Journal of Irreproducible Results ([info]theinated) wrote,
2008-11-06 21:56:00
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HELP. FRIENDS AT PROP 8 PROTEST ARRESTED

This is bad, this is really fucking bad.

My friends Mark and Richard, ALC Riders on my team, committed partners, and excellent friends of mine have been arrested while participating in a protest against PROP 8 outside the Mormon church in West LA. They were demonstrating against a proposition that made them second class citizens. They were exercising their right to free speech and were FUCKING ARRESTED AND BEATEN FOR THEIR TROUBLE. LA Times coverage, midnightridazz.com discussion.

These are photos of my friends being beaten down by cops for demanding equality. To add insult to injury they were also harassed in some unspecified way by some guy in a truck.





It sickened me to watch this video. THESE ARE MY FRIENDS, GETTING BEATEN DOWN BY THUGS ACTING (presumably) IN THE INTERESTS OF A CHURCH.



I am stuck in New Orleans until tomorrow. I am cancelling my subsequent travel plans following that and getting back to LA as soon as possible to do whatever I can to help my friends. And going to this protest.

THIS SITUATION IS BULLSHIT AND WILL NOT STAND.

Please help me spread the word about this. I am pissed and if you respect anything about equality and free speech, you should be too. Help me spread the word. Please link to this. Please post this everywhere. This is not a drill.

-ben

UPDATE: Various ALC riders are also helping shed light on this and are going to talk to the ACLU (of which I am a member, why didn't I think of that?) - anyway - since this is a civil rights issue and a free speech issue, hopefully they can help too, but I still would appreciate it if YOU, dear reader, would help me get the word out as to what is going on here in Los Angeles. Well-monied religious interests just paid well to scare the majority of the state into taking away rights. TAKING AWAY RIGHTS. IN AMERICA. Don't be quiet and let it just happen.

UPDATE 2: they're both out on (ridiculous amounts of) bail. Not sure what happens from this point.

UPDATE 3 FRIDAY MORNING: They were initially arrested for "unruly behavior" but it "magically changed to battery on an officer". Yeah. That looks real likely to me from the video. Jeez.

UPDATE 4 FRIDAY NIGHT: Richard and Mark have written about their experiences. Firsthand account is better than anything I've written here. Mark's writeup here and Richard's writeup here.

BIG ASS ANTI PROP 8 PROTEST ON SATURDAY: via facebook sunset junction 6pm to 9pm. bikes meet at bicycle district (heliotrope and melrose) 5pm for 5.30 rollout.
Tags: civil rights, prop 8, protest, thuggery

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[info]maggiedacatt

November 7 2008, 06:42:41 UTC 3 years ago

How can we help for realz, by doing more than just linking??

[info]theinated

November 7 2008, 06:56:51 UTC 3 years ago

I don't know. I need information. I don't know enough about the legal system here to act with effectiveness on behalf of my friends, and besides which I am stuck out of town until Friday night. Anything you or anyone else could post here would be useful.

All we know is they are in Pacific Station Jail with bail set at 20K for, get this, "blocking traffic"? Unfortunately this is all secondhand information. Argh.

[info]maggiedacatt

3 years ago

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[info]deedeebythebay

3 years ago

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[info]theinated

3 years ago

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[info]cluegirl

3 years ago

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[info]nisaa

November 7 2008, 06:44:17 UTC 3 years ago

Holy shit, Ben. I'm so sorry.

[info]jujulilianan

November 7 2008, 07:30:05 UTC 3 years ago

that's fucked!

[info]solarbird

November 7 2008, 07:36:07 UTC 3 years ago

Linked.

[info]mocuirdhgalla

November 7 2008, 08:57:36 UTC 3 years ago

You don't know me, but I'm linking. I have friends out that way. I don't know if they can or will do anything but who knows. If nothing else we have candle lit.

[info]sherrila

November 7 2008, 09:06:51 UTC 3 years ago

Whoa. That is seriously fucked.

[info]calialleykat

November 7 2008, 09:41:36 UTC 3 years ago

thats f-ed up

linked.

[info]haverstock

November 7 2008, 16:30:18 UTC 3 years ago

Linked.

[info]beetlefuck

November 7 2008, 17:08:27 UTC 3 years ago

Holy Crap...this is seriously bad news.

Um, I believe contacting the ACLU is a good first step. Where's Al Sharpton when we need him?

[info]zerorevenge

November 8 2008, 04:49:22 UTC 3 years ago

Where's Al Sharpton when we need him?

LOL.

Hate-mongering as usual in New York somewhere.

[info]rikus_revenge

3 years ago

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[info]nicocoer

November 7 2008, 18:20:35 UTC 3 years ago

you have a video, so edit it and post it on news sites that have user reports- like CNN's iReport. if it airs, at least the first airing wll be less censored. also try current tv.

posted around.

[info]nicocoer

November 7 2008, 18:24:01 UTC 3 years ago

also, search for any other accounts- liiks like people on the ground taped some on cellphones between 3:00 and 3:30

[info]bluinkalchemist

November 7 2008, 18:31:05 UTC 3 years ago

You don't know me, but I'm posting this.

To paraphrase Leonidas/Gerard Butler: "This. Is. BULLSHIT!"

[info]tsukinofaerii

November 7 2008, 18:54:25 UTC 3 years ago

Linked. (hugs)

[info]ame_chan

November 7 2008, 19:59:03 UTC 3 years ago

It's completely fucked. I have other thoughts but I'll work them out elsewhere. I'm sorry your friends got hurt, arrested and are potentially going to be dealing with long term legal and financial ramifications for going to a rally.

[info]vinagrette

November 7 2008, 20:17:02 UTC 3 years ago

I don't know you, but I am spreading this around to all my friends. I'm in NorCal and can't get down there but sending it to people I know in/around the LA area.

[info]rosabelle

November 7 2008, 20:23:12 UTC 3 years ago

You don't know me, but I'm posting this. I'm so sorry about your friends.

[info]tastyrockstar

November 7 2008, 20:50:59 UTC 3 years ago

Shameful. Just shameful. Im so so ashamed of Californians who actually voted yes on Prop 8.

[info]nerdlover

November 7 2008, 20:57:54 UTC 3 years ago

You dont know me either... but fucking fuck this shit. I hope your friends will be ok and Im going to link this hopefully some of my friends in your area will see it.

[info]ashbet

November 7 2008, 20:58:35 UTC 3 years ago

Linked.

I'm so sorry -- my best wishes are going out to your friends.

-- A :(

[info]rae_lindorie

November 7 2008, 21:31:43 UTC 3 years ago

Holy shit..... I think I know a guy who was near there! I am going to post this to my lj and see what he has to say.

He might have a first hand account of some of what happened. I swear he said something in his journal about seeing some guys dealing with a jackass in a truck.

[info]y2kdragon

November 7 2008, 22:07:00 UTC 3 years ago

I'm going to link this too. People need to know.

[info]troubleinchina

November 7 2008, 22:07:56 UTC 3 years ago

Are you collecting donations to help with offsetting the cost of ridiculous bail? I have a credit card and I'm not afraid to use it.

[info]theinated

November 7 2008, 23:32:25 UTC 3 years ago

yeah they guys are. check the UPDATE 4 link i added above for their firsthand accounts of what happened, which they just added today. they also are gratefully accepting donations.

[info]calalillith

November 7 2008, 22:13:53 UTC 3 years ago

You don't know me, but I'm posting this.

Jesus. I feel so sick.. I feel like I did when I saw the second tower fall: this means war. And it shouldn't. It really, really shouldn't.

[info]glorious

November 7 2008, 22:19:00 UTC 3 years ago

I'm a stranger who posted the link. Hopefully more light will help.

This is utterly sickening. I would at least liked to have thought that the men charged with 'protecting the peace' would be above this, sadly that doesn't seem to be the case.

[info]lymle

November 7 2008, 22:20:10 UTC 3 years ago

I...am posting this. Yes. I am so, so, so sorry for this. I'm ashamed of L.A. as a fellow Californian.
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