Letter to St. Pete mayor Baker from an
activist in Healdsburg, CA
Dear
Mayor:
I heard that your police department has arrested some peace
protestors.
We have been protesting the
Iraq war weekly in our town, Healdsburg California since Sept 2002.
There have been no problems
and we have strong support from the towns people and our local police.
Protesters
deserve the respect and protection of law enforcement as they exercise
their constitutional right to gather and protest the government
publicly. These are people who pay attention and care about what is
going on in the world, they care about more than just themselves and
they have a right to be heard and represented.
Please do all you can to
protect them, whether you agree with them or not. No one should
fear intimidation from fellow citizens or the police when they speak
out. This is America, not a fascist state.
Our police always drive by to
make sure all is well. They also ticket anyone who drives by recklessly
or in an intimidating manner. That is how we do it in Healdsburg,
and proud of it.
Thank you,
LR
Healdsburg, CA
The Truth Project, Inc. endorses your
actions at BayWalk and encourages you to continue standing up for peace
and First Amendment Rights.
The Truth Project, Inc., is a Florida Not-for-profit grassroots
organization that promotes peace and social justice through counter
military recruiting on the streets and in the public high schools of
Palm Beach County. We also train activists in demilitarizing public
high schools throughout the state. Please visit our web site (www.truthproject.info) or
email us truth_project@yahoo.com
to
let us know how we can support your efforts to resist police and
government denial of rights and create a more peaceful community and
world.
Peace and solidarity,
Rich
For The Truth Project, Inc.
From Archbishop John Missing to Police
Chief Harmon
Having seen
and read news accounts of the Police actions at the demonstrations
outside Baywalk Saturday nights and having attended one of the
demonstrations myself, it is clear that selective enforcement of laws
is being used to intimidate demonstrators and deny them their
Constitutionally guaranteed rights.
While you used a noise ordinance to harass the demonstrators, why did
you not cite the bar upstairs in Baywalk since they also exceeded the
noise limits of the ordinance? I clearly heard them the previous week,
why don't your officers hear the same thing?
Perhaps they need a refresher in the content of the Bill of
Rights?
Perhaps you do too?
In case that is the need, I have included it as an attachment to this
email. Please have it printed and distributed to your officers
before they harass us at next week's protests.
--
Blessings,
Archbishop John Missing
From Protest
Warrior, Tampa Chapter
while its a given that in most cases, and on most subjects, we will
never
see eye-to-eye, there is one in which we will ALWAYS agree -that is the
first amendment guarantee of freedom of speech. This is something
that,
regardless of party, is beneficial to all.
We (my brother and I from Protest Warrior, tampa chapter) thoroughly
enjoyed
standing with StPeteForPeace last night. We look forward to
getting out
there again soon.
American
Voices in Spain for Peace & Justice stands in solidarity with St.
Pete for Peace
As American citizens
living
overseas we are very concerned with the attitude the St. Petersburg
mayor, city council and police have taken towards peaceful
protest. We
feel the right to protest, petition and criticize our government is not
only patriotic, but also one of the most basic principles of a free
democratic society.
For this reason
we insist that the city of St. Petersburg, in order to protect and
guarantee the rights of our constitution created by our great founding
fathers:
- Remove
all barriers which inhibit the rights of protesters, rights protected
and guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution!
- Immediately stop all plans in which public land
would be sold to
Baywalk and the Sembler Corp. which we see as another tactic to silence
free speech!
THE WHOLE WORLD IS
WATCHING!
Statement of Support for St. Pete for
Peace
from
Orlando
Food Not Bombs and Orlando Direct Action
St.
Pete Food Not Bombs stands in solidarity with St. Pete for Peace