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Hundreds Unwelcome 'Not Our President' Bush in San Jose
San Jose, California (April 21, 2006) – Hundreds unwelcome “Not Our President” Bush on rare visit to California. Muslim youth detained, hand cuffed, and ticketed for praying near protest zone.
San Jose, California (April 21, 2006) – Hundreds unwelcome “Not Our President” Bush on rare visit to California. The rally was confined to a protest zone a couple of blocks from Bush’s short route from helipad to Cisco Systems. Organized by the South Bay Mobilization, the rally gave voice to a wide range of dissent ranging from Native Americans angry at government cuts to urban health care programs, to labor unions, to of course endless war and occupation. Iranian-American activists mobilized to oppose any US intervention in Iran - while also opposing the Iranian theocratic regime. Youth activists with the World Can’t Wait (to Drive Out the Bush Regime) campaign joined the Raging Grannies on many chants to keep the rally spirited.
Toward the end of the rally, a half dozen Muslim youth gathered to pray a block from the protest zone. As the street was blocked off to traffic, the youth laid out make-shirt prayer mats in the bike lane and began their prayer ritual. Within moments, San Jose Police had them surrounded, and those that were not passive enough during questioning found themselves hand cuffed. Most were finally released at the scene of the crime after being issued tickets for jay-walking and obstructing traffic (again, this street was closed to traffic at the time).
War on the world? Attacks on Immigrants? Police State Restrictions? Not in Our Name.
Toward the end of the rally, a half dozen Muslim youth gathered to pray a block from the protest zone. As the street was blocked off to traffic, the youth laid out make-shirt prayer mats in the bike lane and began their prayer ritual. Within moments, San Jose Police had them surrounded, and those that were not passive enough during questioning found themselves hand cuffed. Most were finally released at the scene of the crime after being issued tickets for jay-walking and obstructing traffic (again, this street was closed to traffic at the time).
War on the world? Attacks on Immigrants? Police State Restrictions? Not in Our Name.
For more information:
http://www.notinourname.net
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the santa clara county jail is a hell hole. people there jokingly refer to it as ''guantanamo''.same orange prison camp clothing. garbage dog food.distorted ''guards'' with arrogant snarls.jail should be closed and save taxpayers money.mostly non violent ''drug offenders''. fear police , NOT ''prisoners''.people in jail there are in the majority harmless. dont believe ''law and order '' hype. the only people to EVER hurt me in life were POLICE
What kind of authority-craving fuckhead turns around and does stormtrooper duty for a country that probably locked his grandparents up in a concentration camp?? The cop mentality is just incredible. They're all fascists, they've ALWAYS been fascists.
So there are a couple of hundred antiwar protesters unwelcoming a war criminal. Granted that there were several Iranians out to highlight Bush's threats of preemptive war on Iran for having the temerity to enrich uranium as the US has done for decades in far larger quantities. However of that crowd of hundreds of protestors, who gets detained? Muslim youth. For praying in public. That was the most threatening thing going on from the perspective of the racist sherriffs.
Sound familiar, antiwar folks?
http://www.indybay.org/archives/archive_by_id.php?id=3745&category_id=18
It should. On November 11, 2005 there was a protest at De Anza College against Colin Powell's visit. A couple of hundred antiwar protesters unwelcomed the war criminal. Who was arrested? 7 Muslim youth in Muslim dress were arrested on the outside for behavior that was more mellow than that of dozens of other young protestors who happened to be white, or at least not Muslim. One white protestor was arrested inside for committing civil disobedience to disrupt Powell's speech in front of dozens of cameras and was called "sir" by police and treated much better than the Muslims on the outside who were beaten and brutalized.
If the antiwar movement is serious about ending racism, please start directly protecting the Muslims who attend protests. Stand with the Muslims who are targetted before they can be arrested. If Muslims are trying to demonstrate the racism of the police and don't want us to interfere that is fine since the police make themselves look so bad that any reasonable person would support the Muslims' right to pray in public and be respected.
Racism and anti-immigrant hysteria are everywhere right now:
mass deportations
http://www.indybay.org/archives/archive_by_id.php?id=4527&category_id=56
HR4437 and other anti-immigrant legislation
http://www.indybay.org/archives/archive_by_id.php?id=4449&category_id=56
Muslims, Latinos, and immigrants from all over the world need the Antiwar movement to step up and demand justice right here in our communities.
May Day, international workers day is the next day of action against the anti-immigrant hysteria so please check out:
http://maydayinthebay.dyndns.org/
Sound familiar, antiwar folks?
http://www.indybay.org/archives/archive_by_id.php?id=3745&category_id=18
It should. On November 11, 2005 there was a protest at De Anza College against Colin Powell's visit. A couple of hundred antiwar protesters unwelcomed the war criminal. Who was arrested? 7 Muslim youth in Muslim dress were arrested on the outside for behavior that was more mellow than that of dozens of other young protestors who happened to be white, or at least not Muslim. One white protestor was arrested inside for committing civil disobedience to disrupt Powell's speech in front of dozens of cameras and was called "sir" by police and treated much better than the Muslims on the outside who were beaten and brutalized.
If the antiwar movement is serious about ending racism, please start directly protecting the Muslims who attend protests. Stand with the Muslims who are targetted before they can be arrested. If Muslims are trying to demonstrate the racism of the police and don't want us to interfere that is fine since the police make themselves look so bad that any reasonable person would support the Muslims' right to pray in public and be respected.
Racism and anti-immigrant hysteria are everywhere right now:
mass deportations
http://www.indybay.org/archives/archive_by_id.php?id=4527&category_id=56
HR4437 and other anti-immigrant legislation
http://www.indybay.org/archives/archive_by_id.php?id=4449&category_id=56
Muslims, Latinos, and immigrants from all over the world need the Antiwar movement to step up and demand justice right here in our communities.
May Day, international workers day is the next day of action against the anti-immigrant hysteria so please check out:
http://maydayinthebay.dyndns.org/
great photo, for so many reasons. thank you.
For more information:
http://mercyphoto.smugmug.com
You can find more photos of this event and some discussion at dailykos.com
For more information:
http://www.pagesincolor.com
peace eveyone
i want to thank everyone for their support. it is funny to me that in uder 15min the only muslim group present gets cited and harassed by police.
this is a new thing we are seeing.
i was involved in the de anza protest and i am well versed in my tacktics of deallling with the police. being a black male that seems to come in handy.
this is the time for the movement. for all oppressed people to unite!!!
there is one thing however. we are all going to court over this and there was the photographer that was cited also. i need his contacts i want him to join our group in court. he should not have to do this alone. i also have photo of what happened and will posting thim up soon. if anyone else has photos can you please send them to me or post them. for court.
i want to thank everyone for their support. it is funny to me that in uder 15min the only muslim group present gets cited and harassed by police.
this is a new thing we are seeing.
i was involved in the de anza protest and i am well versed in my tacktics of deallling with the police. being a black male that seems to come in handy.
this is the time for the movement. for all oppressed people to unite!!!
there is one thing however. we are all going to court over this and there was the photographer that was cited also. i need his contacts i want him to join our group in court. he should not have to do this alone. i also have photo of what happened and will posting thim up soon. if anyone else has photos can you please send them to me or post them. for court.
Just FYI, I was there too. I think the author gave a little more favorable picture of that gathering than it really was.
Just imagine a section of a block sepasreated by police barricades, police cars in the middle of intersections, then side street then surrounded by sharpshooters and ...
THAT WAS THE "FREE SPEECH" AREA, supposedly the gathering place for demonstrators! But if you think that was the end... you are wrong. THERE WAS NO WAY TO GET TO THAT ISLAND! The author said "1:00 pm" but I was there around 12:30, running into all sorts of police barricades leading to the site! Then ALL PARKING LOTS AROUND the area were closed, so driving there was impossible. Buses were "re-routed". The two Light Rail stations bracketing that 3-5 mile area were CLOSED! So, in the land of the free, with First Amendment Rights to assembly, speech, religion, ... (insert your favorite), the was this little island set apart and designated for that expression, but NO ONE WAS ALLOWED to reach anywhere near it -- well in advance of the announced 1 PM. The only reason I was able to make it was my little familiarity with the area, plus the fact that "anticipating something", I took a bicylce with me. Then I could zip through the parking lots and behind the buildings. Those (750 --500 -- 1000 -- whatever the number) who made it there were those who mostly arrived BEFORE NOON. Amazingly, there were a good number of Iranians amongst them.
The only road leading to CISCO Campus (Tasman) was completely blocked about 1.5 - 2 miles from that ISLAND OF FREE SPEECH site (to the West) after 1 PM, no car traffic, no foot traffic! None whatsoever. There was a US Senate Candidate who wanted to attend and speak, but couldn't get past the "Tasman gestapo blockade". (The cooresponding "Eastern side" was closed around Freeway 880). From what I remember back in Iran during the Shah when all demonstrations were banned and the ban was openy announced in advance, was a lot more dignified and honest than the underhanded disgusting low scum tactics of this measly weasel administration.
Just imagine a section of a block sepasreated by police barricades, police cars in the middle of intersections, then side street then surrounded by sharpshooters and ...
THAT WAS THE "FREE SPEECH" AREA, supposedly the gathering place for demonstrators! But if you think that was the end... you are wrong. THERE WAS NO WAY TO GET TO THAT ISLAND! The author said "1:00 pm" but I was there around 12:30, running into all sorts of police barricades leading to the site! Then ALL PARKING LOTS AROUND the area were closed, so driving there was impossible. Buses were "re-routed". The two Light Rail stations bracketing that 3-5 mile area were CLOSED! So, in the land of the free, with First Amendment Rights to assembly, speech, religion, ... (insert your favorite), the was this little island set apart and designated for that expression, but NO ONE WAS ALLOWED to reach anywhere near it -- well in advance of the announced 1 PM. The only reason I was able to make it was my little familiarity with the area, plus the fact that "anticipating something", I took a bicylce with me. Then I could zip through the parking lots and behind the buildings. Those (750 --500 -- 1000 -- whatever the number) who made it there were those who mostly arrived BEFORE NOON. Amazingly, there were a good number of Iranians amongst them.
The only road leading to CISCO Campus (Tasman) was completely blocked about 1.5 - 2 miles from that ISLAND OF FREE SPEECH site (to the West) after 1 PM, no car traffic, no foot traffic! None whatsoever. There was a US Senate Candidate who wanted to attend and speak, but couldn't get past the "Tasman gestapo blockade". (The cooresponding "Eastern side" was closed around Freeway 880). From what I remember back in Iran during the Shah when all demonstrations were banned and the ban was openy announced in advance, was a lot more dignified and honest than the underhanded disgusting low scum tactics of this measly weasel administration.
I don't even understand what our world is coming to. I know that not all police officers are bad but I can't help but get perturbed when I see people being arrested for something that could not possibly be doing. Can one who is in the middle of a blocked off, unused street rightly be arrested for obstructing traffic?
For more information:
http://san-jose.notaryone.net
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