top
Global Justice
Global Justice
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

Police brace for protests at Sacramento ag expo

by orf
sac bee on police and the WTO.

By M.S. Enkoji -- Bee Staff Writer Published 2:15 a.m. PDT Wednesday, June 11, 2003

When the U.S. Department of Agriculture brings its party to town later this month, Sacramento-area law enforcement agencies say they will be prepared for the worst -- but hoping for the best.

Led by the Sacramento Police Department, local law enforcement officials say they have spent months planning security for the first Ministerial Conference and Expo on Agricultural Science and Technology, to be held June 23-25 at the Sacramento Convention Center.

The USDA has invited representatives from more than 180 nations to discuss technology and methodology designed to increase farm productivity and potentially alleviate hunger in poor nations. An international crowd of 1,000 -- from Brazil to Uganda -- will gather in the state capital, listening to speakers, debating issues and touring Central Valley rice and dairy farms.

The event also is expected to draw hundreds, perhaps thousands of people to protest what they contend is a U.S.-backed effort to promote genetically altered crops and other controversial trade issues.

It's that prospect that has local law enforcement on guard.

"I have no problem with people who want to protest," said Sacramento Police Chief Albert Najera.

What he and other law enforcement leaders don't want is a replay of the 1999 World Trade Organization conference in Seattle, where similar issues were discussed. That event erupted in riots that pitted protesters and vandals against cops in street battles that played to the world.

"We're not going to tolerate breaking personal property or causing problems," said Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Lou Fatur. "There will be an extremely swift response. That's for sure."

Najera, who has spent his career with the Sacramento Police Department, said he can't recall anything of this magnitude coming to town. He also said police are ready.

During the convention, officers from an array of local, state and federal agencies will be patrolling the city on foot, on horseback, by car, by motorcycle and on bicycles.

Streets around the Sacramento Convention Center will be closed, and police have decided not to issue use permits during convention week for the three downtown parks -- Roosevelt, Cesar Chavez and Southside -- to ensure "operational control."

With few exceptions, time off has been cancelled for the nearly 700 Sacramento city police officers during the conference.

Sacramento County sheriff's detectives, meanwhile, will be prepared to slip into uniform and take to the streets, Fatur said.

The Sheriff's Department, which runs the jail, is prepared for mass arrests, if necessary. If protesters are arrested, they will be taken by bus or van to an undisclosed location for booking so they won't interfere with the downtown jail's regular operations, Fatur said.

The California Highway Patrol, which is responsible for the 40-acre Capitol Park grounds and all state buildings in town, will bring in an undisclosed number of officers during the convention. A permit has been issued for at least one march around the Capitol.

Expect heavier-than-usual traffic and tighter-than-usual security in and around the Capitol, said CHP Commissioner D.O. "Spike" Helmick.

"But that doesn't mean people can't come and go," he said. "If we do our jobs successfully, there won't be any risk."

In preparation for the event, local police went to Seattle and other cities that have experienced large-scale civil disobedience to talk about what to expect.

They've also stepped up training in crowd control.

On Tuesday, 200 police officers in street clothes gathered at Cal Expo to hone their skills at a form of "paintball" shooting, using specially designed rifles to fire off pepper-filled balls. The balls exploded on human-shaped targets, spewing a nonlethal cloud of the irritating seasoning.

Helmeted officers also took up batons and paired off against each other to review how to use -- or not use -- the weapons to ward off attackers.

While they are prepared for mass action, local police say the convention should be less controversial than the Seattle conference. That conference involved the WTO, which oversees international trade and convened in Seattle for decision-making. By comparison, they say, the Sacramento event is more of a show-and-tell.

Law enforcement is banking on the less controversial nature of the USDA convention to keep things low-key.

"It's hard to know who is showing up," said Nick Rossi, an FBI spokesman for the region. "All we can do is follow the public statements of those soliciting protesters."

For Sacramento city officials, the convention is a mixed bag.

Convention Center representatives didn't fully understand the security implications until after they booked the event, said Deputy City Manager Richard Ramirez. His office only four months ago learned the international event had been booked, he said.

Although security inside the convention will be paid for by the USDA, the city will foot the cost of crowd control and the chances of federal reimbursement are remote, Ramirez said.

"All conferences come with a two-edged sword: the chance to make new income as well as the responsibility to protect the public," Ramirez said. "It's an opportunity we would not have passed up, regardless of what we know now."

http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/6831736p-7781975c.html
Add Your Comments
Listed below are the latest comments about this post.
These comments are submitted anonymously by website visitors.
TITLE
AUTHOR
DATE
deanosor
Fri, Jun 13, 2003 12:23AM
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