For Immediate Release: November 18th, 2003
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Letter Issued to Miami City Attorney Meant to Stem Preemptive Action and Possible Raid of Anti-FTAA Activist "Welcome Center"
Miami, FL - In an effort to avoid a preemptive shut-down of the
anti-FTAA activist "Welcome Center," the law firm of Southern Legal
Counsel--working in conjunction with Miami Activist Defense (MAD), a
legal support group for activists--issued a letter today to the Miami
City Attorney Alejandro Vilarello. The letter outlines the willingness
of the Thomas Merton Center, lessees of the space, a non-profit
educational and political grassroots organization engaging in this
week's protests to abide by requests from the Miami Fire Marshal.
The letter also conveys the following warning to the city: "Under
clearly established law, the unlawful and pretextual use of an
administrative inspection or law enforcement search would violate the
Center's Fourth Amendment rights and have a chilling effect on the
Center's speech activities in violation of the First Amendment."
The high level of police harassment over the past week experienced by
activists in Miami wishing to express their dissent against the
controversial Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) meetings has raised
concerns of possible preemptive raids against public gathering places
for activists such as the "Welcome Center."
Due to these concerns and the fact that conflicting information is
coming from other city officials regarding permit requirements for the
Center's building, the letter requests clarification from Vilarello. The
letter states that, "The Center is concerned that the Fire Department
and City of Miami Police Department will take preemptive action to chill
their speech activities, including a raid and warrantless entry of the warehouse,
in the next few days, and seize or destroy their signs, banners and
political art, that they intend to use for peaceful expressive
activities over the next week."
"The harassment, intimidation and arrest of political activists and the
climate of fear the authorities have created is a frontal assault on
democracy," said Bill Dobbs of United for Peace and Justice. "We will
struggle to ensure that the constitution remains in full force and
effect, even in the city of Miami under police chief John Timoney."
Adding to the concern is Miami police chief John Timoney's record on
preemptive tactics. As the top law enforcement officer in Philadelphia
in 2000 during the Republican Convention, Timoney illegally raided a
warehouse and destroyed protest materials such as signs, banners,
puppets, and flyers prior to their use. During the raid, police
unlawfully arrested over seventy people, resulting in a civil suit for
tens of thousands of dollars.
"We are being targeted because we are telling the truth about the
effects of the FTAA," said Rachael Perrotta of Mobilization to Stop the
FTAA. "We demand an immediate stop to the police harassment our movement
is facing and pledge to continue to fight for democracy, civil
liberties and human rights no matter how much repression we face."
"We stand united with all of the protesters who have come to Miami to
demonstrate that the FTAA is bad for democracy, people and the planet,
"said Naomi Archer of South Floridians for Fair Trade and Global
Justice. "We seek immediate relief from Miami mayor Manny Diaz and ask him to publicly state that this pattern of harassment will end and civil liberties will be upheld."
For further information on Miami Police Chief John Timoney's record of preemptive tactics see this Fact Sheet, originally compiled by www.mediamouse.org
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Click here to view the letter |
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