A-Infos (en) US. Miami, an anarchist street medic report

[Worker <a-infos-en@ainfos.ca>]

 ________________________________________________
      A - I N F O S  N E W S  S E R V I C E
    News about and of interest to anarchists
 http://ainfos.ca/ http://ainfos.ca/index24.html
 ________________________________________________

From: mofiba-A-riseup.net
November 20, 2003. The street medic and clinician team providing
medical support in conjunction with the Free Trade Area of the Americas
(FTAA) protests  decries the violent police tactics employed Thursday,
StreetMedics covering protests on Biscayne Boulevard near Flagler and
elsewhere downtown assisted numerous injured activists. Hundreds were
decontaminated and treated for the effects of pepper spray or tear gas,
either on the streets or at the Wellness Center. Many others were treated
for injuries caused by police baton blows or fired projectiles, including
rubber and plastic bullets and chemical-filled pellets.

Media is saying only 15 - 25 injuries..., our team
treated  that in the AM and many more in the
afternoon we estimate over 50 head injuries and
some broken hands legs etc.

Lots of blunt trauma.

StreetMedics often found it difficult to provide care on the spot due to
aggressive police tactics. “Every time we tried to stop and treat someone,
we were overrun by police,” said Rob, an EMT from New York City.
“Basically, we were picking up the walking wounded and trying to get them
to a safe space.” Several medics reported being shot at as they tried to
assist injured activists.

Doc Rosen of the American Indian Movement StreetMedics
(and a well known anarchist) sustained a rubber bullet*
injury to his right shoulder as he attempted to bring a likely
internal injury patient into the wellness Cntr. *(Big Rubber Bullet not
a
Plastic Baton round)he got hit by some smaller rounds as well as
getting pepper sprayed and tear gassed and getting hit
with a few pepper rounds throughout the day. "I have seen worse but

  never in such a short

period of time. Timoney and his Storm Troopers are viciously violent.
They have no respect for life limb or the Constitutionally protected rights of
citizens!" said Rosen.  In the week before the FTAA Doc, Travis, Maakel,

  Caitlyn, and other Medics were also detained on several occasions by
  both Miami police and  Department of Homeland Security Police for
  walking suspiciously.

Clinicians staffing the Wellness Center -where the more
serious injuries were brought- treated an estimated 30 projectile
injuries, including many to the face or head. Several
protesters received stitches for lacerations. One activist sustained an
open fracture to the forearm while trying to protect their face, while
others sustained foot or ankle injuries. Some of the more seriously injured
protesters were treated by Miami Emergency Medical Services or at area
hospitals. Because many affected activists were not seen at the Wellness
Center, clinicians were unable to give a total count of the number of
injuries.

The activist medic and clinician team (composed of Red and black and Green
Anarchists as well as Socialists and other Activists) and expressed
particular concern about the tactics of police outside the Wellness Center late
Thursday afternoon.
While pushing a group of protesters up the street past the building, an
officer quite purposefully fired a pepper spray gun directly through the
door of the Wellness Center, where injured protesters were being treated,
and a woman providing security at the center was pepper sprayed directly in
the face.

“The police showed a total disregard for the health care space and the
safety and wellbeing of our patients,” said Eowyn Rieke MD.


  In Miami as during the Battle of Seattle against the WTO the cry of why
  can't the Anarchists -meaning the Black Bloc - be like the StreetMedics
  arose.  Many of those who run in the streets as StreetMedics are in fact
  Anarchists.






*******
                       ********
       ****** The A-Infos News Service ******
      News about and of interest to anarchists
                       ******
  INFO: http://ainfos.ca/org http://ainfos.ca/org/faq.html
  HELP: a-infos-org@ainfos.ca
  SUBSCRIPTION: send mail to lists@ainfos.ca with command in
  body of mail "subscribe (or unsubscribe) listname your@address".

  Full list of list options at http://www.ainfos.ca/options.html