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:
  1. Remove all barriers which inhibit the rights of protesters, rights protected and guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution!
  2. 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