Report Back From Tacoma ICE Protest (Day 1)

Preface: Prior to the protest, the Pitch Pipe Infoshop was accused of being a homeland security threat. The TPD attempted to terrify everyone Downtown and make them believe the people involved in the protest were dangerous "terrorists." In the morning, a police helicopter and a police plane were circling the Pitch Pipe Infoshop.

RECAP:

On Friday, the 9th of November, a group of 100 converged on the park at the corner of 17th and Pacific in Tacoma. While waiting there, surrounded by the mainstream media and the police, black clad anarchist "terrorists" passed out literature to an extremely receptive public. Contrary to what the Tacoma News Tribune reported, massive numbers of people were eager to take the pamphlets explaining what was going on around them giving information about the ICE concentration camp in the Tideflats. Footage which will soon be released will show this.

After rallying for an hour, the group of black clad "terrorists" marched on the sidewalk through Downtown, exhausting its supply of literature. Its first stop was the Wells Fargo tower. The group outflanked the idiotic riot police who were only blocking one entrance to the tower plaza and hovered there for a while. After this, the group continued on its way. On the sidewalk.

While remaining on the sidewalk, the group MADE the police shut down Pacific Avenue for them. Because the group was heavily followed the whole time, the police did all of the shutting down themselves. Smash ICE would like to thank the Tacoma Police Department for doing EXACTLY what we wanted and exposing their heavy-handed, terroristic tactics to the population of Tacoma. The population of Tacoma, in case you had not noticed, utterly despises the TPD.

The Light Link Rail WAS in fact shut down for 40 minutes, as the police were warning business owners of. But it was shut down by the police themselves. For 5 hours the group stayed on the sidewalk with the cops paralyzing traffic around them.

At one intersection, the terrorist police singled out and attacked a member of the group without provocation. Video of this will be released as well. Another person was arrested at this intersection.

The group returned to Wells Fargo. There, once again, the police arbitrarily attacked someone (link to footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NlCPGhweFE ). This was the last arrest of the day. No one in the group did ANYTHING illegal, as the police had said they would. The protest ended at 4:30 after having started at 11. Everyone dispersed. The anarchist "terrorists" went home.

GOVERNMENT PROPAGANDA:

The government is waging an intense propaganda campaign against the Pitch Pipe Infoshop and those opposed to the existence of ICE. In order to counter their pathetic attempts at marginalizing our efforts, Smash ICE would encourage people to spread this information as widely as possible.

In the Tacoma News Tribune, an editorial about how nice the detention center was came out the day after the protest (link to article: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/columnists/merryman/story/200259.html ). The author, Kathleen Merryman, is a talentless stooge of the government and should be despised for the parasite that she is.

The main story from the Tribune needs no expounding on by Smash ICE. Just read it. (Link to article: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/200227.html ). It is a BLATANT creation of propagandists determined to make the ICE Detention Center into a cozy halfway spot between people's families and the ruined countries they have fled from and to make the people who are against this Detention Center into marginal, crazy people.

Of course there was no mention in the paper that the TPD has been calling people terrorists and trying to get them evicted. That is because the Tribune is part of the government's media. But we are telling you these things (Link to related articles below). So now that you know these things, tell everybody.

A report back from Day 2 will be coming shortly.

To the government:

WE ARE NOT AFRAID OF YOU!

Sincerely,

Smash ICE

Links:

http://seattle.indymedia.org/en/2007/11/262525.shtml

http://seattle.indymedia.org/en/2007/11/262555.shtml