D.C. Chapter to Speak at D.C. City Council Hearing 12/17/03 Re: Police and Leftist Protesters

D.C. Chapter ^ | Tuesday, December 16, 2003 | Kristinn

[kristinn]

Two members of the D.C. Chapter of Free Republic, tgslTakoma and kristinn, are scheduled to give testimony before the Washington, D.C. City Council Committee on the Judiciary tomorrow, December 17, at 10 a.m.

The subject of the two-day hearing is described by the committee this way:

10 AM, CHAMBER, PUBLIC OVERSIGHT HEARING, COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, Kathy Patterson, Chairperson

Agenda item:

1. Current Policies and Practices of the Metropolitan Police Department Related to Demonstrations within the District. To investigate MPD’s policy and practice in handling protests based on allegations of preemptive actions in April 2000, wrongful arrests in September 2002, and recent alleged instances of excessive force against antiwar demonstrators.

As many of you know, the D.C. Chapter of Free Republic has a five-year record of peaceful, law-abiding but passionate protesting. Not one of our members has been arrested at our protests, nor have any of our members committed any acts of violence or property damage.

Our demonstrations have been free of any of the problems the left has had with the police because we conduct ourselves in a civil manner.

In fact, the police have had to intervene numerous times over the years to protect us from the left.

Our testimony will reflect our history and experience with both the police and the violence-prone left.

We are scheduled to speak 3rd and 4th after opening statements. However, due to the usual incompetence of the D.C. government, we learned just today that our allotted times have been drastically shortened from what we had been promised when we were booked for the hearing last summer.

As a representative of a group, I was allotted ten minutes to speak. tgslTakoma, speaking as an individual, was promised five minutes. We both are now limited to three minutes each.

Given that the D.C. Chapter has held well over two hundred demonstrations in the past five years, almost all of which involved interaction with law enforcement, we are well qualified to speak about the subject of the hearing and offer a unique point of view.

However, we were told that a last minute rush of requests to speak before the committee has forced them to slash our speaking time to barely long enough to introduce ourselves.

These hearings are right out of the rules for radicals: Put the police on trial.

The police are being tried for preventing violent, anti-American leftists from rioting and causing mayhem in our nation's capital. While we won't put our stamp of approval on everything the police has done, we will be reporting on how well we've been treated by them over the years.

The hearings will be broadcast on D.C. Cable channel 13. If anyone would like to attend the hearing at the Wilson Building and give moral support, please do.

[kristinn]

EAGLES UP!!!

[RaceBannon]

Outstanding!

[Doctor Raoul]

I have already contacted some people with a dog in this fight to be sure and log how much time each of the other participants get.

Will this be a Stalinist "Show Trial"? It will be obvious that it is if any other "group leader" gets more than 3 minutes.

[Texas_Jarhead]

best of luck to you both, I know you'll do us proud

[basil]

The City Council will be hearing from two very capable, very well informed speakers. Maybe, once they learn that your are more or less pro-police, they will allow you to keep talking past your time limit.

We will be waiting for you after report.

[chicagolady]

We defended the Chicago Police after the left and some Chicago Alderman had renagade hearings trying to trash the Chicago Police. Those of us at the rally wrote letters to the news papers and the police dept.

What does a Law Abiding Citizen and a Communist/Anarchist in Chicago
have in common?
When we have demonstrations and Rallys in Chicago we all come in
contact with the Chicago Police.

I was an organizer for the "Rally for America" Federal Plaza March 22nd 2003.

The Chicago Police officers did a stellar job and were courteous,
pleasant and did over and above what we could have asked for.
I take offense that these same Police officers downtown could be
decribed as such a Dr.Jeckal and Mr. Hyde!

If Chicagoans want a clear picture of the type of folks the Police were
dealing with at the anti-war protest, then please check out the website
that organized the demonstrations.
A.N.S.W.E.R. they are a group of anarchists and communist that aim to
disrupt and destroy anything that gets in there way.

The Rally for America was sponsored by www.freerepublic.com I myself
and others who attended the Rally for America will be encouraged to call
The Chicago Police Dept. Office of Professional Standards and Internal
affairs and let them know what a great job the Chicago Police did for
us at The Rally for America.

I also urge others to call the offices of Chicago Alderman Ricardo
Munoz (22) Helen Shiller (46) and Joseph Moore (49) and let them know how
pleased you are that they would defend a bunch of anarchists as opposed
to the fine folks at The Chicago Police Dept. who put their lives on
the line for us every day.

Organizer Rally For America
Federal Plaza, March 22nd 2003
Rosanna Pulido, Chicago Il

[dagnabbit]

Do you know which Council members will be there?

[rface]

three minutes each .....

well, then ..... get to the point.

Gods blessings to you all.

[kristinn]

No, I don't. I suppose Ms. Patterson will be there to chair the hearing.

[solzhenitsyn]

Proud of you guys. Thank you for standing up for the police!

[tgslTakoma]

Committee on the Judiciary
Kathy Patterson, Chairperson
Sharon Ambrose
Harold Brazil
Kevin P.Chavous
Jack Evans

I would hope that all of the Judiciary Committee will be present.

But I was told to have 15 copies of everything that I wanted to submit as written testimony (apparently for the entire DC Council), so now I'm wearing out my printer... printing lots of photos. I think I will let them (the photos) tell most of the story.

Gotta get back to work...

[dagnabbit]

David Cantania and Carol Schwartz seem the most sensible on some issues. Good luck with that crowd.

[hellinahandcart]

I know both of you can make those three minutes count. Best of luck tomorrow.

[Fred Mertz]

Good luck with your three minute presentation. You might want to use pictures since it's the DC council.

[armymarinemom]

I bet you will get right to the point. Now when are we going to have a hearing about ANSWER's goons?

[hellinahandcart]

I'm sure that "set a timer for three minutes while you practice your speeches" is unnecessary advice, right? :D

[sweetliberty]

Best of luck tomorrow Kristinn.

[Angelwood]

The photos you and other DC Chapter members took of the many counterprotests we've participated in over the years will speak for themselves.

Good luck, break a leg, FReep On! Watch your back -- Becker and the leaders of the Green Hats will be on hand, I'm sure!

[Chad Fairbanks]

Good luck!

[Flora McDonald]

The two of you will do an outstanding job. Keep us posted.