|
MIAMI -- Members of the powerful AFL-CIO labor union are taking aim at Miami Police Chief John Timoney.
AFL-CIO representatives met Monday with the Civilian Investigative
Panel that is looking into police actions at the Free Trade Area of The
Americas meetings in Miami in November 2003.
Timoney (pictured, left) gave his own report to the CIP last month,
saying that the police behaved professionally and with great
"restraint."
The AFL-CIO says Timoney's report was "grossly exaggerated."
AFL-CIO representatives told the CIP that peaceful union members
were harassed by police and busloads of seniors on their way to FTAA
protests were denied access and denied their freedom of speech.
Union representatives said they want to know "who gave the orders
to fire, who gave the orders to charge, deny access, wear riot gear,"
and they want an accounting of what happened to the $23.9 million
allocated for security at FTAA.
The AFL-CIO is asking for an apology from Timoney and his resignation. Timoney is out of town and not available to comment.
Meanwhile, Miami submitted its bid
last week to become the official site of the FTAA headquarters. Two
sites have been offered: Watson Island or the Coconut Grove Expo Center.
Ten other cities are vying to be the site of the headquarters.
Diplomats are hoping to create the new free trade zone by next January.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted
material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the
copyright owner. NoNonsense English offers this material
non-commercially for research and educational purposes. I believe this
constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for
in 17 U.S.C ยง 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this
site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain
permission from the copyright owner, i.e. the media service or newspaper
which first published the article online and which is indicated at the
top of the article unless otherwise specified. | 
