URGENT: Your Help Needed to Protect Free Speech in San Diego! Please forward widely!

please contact us immediately at 619-985-9639 or 619-269-4693 or email us at info [at] radioActiveradio.org. We are asking you to take action to protect free speech and freedom of the press in San Diego.

Carly' Delso-Saavedra was at the protest as a journalist and photographer for the San Diego Independent Media Center. While taking photographs of police interacting with demonstrators, she was put in a chokehold, falsely accused of assaulting an officer and arrested on the charge of obstruction of justice. Carly was jailed overnight with a bail of $5,000, which members of the San Diego chapter of the National Lawyer's Guild have said is unusually high and might be part of a pattern of intimidation involving arresting a few protesters at random on charges with high bail and imprisoning them. Joni Craig, Executive Director of the San Diego Foundation for Change said about Carly: "I have known the young woman who was arrested for nearly two years. She has been a volunteer for our foundation and is involved in several of our grantee organizations..She is an extremely intelligent, honest, caring, and trustworthy individual. She is adamantly opposed to violence, has worked tirelessly for peace and justice, and is known for being quiet, somewhat shy, and even passive in her interactions with others.”

Janice Jordan, a local activist and member of the San Diego Peace and Freedom Party, was arrested on the charge of obstruction of justice for simply asking a member of SDPD a question.

Arresting journalists and demonstrators on false charges not only directly violates their free speech rights and threatens the freedom of the press, but also can act indirectly to discourage the citizens of San Diego from exercising their constitutionally protected right to express their dissent.

Free speech can only be protected by vigorously exercising it. Therefore, we ask you to contact the Mayor, Members of the City Council and the City District Attorney to ask them to take action to protect free speech and freedom of the press in San Diego by dropping the fabricated charges against Carly and Janice and to make certain that SDPD respects the First Amendment rights of San Diego citizens in the future. You will find a sample letter at the end of this e-mail, followed by contact information for local officials.

In solidarity, J20 San Diego Legal Support Team

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CONTACT INFORMATION: INSERT CONTACT INFO HERE

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear XXXX:

I am writing to request that you take immediate action to protect free speech and freedom of the press in San Diego.

On January 20 during the counter-inaugural demonstrations downtown, journalist Carly Delso-Saavedra and Janice Jordan were both arrested on charges that, according to witnesses, were fabricated.

Carly' Delso-Saavedra was at the protest as a journalist and photographer for the San Diego Independent Media Center. While taking photographs of police interacting with demonstrators, she was put in a chokehold, falsely accused of assaulting an officer and arrested and imprisoned on the charge of obstruction of justice. Community members and co-workers have contrasted the charges with Carly’s stature and reputation in the community: “She has been a volunteer for our foundation and is involved in several of our grantee organizations... She is adamantly opposed to violence... and is known for being quiet, somewhat shy, and even passive in her interactions with others.”

Janice Jordan, a local activist and member of the Ground Zero Players and the San Diego Peace and Freedom Party, was arrested on the charge of obstruction of justice for simply being a part of the demonstration.

I am concerned that the arrest of journalists and demonstrators on fabricated charges with extremely high bail not only directly violates free speech and freedom of the press, but also creates a climate in which the citizens of San Diego will be afraid to fully exercise their constitutionally protected right to dissent.

I believe that freedom of speech for all citizens and freedom of the press are essential for a functioning democracy within the city of San Diego. I ask you to stand with me to protect the First Amendment rights of San Diegans by (1) advocating dismissal of charges against Carly Delso-Saavedra and Janice Jordan (2) working to make certain that SDPD respects the First Amendment rights of San Diego citizens in the future.

Thank you in advance for acting to protect democracy in San Diego.

Sincerely, YYYYYY -----------------

Please send this letter, or write your own, to:

District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis: 619-531-4040; FAX: 619-237-1351; publicinformation [at] sdcda.org

Mayor Dick Murphy: 619-236-6330; fax 619-236-7228; DickMurphy [at] sandiego.gov

Councilmember Scott Peters: 619-236-6611 (from North County 858-484-3808); fax 619-236-6999; ScottPeters [at] sandiego.gov

Councilmember Michael Zucchet: 619-236-6622; fax 619-236-6996; mzucchet [at] sandiego.gov

Councilmember Toni Atkins: 619-236-6633; fax 619-595-1481; toniatkins [at] sandiego.gov

Councilmember Brian Maienschein: 619-236-6655 (from North County 858-673-5304); fax 619-238-0915; bmaienschein [at] sandiego.gov

Councilmember Donna Frye: 619-236-6616; fax 619-236-7329; donnafrye [at] sandiego.gov

Councilmember Jim Madaffer: 619-236-6677; fax 619-238-1360; jmadaffer [at] sandiego.gov

Councilmember Ralph Inzunza: 619-236-6688; fax 619-231-7918; rinzunza [at] sandiego.gov

The San Diego Union-Tribune., PO Box 120191, San Diego, CA, 92112-0191, or fax (619) 260-5081, or e-mail: letters [at] uniontrib.com

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