Fun_People Archive
7 Dec
Another Side to the Battle of Seattle

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From: Peter Langston <psl>
Date: Tue,  7 Dec 99 19:55:24 -0800
To: Fun_People
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Subject: Another Side to the Battle of Seattle

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Forwarded-by: Bruce Kallick <curmudgeon@enteract.com>

[Peter --

There're two sides to most stories, right? This message from a member of
the Seattle Police Department was forwarded today by her friend's sister
to a mailing list I subscribe to.

   -- Bruce]

^^^^^^^^^ forwarded message begins ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I hope everyone remembers that the media does not show everything that
happens before the so called "police brutality" occurs.  At almost every
demonstration downtown, officers had bottles, rocks and words thrown at
them.

We were called everything from Nazi to Bitch to stupid.  The officers that
I had the honor to work with used restraint and acted on orders from
supervisors and command staff.

This is the United States and freedom of speech is one of the most important
rights that we have.  In what other country could what occurred in the last
week not result in serious injury or death?  I read in the newspaper today
that Brazil had a labor rally and one protester died and several others were
injured.

However, I believe in freedom of speech for everyone.  The protesters seemed
to believe that they were the only ones entitled to that right.  Delegates
and trade representatives were not given that same right.  What is ironic
is that several of the delegates I talked with were very pro-environment
and were there to discuss the rights of their workers.  African delegates
from small nations were especially disappointed because this was a forum
where they could actually talk with the big industrialized nations one on
one.

Additionally, business and property owners downtown have the right to
conduct business and not have their property destroyed.  The workers and
citizens of downtown Seattle should be able to walk around, drive their
vehicles and not be assaulted.

I was embarrassed that international delegates were getting assaulted going
from their hotel to convention center.  Are the protesters advocating
beating up people that don't agree with them???  (This was not the
anarchists!  On Tuesday, the delegates were being shoved and pushed by the
protesters outside of the Paramount, CC and the Sheridan.)

Seattle has consistently bent over backwards to support freedom of speech.
I was very disappointed in the way we were reciprocated.  Can you imagine
what would have happened in LA, Chicago or New York??

Do you know what the worst thing was?  On Tuesday and Wednesday night, my
shift at the convention center ended at 1830 (6:30 pm) and we were then
assigned downtown to enforce the curfew.  I HATED the protesters for forcing
us, out of necessity, to become a police state.  We had to march down the
streets asking American citizens "Where are you going? Do you have
identification proving you live down here?  There is a curfew you must
return home."  That is not RIGHT, but it was necessary, especially Tuesday
night.

One last thing, the claim that protesters did not have a say in WTO is
false.  Several environment groups, labor groups, and human rights groups
were represented in the conference.  In fact, in the convention center
today, there was a big meeting with Greenpeace and a human rights advocate
was passing out condoms saying anti-WTO slogans.

Oh, the above view is not an official view of the Seattle Police Department.
This is my own opinion and my freedom of speech!!
^^^^^^^^^ forwarded message ends ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

© 1999 Peter Langston