G8: First Amendment Cooperation Agreement

URGENT ACTION ALERT! PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY!! HELP PRESERVE FREE SPEECH
AND PROTECT CIVIL LIBERTIES!!

********URGE OFFICIALS TO DO THEIR PATRIOTIC DUTY TO PROTECT THE CIVIL
RIGHTS OF CITIZENS!********* Governor Perdue has declared a "preemptive"
"State of Emergency" for 6 counties for 30 days in Georgia for the G-8
demonstrations. The Governor's office has said that this was done for
convenience of a law enforcement command structure to include military
personnel which violates the Posse Comatatus Act, designed to keep
military and civilian law enforcement separate. The Office of Homeland
Security already has a command structure in place to deal with threats
and emergencies that brings national, state and local law enforcement and
emergency response personnel under one command, and is capable of
gathering intelligence and preparing for any kind of emergency and/or
threat.

After the Miami Police Department, organized under the office of Homeland
Security for the FTAA demonstrations, abused their authority, engaged in
felony acts to suppress Free Speech, and used indiscriminate violence
against nonviolent demonstrators, G-8 demonstration organizers are
concerned that the powers granted under of a "State of Emergency" would
be used to suppress their Civil Liberties. The Miami Police Department
engaged in unconstitutional " preemptive" arrests, illegal searches, and
harassment and intimidation of activists. Under the conditions of a
"State of Emergency", law enforcement would be allowed to engage in these
kinds of activities "legally". The potential for abuse is too great, and
the conditions of an emergency do not yet exist, so this executive order
should be rescinded until such time as there is a real and tangible
emergency.

The Miami Police Department used the "terrorist threat" as an excuse for a
crackdown on free speech activities. John Ashcroft and Tom Ridge's
declaration of free speech demonstrations as terrorism targets raises
concern that all future large free speech demonstrations may be declared
terrorist targets and suppressed in this way, which constitutes a
governmental prior restraint on free speech activities. The Governor's
Executive order also threatens to set another disturbing precedent, and
must be challenged.

Activists and are demanding that Governor Perdue rescind the "State of
Emergency" executive order, and that local, state and federal officials
respect the First Amendment Cooperation Agreement to ensure the safety and
liberty of all participants of the G8 Summit and Demonstrations. They are
also calling for a Congressional Investigation into the civil rights
violations and police brutality at the FTAA demonstrations in Miami and
to send a Congressional Observer Team to Georgia for the G-8
demonstrations to monitor possible civil rights violations and potential
police brutality, and to help ensure accountability of law enforcement.

***See First Amendment Cooperation Agreement at bottom***
________________________________________________________________________

********3 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO URGE OFFICIALS TO DO THEIR PATRIOTIC DUTY
TO PROTECT THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF CITIZENS!*************

1) Call the Governor's office and demand that he rescind the state of
emergency executive order! Demand that he support the First Amendment
Cooperation Agreement!
Gov Perdue's office: 404-651-7714 fax: 404-656-5948
webform email http://www.gov.state.ga.us/contact_dom.shtml
(John Watson, Chief of Staff) 404-651-7714 JWatson [at] gov.state.ga.us


2) Ask The Governor, President Bush, The Dept. of Homeland Security and
Depart of Justice to agree to the First Amendment Cooperation Agreement
for the G-8 Demonstrations in Georgia.

A) President George W. Bush: president [at] whitehouse.gov 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414 FAX: 202-456-2461
B) John Ashcroft: 202-353-1555 AskDOJ@usdoj

C) U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division: Chief Albert N.
Moskowitz (202) 514-3204

D) DOJ Special Litigation Section (police misconduct issues)
(202) 514-6255 toll-free at (877) 218-5228 Fax Numbers (202) 514-0212
(202) 514-6273
Chief: Shanetta Brown Cutlar (202) 514-6255
Deputy Chiefs:
Tammie Gregg (202) 616-2009
Elizabeth Johnson (202) 514-6248
Mark Masling (202) 514-6255
Judy C. Preston (202) 514-6258
Special Counsels:
James Eichner (202) 514-9811
Sandhya Subramanian (202) 616-9017

E) Tom Ridge: OHC Advisory Council: Fax: 202-772-9718

3) Ask the following representatives for a congressional investigation
into the civil rights violations and police brutality at the FTAA
demonstrations in Miami and to send a Congressional Observer Team to
Georgia for the G-8 demonstrations in Georgia to monitor possible civil
rights violations and potential police brutality, and to help ensure
accountability of law enforcement.

A) Hon. James Sensenbrenner, Chairman, House Judiciary Committee: (202)
225-5101 sensenbrenner [at] mail.house.gov
B) Hon. John Conyers, Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee:
(202) 225-5126, (202) 225-0072 Fax John.Conyers [at] mail.house.gov
C) Zell Millermiller.senate.gov/email.htm 202-224-3643, Fax:
202-228-2090 D) Saxby Chambliss, Senator,(R)
saxby_chambliss [at] chambliss.senate.gov 202-224-3521, Fax: 202-224-0103
E) Jack Kingston, ,District 1, (R) (Represents the Brunswick area)
jack.kingston [at] mail.house.gov 202-225-5831, Fax: 202-226-2269
F) Max Burns, District 12 (Represents the Savannah Area)
http://burns.house.gov/html/contact_form_email.cfm 202-225-2823, Fax:
202-
225-3377
G) John Lewis, District 5
john.lewis [at] mail.house.gov 202-225-3801, Fax: 202-225-0351
_________________________________________________________________________________
First Amendment Cooperation Agreement
We are an alliance of local, state and national organizations and
activists who oppose the G8 Summit. We are committed to asserting our
democratic rights to free speech, to peaceful assembly, to dissent, and to
organize in opposition to the G8. We demand that the police and other
local, state and national law enforcement agencies in South Georgia
respect these rights in the following ways:

1) End harassment, intimidation, spying, and arrest of people involved in
organizing and free speech.

2. No raids, disruption, or intimidation of organizers, meetings,
trainings, residences or other designated activist spaces.

3) No pre-emptive arrests of political profiled individuals or profiling
based on race, class, gender, sexuality, age or appearance.

4) No bans or confiscation of free speech materials: signs, puppets,
artwork, banners, theater props, or materials that are not designed to
cause personal injury to people.

5) Respect 4th Amendment rights protecting us from illegal searches.

6) Refrain from initiating violence or using any potentially lethal wooden
bullets, metal shot sacks, rubber bullets or other projectiles,
tasers,concussion grenades, chemical weapons, tear gas, pepper spray,
sound or energy weapons, or explosive devices against protesters.

7) Respect and do not interfere with designated legal observers, medics,
and all members of the media.

8) Provide an official, accountable police liaison system with whom
concerns and violations with these agreements can be addressed including:
a) Direct line of communication with commanding officer(s)
b) Direct line of communication with the City/County Managers office. c)
Direct line of communication for jail concerns such as withholding of
medication and human rights abuses.

9) Respect and communicate with designated community liaisons.

10) Respect the rich American tradition of Protest, civil disobedience and
direct action and do not attempt to criminalize the organizing of such
activities.

11. No segregation of activists and activist events from the community,
nor hindering of community participation in such events.

indybay.org/government