A-Infos (en) Anti-Racist 28 Website

["Geoff Downs" <anarchocommie@hotmail.com>]

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The Anti-Racist 28 Legal Defense Committee now has an operable website, 
located at:
http://www.AntiRacist28.org

Here is some background on the 28:

On the morning of August 24, 2002, twenty-eight anti-racist activists went 
to the Baltimore Travel Plaza to protest the neo-nazi organization "The 
National Alliance." Some two hundred racists were gathering there to meet 
before caravanning to their march and rally in Washington, D.C. later that 
day. As the activists entered the parking lot of the Travel Plaza, it began 
to storm and the group was confronted by several police cars. The 
twenty-eight attempted to return to their cars when suddenly they were 
surrounded by dozens of police cars and wagons. Held in the pouring rain for 
nearly an hour, they were eventually cuffed and brought to the Southeast 
District police station. After hours of shivering on the floor of a 
conference room without being charged, they were transferred to Central 
Booking and held for almost twenty-four hours before receiving their papers. 
When they finally were allowed to see commissioners, some of the 
twenty-eight were released on their own recognizance while others received 
bail amounts upwards of $10,000. None of these twenty-eight activists had 
committed any crime, nor were they told what they were being charged with 
until after they had been interviewed. Bail was raised and all activists are 
now out of jail, but the legal battle is just beginning.

Twenty-six activists have each been charged with:

One count of rioting (unlimited penalty)
Three counts of second degree aggravated assault (punishable by up to 10 
years in prison and/or a $2,500 fine)
One count of possession of a deadly weapon with intent to injure (punishable 
by up to 3 years in prison and/or a $1,000 fine)
One count of malicious destruction of property valued over $500 (punishable 
by up to 3 years in prison and/or a $2,500 fine)
One count of disorderly conduct (punishable by up to 60 days in prison 
and/or a $500 fine)

The twenty-seventh activist, a minor, received the same charges plus an 
additional 20 counts of Second Degree Aggravated Assault.

The twenty-eighth activist, a representative of the National Lawyers Guild, 
was also arrested while he attempted to protect the rights of the activists. 
He was charged with one count of failing to obey an officer (punishable by 
up to 60 Days in prison and/or a $500 fine).


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