For almost 2 years, the Miami Police Department has desperately been trying to ensure that the 2003 FTAA police operations plan remains a secret, even from the city's own Civilian Investigative Panel which is charged with investigating the large scale police brutality that took place on November 20-21, 2003. MPD has finally revealed it's reasoning for the secrecy: releasing the plan could "jeopardize future operations nationwide" because "authorities THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY have adopted the plan". This is a stunning, yet frightening admission, as it confirms the deep suspicions of political activists who have personally witnessed the same repressive tactics travel from city to city, protest to protest. This also lends further support to the ominous statements made earlier by Miami Police Chief John Timoney, that the FTAA was "the first big event for Homeland Security...the first real realistic run-through to see how it would work."

WASHINGTON -- May 20 -- The National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Committee, with lawyers from Southern Legal Counsel and the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Florida, filed a lawsuit on May 19, 2005 in the Southern District Federal Court in Florida, seeking to bar law enforcement from enforcing a sweeping security perimeter around the site of the Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly in early June in Fort Lauderdale, as well as challenging a series of antiquated laws regulating the use of public property for expressive activities.

At least 24 Central Florida students have been zapped by Tasers in the past 18 months as police officers working at public schools turned the controversial stun guns on children as young as 12.

The Miami-Dade Independent Review Panel has released its final report on the actions of the Miami-Dade Police during the FTAA meetings in Miami last November.

Ashcroft, Ridge, Miami prosecutors and the other law enforcement representatives are asking a judge to throw out the Miami Activist Defense/National Lawyer's Guild's Civil Suit (the "Killmon Complaint") concerning the police violence at the Miami FTAA Ministerial.

[ Miami Activist Defense | Killmon Complaint | Background ]

Hundreds of abused and injured FTAA protesters were partially vindicated this week as the Miami-Dade Independent Review Panel released drafts of its scathing report on police misconduct at the FTAA. According to the report, Miami lived under “martial law,” civil rights “were trampled,” and protesters were met with "unrestrained and disproportionate use of force."

In a move unprecedented in U.S. history, John Ashcroft's Justice Department has indicted an entire organization – Greenpeace! -- for the peaceful protest activities of its members.

Join outraged members of the community, people of faith, representatives of civil liberties, global justice and labor organizations in demanding that State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle drop the charges against the remaining 50 people facing illegitimate charges stemming from the Miami demonstrations against the Free Trade Areas of the Americas (FTAA) in November 2003.

Send a FREE fax to State Attorney:  http://www.citizen.org/fax/background.cfm?ID=325&source=54

Community, Labor, Civil Liberties Groups Call on State Attorney Rundle to
Drop Remaining Bogus Charges

WHAT: Press Conference, letter signing, followed by rally in support of those on trial.
WHEN: Tuesday May 4, 12 Noon
WHERE: Miami Dade Courthouse, 1351 12th Ave. (at NW 12th St.), Miami

DROP THE CHARGES!
FREE SPEECH, NOT FREE TRADE
Rally & Press Conference
Tuesday May 4, 12noon-1pm

Miami Dade Courthouse
1351 12th Ave at NW 12th St, Miami

A press conference and public signing of a “Drop the Charges” letter to the State Attorney will be followed by street theater, music, spoken word and a speak-out.