A-Infos (en) US, City of Tacoma Refuses Peltier March Permit

["Arthur J. Miller" <bayou@blarg.net>]

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From:
TACOMA LEONARD PELTIER SUPPORT NETWORK
P.O. BOX 5464
TACOMA, WA 98415-0464
E-MAIL: bayou@blarg.net

CITY OF TACOMA REFUSES TO ISSUE A PERMIT FOR LEONARD PELTIER MARCH

  For the past ten years the Tacoma Leonard Peltier Support Group has held a
march and rally for justice for Leonard Peltier. The Tacoma LPSG is a part
of a regional support network (NWLPSN), which has organized or helped
organize 60 rallies and marches through out our region with few problems
from city governments. We try hard to keep the focus on Leonard Peltier and
Native issues and we have not sought to give anyone any problems.
  This year our annual Tacoma march and rally is a bit different than those
in the past because supporters from a number of different NW cities have
joined in the organizing for the event, thus the event has become a regional
event. In past years we have marched on the sidewalk, but because the
turnout will be larger this year, we applied for a permit that would let us
march in the street. The City of Tacoma has refused to issue us a permit. We
if cannot change that we will march on the sidewalk, (we will not allow
anyone to change our focus from Leonard Peltier and Native issues), but we
wish to address the reasons why the City of Tacoma refuses to issue us a
permit because the reasons are relevant to all social activists. At this
time there are three official reasons given to us by the City of Tacoma:
  1. Lack of payment for the police at our march. The City says that we must
pay for all the police that come out for our march. We are not asking for
them to come out at all, and we could never raise all the money they want.
This we know to be unconstitutional base upon federal court rulings.
  2. The lack of an insurance bond. Again we do not have the money for this
and again this is unconstitutional. I was involved in one case on this
before (Steve Robideau, Terry Bear Ribs and Arthur Miller vs. The City of
Leavenworth) and we won the case. The ruling was that it is unconstitutional
to deny the right of freedom of assembly based upon lack of financial
resources. They did not even tell me about needing the bond until they
called me up to say they would not issue a permit.
  3. The lack of notifying in writing each person who is to take part in the
march of some type of laws which they would not tell me what laws I had to
notify people of. I asked how it was possible to notify in writing
beforehand everyone who comes to the march?
Again I was not told of this until I got the call today.
  What these requirements that the City of Tacoma is demanding is a clear
statement that only rich people can have permits to march in the City of
Tacoma! Because our marches have included Elders, Children and others who
may not wish to confront the City Of Tacoma, if our lawyers cannot get us
our permit, we will march on the sidewalk, which does not need a permit.
  The refusal of giving us a permit has not been the only form of official
harassment of us. A Detective of the Intelligence Division of the Tacoma
Police Department (Jeff Ship) contacted me. He said he was calling me about
the traffic situation with the march. But the questions he asked me had
nothing to do with traffic. He asked; what will the speakers speak about? (I
just told him Native issues), He asked about members of our group (I told
him nothing on that), He asked about if there were going to be anti-war
people at the march, he asked about our car pools, and other things (which I
gave him a lot of ?I don?t know?s). He knew a lot about our past events and
even knew to call me, which shows that the Tacoma Police Department has
intelligence files on our group, even though we have never broken any laws
unless speaking out about Leonard Peltier and other Natives issues is
against the law.
   As Leonard Peltier has shown us, struggling for justice for the people is
not easy, that is why we call it a struggle. Though the struggle for the
freedom of speech and assembly does not call for the type of sacrifices
Leonard has had to make, still it does take effort on our part. The Tacoma
LPSG will not back down in the face of intimidation; we will carry on our
purpose, even if we must do it alone. But we believe that we will not be
alone. We respectfully ask all who believe in social justice to join us for
our march on Feb. 8th in Tacoma (see below for more information) for the
greatest protection we can have from further harassment will come from the
greatest number of people possible that join us in the march. Please network
with your friends, groups and organizations (and pass this e-mail statement
to others and to lists) to bring people out for the march and let the City
of Tacoma know that there are many people who they cannot intimidated.
Though we may have to march on the sidewalk, later we may see then need to
call for a civil liberties march.
  We also have the need of people video taping the march and rally and for
legal observers.
  The City of Tacoma needs to hear from you where ever you maybe. Please
call, e-mail or snail mail letters to the Mayor of Tacoma asking that the
City of Tacoma respect the rights of free speech and freedom of assembly for
those that do not have the money to buy those rights. Contact: Mayor Bill
Baarsma, 747 Market St., Suite 1200, Tacoma, WA 98402-3766; Phone: (253)
591-5100; E-mail: bbaarsma@cityoftacoma.org.
  Thank You
Arthur J. Miller
Tacoma LPSG


From:
TACOMA LEONARD PELTIER SUPPORT NETWORK
P.O. BOX 5464
TACOMA, WA 98415-0464
E-MAIL: bayou@blarg.net

UNTIL FREEDOM IS WON!

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY
WITH LEONARD PELTIER
MARCH AND RALLY FOR JUSTICE

For Peace, Justice and Freedom for all People

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2003
TACOMA, WA

Dedicated to the memory of Nilak Butler and Standing Deer who recently
passed on from this world.

NEEDS: Signs and Banners

12:OO NOON:  MARCH FOR JUSTICE
PORTLAND AVE PARK (on Portland Ave. between E. 34th and
E. Fairbanks Ave. Take Portland Ave. exit off I-5 and head east)

1:00 PM: RALLY FOR JUSTICE
U.S. FEDERAL COURT HOUSE,
1717 PACIFIC AVE.

SPEAKERS:
Matilaja, Yu?pik -  Yakama, Tacoma LPSG
Harold Belmont, Elder, Native People?s Alliance With Friends and Allies
Dorothy Ackerman, Lakota Elder
Helaire EchoHawk, Native American Coalition
Juan Jose Bocanegra, long time Peltier supporter
Michael Oneroad, Portland AIM
Steve Hapy Jr, NW AIM
Arthur J. Miller, Tacoma LPSG
Matt Remle, Lakota, Community Coalition for Environmental Justice
Peter Bohmer, Evergreen State College Teacher
Pio Celestino, Peruvian Indigenous Elder, Regugio Del Rio Grande

Music:
Jim Page
NW AIM DRUM

CARAVAN FOR JUSTICE (car pool)
SEATTLE: Meet at 10:45 at the parking lot at 22nd and Madison.
OLYMPIA: Meet at 10:45 Media Island 816 Adams St.

AFTER RALLY
HONORING POTLUCK

AT THE GUADALUPE HOUSE, 1417 S. G St
(Only a few blocks from the rally site) Please bring food.

  The Honoring Potluck will take place right after the Feb. 8th Rally For
Justice For Leonard Peltier. This is open to all supporters. This meal will
give thanks to those who have helped in the past 10 years with our regional
network and with the Feb. 8th march and rally. It is also a time to make
connections to build for the future.

 DONATIONS NEEDED! We have had to borrow money to pay for fliers, posters,
and mailing in order to put on the Feb. 8th March and Rally For Justice For
Leonard Peltier. Our group is a grassroots group and we have no other
funding outside of donations that come from you, our supporters. Please if
you can, send us a donation to: Seattle LPSG, P.O. Box 2514, Seattle, WA
98111. (Please make checks out to the Northwest Leonard Peltier Support
Network).

HOW YOU CAN HELP. Please pass this message on to others and if you would
like to get out fliers and posters please let us know at: bayou@blarg.net

SPONSORED BY: Tacoma LPSG, NW AIM, Native People?s Alliance With Friends and
Allies, Native American Coalition, Seattle LPSG

  Feb. 6th, 2003 will mark the 27th year since AIM activist Leonard Peltier?
s arrest. After Leonard?s defense team in appeals disproved the government?s
case against Leonard the government stated that they have no evidence
directly connecting Leonard to the deaths of the FBI agents that he was
convicted for, but still he has not been granted a new trial. The Leonard
Peltier Defense Committee has a new appeal and a lawsuit against the FBI.
This event is in support of the appeal, lawsuit and seeks to send a message
of solidarity for the continuous struggle for justice for Leonard Peltier.
www.freepeltier.org.

  When you?re conquered, the people you?re conquered by dictate your future.
This is a basic philosophy of mine. If I?m part of a conquered nation, then
I?ve got to yield to authority.  Norman Zigrossi, FBI

  There is a possibility that the jury would have acquitted Leonard Peltier
had the records and data improperly withheld from the defense been available
to him in order to better exploit and reinforce the inconsistencies casting
strong doubts upon the government?s case.   Eighth Circuit Court Opinion,
1986

   I have no doubt whatsoever that the real motivation behind both Wounded
Knee II and the Oglala firefight, and much of the turmoil throughout Indian
Country since the early 1970s, was-and is-the mining companies? desire to
muffle AIM and all traditional Indian people, who sought-and still seek-to
protect the land, water, and air from their thefts and depredations. In this
sad and tragic age we live in, to come to the defense of Mother Earth is to
be branded a criminal.  
Leonard Peltier

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