Oakland--Human rights abuser prosecutes victims

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Pretrial hearing of the Oakland 25
TIME & PLACE:
Thursday, April 22, 2004
at 8:30 a.m.
Dept. 115 of the Oakland Courthouse
661 Washington Street
(Washington & 7th Streets in Oakland)
Nearest BART is the “Oakland City Center 12th St.”
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SOME LOCAL MEGA TRIVIA

Question: What does our city of Oakland share in common with Guatemala, Peru and Indonesia?
Answer: All of these are human rights abusers, listed in a recently published United Nations report.

This dubious distinction was earned a year ago on April 7th, when Oakland police fired “less-lethal” munitions at peaceful protesters and longshoremen in the Port of Oakland. Several dozen people were injured, some permanently.

Next Question: What are local officials doing to remedy this wrong?
Answer: The District Attorney of Alameda County is dutifully attempting to prosecute 24 of the victims.

Pretrial hearings have been going on since last summer. There has been about one a month, and the next of these hearings will take place this Thursday, April 22.

Charges against one of the Oakland 25 were dropped last month. The remaining 24 defendants include about 20 protesters, several legal observers and a union official of ILWU Local 10. The bogus charges against the defendants include “creating a public nuisance” and “disrupting a business.”

Earlier this month, on the first anniversary of the police attack, six hundred protesters returned to the Port of Oakland to commemorate the event by shutting down the shipping terminal of SSA Marine (Stevedoring Services of America). This year’s April 7th demonstration reaffirmed our First Amendment right to picket war profiteers in the port and ask dockworkers not to cross our line.

How long the charges will continue to be pressed against the defendants has yet to be determined. Please come to the hearing to show solidarity. Your presence will be deeply appreciated by everyone except the DA.

This Thursday, April 22 at 8:30 a.m.


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United Nations report of the Oakland police attack of April 7, 2003
http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/04/1676074.php
http://www.unhchr.ch/pdf/chr60/94add3AV.pdf
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