top
Police State
Police State
Indybay
Indybay
Indybay
Regions
Indybay Regions North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area California United States International Americas Haiti Iraq Palestine Afghanistan
Topics
Newswire
Features
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature

SF Pride media statement asks charges be dropped against Gay Shame

by Larry-bob (larrybob [at] io.com)
Here is the media statement which SF Pride emailed out today. I'm not connected with SF Pride or Gay Shame, just passing on information.
---
MEDIA STATEMENT 07.01.03
For Immediate Release

Pride Calls For Charges To Be Dropped

The San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Pride Celebration
Committee is calling on the District Attorney to drop the felony charges
against 6 people who were arrested when they attempted entered the
Parade in front of Supervisor Gavin Newsom^Òs contingent.

SF Pride Board President Joey Cain said:

"From interviews we've conducted with independent witnesses who were at
the scene it is apparent that the SFPD^Òs response was disproportionate
to the actual danger posed by the protesters. They were not, as
erroneously reported, "advancing on Supervisor Newsom's car with pipes",
but merely attempting to unfurl a banner well ahead of the supervisor's
contingent. That action does not merit being arrested much less being
charged with three very serious felonies."

The six arrested are affiliated with the group Gay Shame and had jumped
over the police barricades to enter the Parade near Seventh and Market
Streets with a banner reading "Queer Mutiny, Not Consumer Unity". The
SF Pride Celebration has a long history of protests as part of the
Parade. ACT-UP in the 1980^Òs performed die-ins in front of then Mayor
Agnos^Ò car to protest inaction in the AIDS crisis. Just a few years ago
a group called TransAction marched in front of the SFPD contingent to
denounce police mistreatment of Transgender people.

Pride Executive Director Teddy Witherington commented:

Protesting social injustice is what the Pride Celebration was founded
on. While we prefer groups to register or tell us what they are
planning, we welcome all forms of non-violent action that give voice to
the diverse elements of our community.

The Pride Committee encourages members of the community call the
District Attorney's office at (415) 553 1741 and request him to drop the
charges.

ENDS

For further information contact Teddy Witherington at: (415) 864 0831

---

SF Pride's website is at http://www.sfpride.org
Add Your Comments
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!

Donate

$110.00 donated
in the past month

Get Involved

If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.

Publish

Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.

IMC Network