Clearly, the only > ones with a right to march in Plymouth are the descendants of the > Pilgrims. Clearly, the only ones with a right to speak in Plymouth > are the descendants of the Pilgrims. > > "The cops claim they attacked us because we did not have a permit to > march. UAINE has marched in Plymouth many years since 1970 and has > never taken out a permit. > > "In fact, lawyers have told us that it was not necessary as we are > simply walking and are not some kind of parade. > > "Besides, why would we as Indigenous people need a permit to march > on our own land? "We are demanding that all charges be dropped and > that there be an independent investigation into the police terror on > Nov. 27. We are forming a defense committee. "If the forces of the > state thought they would stop us, they were dead wrong. Hundreds of > people have contacted us and expressed their support. Word has > spread rapidly in Indian Country, and people are outraged. "We have > come to Plymouth every year since 1970 for the National Day of > Mourning. We will not stop coming to Plymouth. We will continue to > raise our voices in protest. > > "We are not vanishing. We are not conquered. We are as strong as > ever." - END - (Copyright Workers World Service: Permission to > reprint granted if source is cited. For more information contact > Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY,NY 10011; via e-mail: ww-AT-workers.org. > For subscription info send message to:info-AT-workers.org. Web: > http://www.workers.org) Copyright =a9 1997 workers.org Liam R.Flynn liam-AT-stones.com ICQ*5031073 NEC/EUROPE/INTERNET*WIRELESS SERVICE//// Internet Wireless Broadcast/to=3dliam-AT-stones.com [information&internet:without a modem] --- from list marxism-general-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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