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October 5 National Day Of Action: Drive Out The Bush Regime!

Defend The Charlotte Five - Drop The Charges!

ENDLESS WARS!

TORTURE!

KATRINA!

POLICE BRUTALITY!

THEOCRACY!

BRING THIS TO A HALT!

October 5, 2006

Defend The Charlotte Five & the Right to Dissent

The Square, Trade St & Tryon St

Charlotte, NC

6:00pm until at least 8:00pm

(this event has a permit from the CMPD)

On October 5, people everywhere will walk out of school, take off work, and come to the downtowns & townsquares and set out from there, going through the streets and calling on many more to join us - making a powerful statement: "NO! THIS REGIME DOES NOT REPRESENT US! AND WE WILL DRIVE IT OUT!"

In Charlotte, we will rally at The Square in uptown Charlotte (Trade St & Tryon St) starting at 6:00pm and lasting at least until 8:00pm (Our permit is until 11:00pm).

We will demand that the charges against The Charlotte Five be dropped and violations of their civil liberties be redressed for the police attack on the Sept 23 Human Rights Fest. Police broke a man's ribs and punctured his lung. They also tasered a guy and held a gun to his head. Several people were thrown to the ground and there were several arrested (Full story at www.charlotteaction.org)

Download fliers: http://lists.riseup.net/www/d_read/actioncenter/oct5flyerfront.doc


Guest speakers include:

Rev. James Barnett, Stop The Killing campaign
Jim Grohnquist, attorney & Vietnam-era Conscientious Objector
Brandon Magness, Southside Punx, Charlotte Five
Mike Cassanova, Southside Punx, Charlotte Five Defense
Pete Ager, Dirty South Revolutionaries, Charlotte Five
Carol Marley, Char-Meck CODEPINK
David Dixon, Action Center For Justice
Maggie Davis, Char-Meck CODEPINK

Mary Keenan, RHFAcTOR
Mark Ortiz, 9/11 Truth Activist


The Peace Ribbon, honoring U.S./coalition soldiers & Iraqis killed as a result of the illegal invasion & occupation of Iraq, will also be on display.


For information on the Oct 5 national actions, to read the call to action, and view the list of endorsers, see www.worldcantwait.org.

For more information on the Charlotte rally see www.CharlotteAction.org or call (704) 492-8527.


Sign the petition to Defend The Charlotte Five www.petitiononline.com/thefive

Press Coverage of Police Attack on Human Rights Fest

Protest spurs questions of Constitution

Police, demonstrators to try to untangle what happened and when

RICHARD RUBIN AND GREG LACOUR
September 27, 2006

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/15617247.htm
rrubin@charlotteobserver.comglacour@charlotteobserver.com

Exactly when and why police shut down a weekend peace protest could determine whether officers violated protesters' First Amendment rights.

The protest organizer says yes. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are investigating the uptown incident and interviewing the 18 officers involved, said Capt. Cam Selvey, the police spokesman.

Police charged six people Saturday night with misdemeanors, mostly disorderly conduct.

They also ordered the crowd to disperse, and that decision sits in the space where free speech, free assembly and public order collide, constitutional lawyers said.

"It's one thing to go after somebody, a particular person who violates the law," said William Marshall, a professor at the UNC School of Law. "And it's another thing to shut down the protest as a whole."

The scuffle started late Saturday at the intersection of Trade and Tryon streets, where about 200 protesters had assembled for a rally and a concert. An off-duty officer working at the Marriott City Center investigated a noise complaint at the hotel's request, police have said.

Even when they're off duty, sworn officers are required to enforce the law when they suspect it's being broken, Selvey said.

The incident

Protesters said that first officer ordered them to shut down the music, even though he lacked a decibel meter to check whether the noise violated the group's city-issued permit for amplified sound. Police have said that they ordered the event to end only after a disturbance began.At one point, police said, a newspaper was lit on fire at an officer's feet and protesters yelled profanities at officers. David Crane, a protester who was arrested, said he suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung. One person was shocked with a police Taser, triggering an internal investigation.

Officers cannot arrest people because of what they say -- unless the statements clearly and directly incite violence, said Erwin Chemerinsky, a constitutional law professor at Duke University.

"People have the right to peaceably assemble. They have the right to chant," he said. "They have the right to make some noise. They have the right to swear at the police."

State law gives officers some discretion to stop protests, said Mark Newbold, an attorney for the police department.

Says the law: "Any law enforcement officer or public official responsible for keeping the peace may issue a command to disperse ... if he reasonably believes that a riot, or disorderly conduct by an assemblage of three or more persons, is occurring."

Officers receive training on this law, Newbold said.

The legal question

Such laws are common across the country, Chemerinsky said. The question is: When police stopped the protest, could they reasonably conclude that life or property was in danger?

Event organizer David Dixon said Tuesday that he or his organization, Action Center for Justice, plan to sue the city.

Dixon's attorney, Jim Gronquist, said he's concentrating for now on defending the six people arrested in their criminal cases.

Police Chief Darrel Stephens was out of town and unavailable for comment Tuesday.

Mayor Pat McCrory said that police acted appropriately and that protesters who were arrested showed "disrespect for the law" and "thug-like behavior."

"We allow them by law to have a permit and assemble, but that did not give them the right to break other laws," he said. "If they don't obey an officer's request, our officer is going to try to protect others and himself. ... They should be able to do that. There's no excuse for setting a fire behind an officer's legs and using intimidating language to a police officer.

"What's amazing," McCrory added, "is that some of the people involved call themselves pacifists."



Protesters call for charges to be dropped
People at Saturday's anti-war rally say police violated their rights
KYTJA WEIR
kweir@charlotteobserver.com
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/15609095.htm

An online petition with hundreds of names calls for police to drop charges against protesters arrested Saturday in a scuffle with police in uptown Charlotte.

Six people were arrested, including one who was shocked with a Taser, during an anti-war rally involving about 200 people at Trade and Tryon streets. One of the men arrested was hospitalized overnight Sunday because, he said, police caused broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Protesters say police infringed on the rights they were trying to uphold at Saturday's Human Rights Fest. They are campaigning for the charges against the arrested men to be dropped. As of 11:05 p.m. Monday, 709 names were listed on their online petition, with signers from the Carolinas, Texas, California, Massachusetts and Montana.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say protesters got out of control when an officer investigated a noise complaint. They said the protesters placed a lit newspaper at the officer's feet and cursed police. Some refused to follow orders. Police are reviewing their response.

"It's not the Police Department's role to deny anyone their rights," said Capt. Cam Selvey. But he added that police must ensure that protesters exercise their rights in a safe manner.

Event organizer David Dixon said the group didn't seek out a confrontation. "We didn't create a public safety issue," he said.

Saturday was the third time in two years that police and large crowds have scuffled in uptown. But the previous incidents followed Fourth of July fireworks shows and did not involve permitted protests.

The Action Center for Justice, which organized the event, has held other rallies around the city without problems. Police said they did not anticipate such large crowds for the group's protest on Saturday. The permit application estimated about 100 people, but police said usually only about 10 show up for the group's events.

What happened

At issue is what occurred during an approximately 15-minute span late Saturday night. Neither police nor protesters agree on what caused matters to escalate.Video cameras are positioned around uptown. But police said the camera they have trained on the square at Trade and Tryon is usually programmed in advance. On Saturday, Capt. Chuck Adkins said, it was fixed on the corner across the street near a large disc sculpture where bands sometimes set up. That means it did not capture the scuffle, he said.

Protest participants may have shot video of the incident, but Dixon said he hadn't seen any of it.

The Human Rights Fest was slated to run from 8 p.m. until midnight at the square. It called for stopping the criminalization of the poor; freeing political prisoners; ending the occupation of Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon; and bringing home U.S. troops. They also rallied to oppose war with Iran.

Police say the protesters had a valid permit but shouldn't have been in that area after dark. Their permit was for the intersection, Adkins said, not for Polk Park on the western corner that closes at dusk.

Dixon, though, said police don't enforce that, noting that it's common to see people in Polk Park at night.

He also said the source of the group's power supply was inside the park. And he said another Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer told him earlier that night they could set up there even though it was already dark. The event then went on without incident until just after 11 p.m.

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer who was working off-duty at the Marriott Hotel went to the intersection to follow up on noise complaints the hotel had received, police said. The cop was a veteran bike patrol officer, police said, who has experience with protests.

The event permit says the protesters could not exceed 65 decibels after 9 p.m. Police said that's louder than a lawn mower. Police did not carry equipment to measure the sound Saturday, but Adkins said it was likely too loud if hotel guests could hear it across the street.

The officer asked the band to turn down the music, both the organizer and the police said. Then, their accounts diverge.

Dixon said the band turned down the sound.

Adkins said someone lit a newspaper on fire and placed it behind the officer's legs, not close enough to burn but close enough to feel the heat. He said the band began to incite protesters by saying things such as "F--- the police, f--- the pigs."

Protesters have a right to exercise First Amendment rights to free speech, Adkins said. But, he added, when the language is likely to trigger a violent response, it's no longer protected speech.

Dixon said he didn't hear anyone yelling obscenities at police before the scuffle. And he said protesters put out the flaming newspaper when it was spotted. But, Dixon said, the officer told him everything needed to be shut down.

"The crowd didn't like what was going on," said Brandon Magness, 23, a member of Southside Punx, which was playing at the time. Another band member yelled out that the protesters had a constitutional right to be there.

The officer called for backup.

Police said 18 officers tried to disperse the protesters. Protesters said the police came in and jumped on the crowds.

When one officer tried to arrest a person, police said, another man tried to interfere. He refused orders to stay back, police said. The officer shocked the man with a Taser in what police called self-defense.

David Crane, 41, said he told police it was inappropriate for them to use a Taser on his friend. He said he criticized their behavior but denied using swear words or obscene gestures.

He said that he turned around to walk away and that a group of officers then jumped on him and started kneeing him in the back and mashing his head into the pavement. He was charged with disorderly conduct and violating the open container ordinance.

Police said none of the arrested men complained of injuries. They were taken to the Mecklenburg County jail, where, Crane said, a nurse checked out his injuries but said he wasn't hurt enough to go to the hospital.

Once he was released from jail Sunday, though, he went to Presbyterian Hospital. Doctors kept him overnight, telling him he had broken ribs and a punctured right lung.

Marcia Meredith, a spokeswoman for Presbyterian Hospital, confirmed that a David Crane was admitted Sunday and released Monday.

Crane said he had not filed a complaint with police as of Monday, because he had only just been released from the hospital. But Adkins said police are already looking into Crane's reported injuries.

What happens next

Adkins said police are also evaluating the department's overall preparation for the protest and their response. Police are investigating the use of the Taser, as they do any time one is deployed.

The next test may come Saturday, when the group plans to rally in Freedom Park to call for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

The event, scheduled to feature several other activist groups, already has a permit. Organizers insist the event is intended to promote respect and nonviolence. Adkins said police don't intend to change their plans for the event.

Dixon, though, said the group's attorney plus legal observers from the National Lawyers Guild would be on hand just in case.



6 arrested at anti-war protest in Charlotte
http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/stories/wcnc-092506-jmn-anti-war-protest.155b5359.html
08:57 AM EDT on Monday, September 25, 2006

Associated Press
A peace rally involving about 200 people ended with six arrests and a plan by police to review whether to allow the organizers to hold demonstrations in the future.

Police say the crowd was unruly at the Human Rights Fest held Saturday evening. But organizers said demonstrators were obeying the rules of their permit, and police were the ones who went out of control.

"The event was going great," said David Dixon, a coordinator of the Action Center for Justice, based in Charlotte. "It's unbelievable what happened, really."

The event promoted a number of causes including an end to war in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza.

Dixon said one of the four bands featured at the rally was finishing its performance at about 11 p.m. when a police officer said everything needed to be shut down, though the event had a permit until midnight. When the officer insisted, Dixon agreed to stop the event.

"'I don't care. I got my boys coming,"' Dixon said the officer told him.

Dixon said swarms of police officers charged into the crowd and began to jump on people. He said some officers pointed guns at people's heads, and at least a couple of protesters were hit with Tasers.

Police responded to a noise complaint at 11:13 p.m. and had to call in officers from other parts of the city to help disperse the unruly crowd, Capt. Chuck Adkins said. He said a total of 18 officers were involved.

The six people arrested face misdemeanor charges that included disorderly conduct, public disturbance and resisting a public officer. Dixon said his organization will try to get the charges dismissed.

Adkins said police and the city will discuss whether to allow the group to receive permits for protests in the future, evaluating the organization, its history and the relationship between its leaders and the people who were arrested.

Dixon said the organization will continue as planned with a rally this weekend in Freedom Park calling for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

This AP story carried in:
San Jose Mercury News
Fox News 10 (SC)
WTVD-TV Raleigh/Durham
Greensboro News Record
WCNC
Winston-Salem Journal
WVEC Norfolk, VA
WWAY TV 3 Wilmington
WIS 10 Columbia, SC
Fayetteville Online
Myrtle Beach Sun News
WSOC TV
News & Observer Raleigh
Durham Herald Sun
WRAL Raleigh Durham Fayetteville, NC
Contra Costa Times CA
Charlotte Observer



Anti-war protest breaks the peace
Uptown rally ends with 6 arrests
KYTJA WEIR
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/15601654.htm
Posted on Mon, Sep. 25, 2006
kweir@charlotteobserver.com

A peace rally involving about 200 protesters in uptown Charlotte ended Saturday night in a scuffle with police, leading to six arrests and at least one protester buzzed with a Taser.

Both sides agree on those facts but dispute how the protest got out of control.

"We were down there to stand up for people's rights," said David Dixon, a coordinator of the Charlotte-based Action Center for Justice. "We have people dying in Iraq and Afghanistan for our Constitution, and (the police) just flagrantly violated it."

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, though, said the crowd was unruly. Capt. Chuck Adkins said police plan to review how to handle future permit requests from the organizers.

It was the third time in the past two years that police and large crowds have scuffled in uptown. But the previous two incidents followed the Fourth of July fireworks shows and did not involved permitted protests.

In fact, police and Dixon said they had never had run-ins at similar peace protests in Charlotte. Dixon estimated that he had worked on more than 100 protests since September 2001 without problems.

Saturday's Human Rights Fest was slated to run from 8 p.m. until midnight at the square of Trade and Tryon streets. Like many protests, it had several messages: Stop the criminalization of the poor. Free political prisoners. End the occupation of Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine. Bring home U.S. troops. And -- one late addition -- no war in Iran.

"The event was going great," Dixon said. "It's unbelievable what happened, really."

He said the band Southside Punx, one of four bands featured at the event, was finishing its set about 11 p.m. when a police officer said everything needed to be shut down. The officer had complained about the music, saying it hurt his ears, Dixon said. Then the officer told Dixon someone had lit a newspaper ablaze on the ground.

Dixon said the protesters put out the small fire immediately. He said he told the officer the event had a permit until midnight. When the officer told him again that the event must end, he told the officer they would shut it down.

" `I don't care. I got my boys coming,' " Dixon said the officer told him.
A band member from Southside Punx yelled out that the protesters had a constitutional right to be there, Dixon said.

Police said they responded to a noise complaint at 11:13 p.m. Police had to bring in officers from other parts of the city, Adkins said, drawing a total of 18 officers to handle the 200-person crowd.

Some protesters yelled at officers, acted unruly and showed uncivilized behavior, said Adkins, the captain who oversees the district that covers uptown.

But Dixon said swarms of police charged into the crowd and started to jump on people. They pointed guns to people's heads, he said, and drew their Tasers.

"It seemed like anyone could be arrested or jumped on," he said. "It was scary."

One officer attempted to control a protester, police said, but another person tried to interfere. Police said they fired a Taser. The person was not injured, police said.

Dixon, however, said he believed two people were zapped with Tasers. He also said one man was beaten up. Dixon said he didn't know the extent of the man's injuries, but added that the man went to the hospital Sunday to get checked out.

Police said they arrested six people on misdemeanor charges that included disorderly conduct, public disturbance and resisting a public officer.

"Six people were arrested, five of which were doing nothing wrong," Dixon said.

He said his organization plans to start a campaign to get the charges dismissed.
Meanwhile, Adkins told the Observer on Sunday that police and the city will have to discuss whether to allow the group to receive other permits for protests.

He said they need to balance the group's First Amendment rights with Saturday's incidents. He said they plan to evaluate the group, its history, and the relationship between the leadership and those arrested.

Dixon, though, said the group planned to go ahead with a rally scheduled for this Saturday in Freedom Park to call for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

No problems reported at war protest in Charlotte

Associated Press
September 30, 2006

Police reported no problems Saturday among the several hundred people who attended a Charlotte anti-war rally one week after a similar event ended with a scuffle with law enforcement officers.

The event was sponsored by the Action Center for Justice, which also organized the Sept. 23 event. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said they were patrolling the event, but officers stayed out of sight.

Organizers billed the event as a rally to call for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

"I knew what happened last week, but that didn't dissuade me from coming today," said Barbara Stanley, a Democratic Party activist from Brunswick County in southeastern North Carolina. "It was too important to be here."

Last weekend's rally ended with six arrests and one person injured. Police blamed protesters, saying they got out of control. Rally organizers said police, who used a Taser to subdue one person in the protest, overreacted.

One prticipant who attended both rallies said he needed to be at the park Saturday.

"I saw what happened last week," said Josh Mason, 18, of Charlotte. "I wasn't worried about coming back today. I was here to support my rights."

No pro-Bush demonstrators attended Saturday's rally.

FREEDOM PARK

Anti-war rally at park peaceful

Demonstration held a week after protesters clashed with police

MARCIE YOUNG
myoung@charlotteobserver.com
Posted on Sun, Oct. 01, 2006 http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/15652246.htm

An afternoon rally held one week after police clashed with anti-war protesters uptown remained peaceful Saturday at Charlotte's Freedom Park.

Event organizers, including members of the Green Party and the Action Center for Justice, feared a repeat of last week's Human Rights Fest, where Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested six protesters at Trade and Tryon streets.

Police said last week's rally got out of control when protesters refused to follow orders, swore at officers and placed a burning newspaper near an officer's feet. Protesters said officers violated their First Amendment rights. At least one man was shocked with a Taser, and another protester, David Crane, said he suffered a broken rib and a punctured lung.

Organizers said Saturday's rally, which called for the impeachment of President Bush, attracted at least 50 more participants than last week's event, including some of those arrested.

Crane said he "wouldn't have missed this for the world."

Visible police presence was minimal Saturday, but C.W. McIver from the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department said plainclothes officers attended the event. He said the number of officers was higher than usual for such gatherings.

Jim Gronquist, an attorney for the Action Center for Justice, said he attended to observe police and protester actions.

"There's a disconnect for police between what's impolite and illegal speech," he said.

The Action Center for Justice will hold another anti-war rally at Trade and Tryon streets at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Planners said they tried to minimize confrontations Saturday by asking two punk rock bands not to use profanities during their performances, said Ken Davies, a Green Party organizer.

The first band violated the agreement, causing park officials to consider ending the event. After conversations with Davies, McIver decided to allow the second band to play but threatened to pull the sound if it happened again.

Protestors At Peace Rally Had Message For Police

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/9972349/detail.html

POSTED: 8:54 pm EDT September 30, 2006

CHARLOTTE, NC -- One week after a concert turned chaotic in Uptown, one of the the same bands took the stage in Freedom Park Saturday afternoon.

While many at the park were there to protest the war in Iraq, a handful were also there to speak out against the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police.

The group that played at the rally on Saturday, Dirty South Revolutionaries, was also playing last week at a concert in Uptown. That's when trouble erupted between officers and people at the concert.

Last week's concert was part of a human rights festival and protest. An off duty police officer working for a Charlotte hotel was asked by the hotel to investigate a possible noise ordinance. When the same officer returned after the noise became louder, officers with the Entertainment District were called in for backup and asked the band to pull the plug. Shortly after a piece of burning paper was thrown at one officer's feet, and police shot one person in the crowd with a tazer.

Saturday locals gathered for a mass rally for the impeachment of President Bush. This event was organized by the Green Party. Dirty South Revoluntionaries dubbed this concert "round two" as the concert cranked up at Freedom Park. But there was no violence this week as many remembered the lives lost at war.

The Green Party scheduled the Dirty South Revolutionaries to perform at Saturday's rally well before last weekend's trouble. They however did meet with the band on Thursday night and asked them not to use profanity or promote violence. But despite this warning, the band did use profanity is their songs, and several band supporters carried signs saying "Police the Police" and t-shirts saying "Stop Police Brutality."

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department has launched an internal investigation into the circumstances that happened in Uptown. Meanwhile, several people that were arrested that night are planning to sue the city.

Copyright 2006 by WSOCTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

War rally at park peaceful

MARCIE YOUNG
myoung@charlotteobserver.com
Posted on Sat, Sep. 30, 2006 http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/15649835.htm

An afternoon rally held one week after police clashed with anti-war protesters uptown remained peaceful Saturday at Charlotte's Freedom Park.

Event organizers, including members of the Green Party and the Action Center for Justice, feared a repeat of last week's Human Rights Fest, where Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested six protesters at Trade and Tryon streets.

Police say last week's rally got out of control when protesters refused to follow orders, swore at officers and placed a burning newspaper near an officer's feet. Protesters say officers violated their First Amendment rights. At least one man was hit with a stun gun and another protester, David Crane, said he suffered a broken rib and punctured lung.

Organizers said Saturday's rally, which called for the impeachment of President Bush, attracted at least 50 more participants than last week's event, including some of those arrested.


Read tomorrow's Charlotte Observer for more details on this developing story.

Hope for a peaceful peace rally

http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/stories/wcnc-092906-jmn-peaceful_rally.2cc75409.html
09:43 PM EDT on Friday, September 29, 2006

By MARK BOONE / 6NEWS
E-mail Mark: MBoone@WCNC.COM

Keeping the peace is a priority at an anti-war demonstration planned for Saturday, after police and protestors scuffled at a rally last weekend.

There are very different accounts of what happened at last weekend's rally. Protestors said police crossed the line, but police said officers feared the crowd was getting out of control and had to move in. Now both sides are hoping to avoid a repeat of what happened last weekend when they meet at Freedom Park tomorrow.

The group calls itself the Action Center for Justice, an anti-war organization which normally stages small demonstrations on Charlotte street corners. The group had never had a run-in with police until last weekend.

"This seemed to be a few officers that did not like the message that we had and they did not like the bands that we had and they took it upon themselves to just jump on people," said David Dixon, protest organizer.

Six people were arrested for disorderly conduct after officers responded to a noise complaint.

Protest organizers claim one of the men who was arrested suffered from cracked ribs and a punctured lung.

"It was a total fiasco, it was totally uncalled for by the Mecklenburg police department," said Summer Lipford.

Lipford was not part of last week's protest, but she and other groups are joining the action center for justice in another protest this Saturday at Freedom Park.

It is an event that police plan to watch closely.

"We look at who is going there, what other type of activities might be around there and what information we have of problems we should anticipate," said CMPD Capt. Chuck Adkins.

He said no problems are expected, but organizers said that with police in the audience they will be more wary of what they say this weekend.

Police said their investigation into what happened last week continues. But a spokesperson said right now it appears those officers did nothing wrong.

Meanwhile, we're told the six people arrested last weekend plan on fighting their disorderly conduct charges on court.

Victim has broken ribs & punctured lung from police beating

Victim suffers broken ribs & punctured lung from police beating

Hundreds sign petition calling for charges to be dropped

On Sept 23, police brutally attacked band members and the crowd attending a Human Rights Fest in uptown Charlotte, NC. The event had been going great attracting a multinational crowd of some 200 people. Many people passing by stopped and joined in. The Human Rights Fest featured performances from Dirty South Revolutionaries, Tax Slave, 25 Minutes To Go and Southside Punx. The police forced the permitted event to shut down early. Than dozens of cops charged into the crowd, jumping on people and using a taser on at least one person. One person, David Crane, was beaten by several cops and people were arrested. Full story at http://charlotteaction.blogspot.com.

David Crane went to the hospital and was treated for broken ribs and a collapsed lung. According to Brandon Magness, with the band Southside Punx, “Dave is a peaceful man and these injuries were caused directly from the police.”

Defend The Charlotte Five - Drop The Charges

An online petition demanding that the charges against David Crane, Joshua Lane, Edward Auer, Johnathan Moss, and Brandon Magness be dropped and any violations of their civil liberties be redressed. The petition has collected over 250 signatures in less than 24 hours.

Read and sign the petition at www.petitiononline.com/thefive.

For more information contact Action Center For Justice at (704) 492-8527 or see http://charlotteaction.blogspot.com

Cops brutally attack Human Rights Fest in uptown Charlotte

Cops brutally attack Human Rights Fest in uptown Charlotte

by David Dixon

On Sept 23, cops brutally attacked band members and the crowd attending a Human Rights Fest in uptown Charlotte.

The event had been going great attracting a multinational crowd of some 200. Many people passing by stopped and joined in.

The Human Rights Fest featured performances from Dirty South Revolutionaries, Tax Slave, 25 Minutes To Go and Southside Punx. Band members made political statements speaking against Bush, police brutality, war, and making the point that uptown Charlotte was built by the working class and the people had a right to be there.

As Southside Punx was playing their last few songs, a cop told organizers they had to shut it down because someone had set a piece of newspaper laying on the ground on fire. David Dixon told him that the Action Center For Justice had permits to be there until midnight, and the event was almost over. The cop said he didn’t care, that “you have to shut it down,” so Dixon told him that was being done.

The cop then said, “I don’t care. I got my boys coming.”

David Dixon stated, “We’re shutting it down and we’ll be out of here.”

The cop replied, “It doesn’t matter. I got my boys coming. They’ll be here in a minute,” and he chuckled.

A member of Southside Punx yelled into the crowd that we had a constitutional right to be there.

Suddenly dozens of cops charged into the crowd, jumping on people and using tasers on some. David Crane was beaten by several cops and suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung.

“My friend was held on the ground at gun point for no reason. This was after they tased him. Then I saw the cops shove another friend to the ground and jump on top of him,” said Elizabeth Arrowood. “No one did anything to deserve this.”

Brandon Magness with Southside Punx said, “The cops rushed in tasing people and pulling guns. I had at least 3 tasers pointed at me. My roommate got beat up. We were being peaceful”

The cops then told Dixon and Magness that they could arrest them and the band, as well as confiscate the band equipment, for “inciting a riot.” They said Magness had been trying to incite the crowd against the police while singing. That couldn’t be possible as the dozens of cops that arrived weren’t there when the sound was turned on. When Magness stated his innocence, he was arrested.

Dixon said, “It actually appeared the cops were trying to provoke the crowd and incite a riot.”

If you witnessed the event or have any photos or video before, during or after the police attacked please send them to actforjustice@yahoo.com or call (704) 492-8527.

A campaign is being launched to demand the charges against five of those arrested, now known as The Charlotte Five, be dropped and any violations of their civil liberties be addressed. (The sixth person arrested has come forward & is being included in this campaign.)

Sign the petition to drop the charges against the Charlotte Five at www.petitiononline.com/thefive.

More information will be posted at www.geocities.com/defendrights or call (704) 492-8527.

Sept 30 Mass Rally for Impeachment of Bush & Cheney

Mass Rally for Impeachment of Bush & Cheney

Saturday, September 30, 2006

1:00pm to 6:30pm

Freedom Park
1900 East Blvd
Charlotte, NC


Charlotte area organizations are joining forces to protest the illegal and un-American actions of President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Civil rights leaders, anti-war activists, Iraq War veterans, legal experts, musicians and Americans of all stripes who believe in defending the Constitution will rally to call on the U.S. House of Representatives to launch impeachment hearings. This important regional event will be held in Freedom Park on September 30, 2006 at 1:00 PM and last throughout the afternoon.

Why Impeachment?

We believe the President and Vice President misled Congress and the American people regarding the decision to go to war in Iraq; misstated and manipulated intelligence information regarding the justification for such war; countenanced torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment; held American citizens incommunicado with no charge or trial; authorized illegal wiretaps on citizens; enabled inappropriate retaliation against critics of the administration.

Guest speakers include: click here for bios

Ahmad Daniels, Vietnam-era military resister & anti-racist activist
Al McSurely, attorney & civil rights activist
Ann Wright, longtime U.S. diplomat & Army Veteran
Bill Glass, Candidate for Congress, 9th district
Brian Staton, Charlotte Area Green Party
Rev. Cornelius Brantley, Jr., Morganton, NC
Rev. Curtis E. Gatewood, civil rights & anti-war activist
David Dixon, Action Center For Justice
David Swanson, AfterDowningStreet.org, ImpeachPac.org
Ed Tant, columnist & writer
Elaine Johnson, Military Families Speak Out
Faye Walters, SC Congressional Candidate, SC Greens
Gregg Jocoy, York County Greens
Ken Davies, attorney & member Charlotte Area Green Party
Jacek Teller, Iraq Veterans Against The War
Jibril Hough, Chairman, Islamic Political Party of America
Joan Theida, Charlotte NOW
Michael Evans, Mecklenburg County Democratic Party
Nadia McCaffery, Gold Star Families For Peace
Scott Trent, NC World Can't Wait
Summer Lipford, Gold Star Families Speak Out
Tim Pluta, Veterans For Peace, Western NC Chapter
Tom Turnipseed, attorney & writer
Travis Morales, DC World Can't Wait


Performers include:

Alex Kramer
David Palmer
Dirty South Revolutionaries
Kevin Edwards
Michael Sharpe
Peter Moore
Southside Punx
Tax Slave

The Peace Ribbon, honoring U.S./coalition soldiers & Iraqis killed as a result of the illegal invasion & occupation of Iraq, will also be on display.


The September 30 Rally was initiated by the Charlotte Area Green Party. Sponsors & supporters include:

Action Center For Justice
Bill Glass for Congress
Charlotte Area Green Party
Charlotte Coalition For Peace & Justice
Charlotte-Mecklenburg CODEPINK Women For Peace
Charlotte NOW
GRIM - Grass Roots Impeachment Movement
The Freedom Group
NC Green Party
OperationImpeachment.org

For fliers and more information see www.CharlotteGreens.org and www.OperationImpeachment.org or call (704) 492-8527.

The Thin Blue Lie film screening

The Thin Blue Lie film screening

Wednesday, October 4, 2006

7:30pm

Charlotte Energy Solutions

337 Baldwin Ave.

Charlotte, NC

Join the Action Center For Justice for a thought provoking film, popcorn and discussion.

The Thin Blue Lie is the true story about a newspaper reporter that exposes the Philadelphia Police Department’s department wide corruption & use of brutality. The film documents the city & mayor’s condoning & covering up the police abuse, and the complicity of some of the local media in doing so.

In 1979 the U.S. Justice Department went to court to take the entire department into federal receivership. Mayor Frank Rizzo (the former Police Commissioner) and eighteen high-ranking commanders starting with the current Commissioner were charged with promoting systematic brutality in the department. The federal lawsuit-the first such move against a local police department in the history of the country-eventually failed for lack of jurisdiction.

This event is free & open to the public. For more information call Action Center For Justice at (704) 492-8527 or see www.CharlotteAction.org.

October 5 National Day Of Action: The World Can’t Wait! Drive Out The Bush Regime!

ENDLESS WARS! TORTURE! KATRINA! THEOCRACY!
BRING THIS TO A HALT!

6:00pm until at least 8:00pm
The Square, Trade St & Tryon St
Charlotte, NC

On October 5, people everywhere will walk out of school, take off work, and come to the downtowns & townsquares and set out from there, going through the streets and calling on many more to join us - making a powerful statement: "NO! THIS REGIME DOES NOT REPRESENT US! AND WE WILL DRIVE IT OUT!" In Charlotte, we will rally at The Square in uptown Charlotte (Trade St & Tryon St) starting at 6:00pm and lasting at least until 8:00pm.

Downlaod flyers to pass out: front back

For information on the Oct 5 national actions, to read the call to action, and view the list of endorsers, see www.worldcantwait.org.

For more information on the Charlotte rally email operationimpeachment@yahoo.com or call (704) 492-8527.

www.operationimpeachment.org

Support G.I. Resister Spc Suzanne Swift – victim of rape & sexual assault

Spc. Swift, facing a redeployment to Iraq while serving under the command of the same individuals that allowed her to be raped and sexually harassed, suffered a breakdown due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and went absent without leave rather than subject herself to the horrors she experienced during her first tour of duty. To learn more about Suzanne Swift see http://www.SuzanneSwift.org.


Suzanne Swift’s mother, Sara, sent this out today. Please forward & make a call to Rep. DeFazio on Suzanne’s behalf. – David Dixon for Action Center For Justice


A group of Iraq Veterans Against the War and CODEPINK activists are in
Washington DC for Camp Democracy, http://www.campdemocracy.org/. They are taking an action for Suzanne Swift on day 94 since she was arrested, 9-12-06, and we need your help. All day on the 12th we want people flooding Rep. DeFazio’s DC office with calls supporting justice for Suzanne. Please spread the word to all your email lists so we can do a mass mobilization.


Below are the numbers for DeFazio in DC and the letter that the IVAW/CODEPINK are delivering to DeFazio's office tomorrow.


DeFazio's Washington, DC Office
2134 Rayburn H.O.B.
Washington DC, 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6416
Toll Free (in Oregon): 1-800-944-9603

Dear Congressman DeFazio:

You now have the opportunity to help gain Swift justice for one of
your constituents. SPC Suzanne Swift (Eugene OR), facing a re-deployment
to Iraq while serving under the command of the same individuals that
allowed her to be raped and sexual harassed, suffered a breakdown due to
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and went absent without leave
rather than subject herself to the horrors she experienced during her
first tour of duty. At this point her chain of command has acted only to
investigate and prosecute SPC Swift for saving her own life by going
AWOL.

Mr. Congressman you have been contacted several times about this
issue, to include a signed privacy act release from SPC Swift with no action
or reply on your behalf. Therefore, we are respectfully demanding that
you call her chain of command immediately to begin a congressional
investigation into what has happened to SPC Swift. Please find out why she
is facing a dishonorable discharge while two of the men who raped and
sexually assaulted her have been granted honorable discharges. SPC
Swift served with honor for over a year in Iraq despite continuing rape and
sexual assault by her chain of command; we owe her more than a
dishonorable discharge. We owe her an honorable medical discharge with proper
treatment for both her war and rape induced PTSD.

We have come to your office because your constituents know you to have
a history of being a progressive voice in Oregon and there is no reason
why this issue should not be foremost on your agenda. To guarantee
this is your top priority we have decided to remain in your office until
you take the proper action of initiating a congressional investigation.

The chain of command information for SPC Swift is as follows:
I CORPS COMMAND GROUP at Ft Lewis
COMMANDING GENERAL
BLDG 2025 STOP 1 AFZH-CG
LTG JAMES M. DUBIK
Aide-de-Camp LTC Kamper 253-967-0022
Executive Assistant Mrs. Swartz 253-967-0002
Executive Admin Asst. MSG Johnston 253-967-0001

42ND MILITARY POLICE BRIGADE
BLDG 2007 STOP 55 AFZH-MP
POLICE INFORMATION/CONCERNS/QUESTIONS 253-966-0088/967-4824
Brigade Cdr/Provost Marshal COL Miller 253-967-3121


Thank you for truly supporting our troops and helping to end military sexual violence.


Geoffrey Millard
SGT US ARMY (R)
Member of Iraq veterans Against the War


Peace~

Sara Rich, Mother of Suzanne Swift


********************************************

G.I. Resisters Support Center
http://www.SupportResisters.org


Action Center For Justice
http://www.CharlotteAction.org


Operation Impeachment
http://www.OperationImpeachment.org