The only thing more disgusting that what happened to this American is the fact that many so-called "conservatives" will applaud his abuse by "the system"
Great story! Glad he is enjoying his trip to NYC!
Karma.
Yep... cops saw the fire and promptly walked 14 blocks away to start arresting folks for it.
I don't believe a word of this "news" story.
Doesn't matter if the student is a dem or not. This goes for both sides. He endangered others around him playing with fire. I think he got what he deserves.
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here. What a crock of sh*t! They are nothing less than committed communists. Friggin' NYT!
I hope Mrs. Banno sued the pants off the cop and gets lots of dough from this.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
At any rate, here's a link to the Support Yusuke (Josh) Banno website, for those that will undoubtedly want to send money.
Well, perhaps if leftists didn't flood the court system with frivolous lawsuits and delay the process of law with endless, pointless appeals trials would progress faster.
OTOH, if leftist protestors didn't spend their time thinking up new ways to break the law this miscreant, presuming he really did not break the law, wouldn't have been arrested in the first place.
I remember after the WTO riots; all that destruction, and plenty of violence directed at the police, and no one got more then a slap on the wrist.
When a whole bunch of people gather to break the law, things necessarily get messy. Underfunded, underequipped, understaffed LEOs will make mistakes. It is likely that some of the LEOs will not be as virtuous as others. These will take advantage of the confusion, precipitated by those who come with the intent of causing civil disruption and of violating the right of others peaceably to assemble, to sow confusion and commit injustice.
To conclude from this that the US is becoming a police state is unreasonable, and the conclusion is not born out by facts readily observable by spending a few days in your local general district court. To suggest (by typing "Sieg Heil") that those who disagree with you are Nazis is a trick over-used by the left. To question the intelligence of those who do not see things your way is jejune. I have to if Mulder means to persuade or gets his or her jollies from giving offense.
If you are in a protest and you see illegal activity, either put a stop to it, or walk away. If you hang around don't complain when you get caught up in the arrests.
Ex-student arrested at RNC
By Mitra Taj
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Wednesday, September 1, 2004
Print this
Charges 'most serious' yet levied against any convention protester
A former UA student is being held on $200,000 bail in New York City following a fight that erupted Sunday between police and protesters near the site of the Republican National Convention.
Yusuke Banno, 21, is charged with assault in the first degree, assault on a police officer, reckless endangerment, riot in the first degree, resisting arrest, and hindering riot resistance and obstruction.
Banno completed the spring 2004 semester at the UA as a political science junior before transferring to Prescott Community College. Banno was also a member of the Daily Wildcat staff during his freshman and sophomore years.
An estimated 250,000 protesters were in the streets of New York on Sunday, the day before the RNC started.
Of all the charges leveled against the approximately 500 RNC protesters arrested, those against Banno are "the most serious," said Barbara Thompson, spokeswoman for the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
Though Banno isn't charged with arson, Thompson said Banno and others set fire to a giant papier-mâché dragon she said they were marching with on Sunday. When police officers threw smoke grenades and tried to arrest the arsonists, she said the group blocked police officers.
Thompson said Banno fought with the police officer who attempted to arrest him and the officer's hand got caught in the burning float, resulting in third-degree burns and possible nerve damage.
snip
Wellins, who was in New York on Sunday said Banno was arrested three to five times before, but always for minor offenses like failure to obey or disturbance of the peace.
In March 2003, Banno and two other students were arrested at the UA when they locked themselves to the railing of the Administration building to protest the news of a $1,000 tuition hike.
Charges against the three were later dropped.
Wellins said he and Banno were arrested for stepping off the sidewalk at an anti-capitalist march at Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C., in 2002.
Wellins said the RNC protest was "insane."
"I'd never been in a crowd so big in my life," he said.
The dragon, Wellins said, was a good idea in theory. He said it was painted with words like "Iraq," "Afghanistan" and "women's reproductive rights," before going up in flames.
snip
Wellins said he went to protest Republicans' "neoconservative plans and the elitist ideologies behind them and the lack of accountability and degradation of democratic principles of public officials."
snip
Banno's friends said they've started a Josh Banno Defense Fund to help him pay for legal counsel and bail.
More...
http://wildcat.arizona.edu/papers/98/8/01_1.html
"There were nearly a million people on the streets on Sunday. It could be any one of us in his place," said fellow marcher Abigail Singer.
To make donations for Banno's defense, go to www.foodnotbombs.net.
Law Office of Shroff
350 Broadway, Ste. 700
New York, NY 10013
Barbara Thompson, spokeswoman for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, said, "There is an extremely strong case against him. He was arrested next to the fire, and the officer who tried to arrest Banno was pulled to the floor and the officer's hand was lodged in the burning dragon."
Reports stated that the officer suffered third-degree burns, and was hospitalized with "possible nerve damage."
But Banno supporters have been vocal since his Aug. 30 arraignment, where many were escorted out of the courtroom by police officers while shouting obscenities in response to allegations that Banno was the primary mastermind of the dragon burning.
A flier put together by the Banno Defense Committee says, "Josh was participating in a permitted, peaceful, nonviolent, legal march in New York on Aug 29 when the police arrested him ... Josh was made out to be the ringleader of the incident, receiving the most serious charges and the highest bail. The prosecutor based this claim on false evidence."
snip
"He is not at all a violent person who would put anyone at risk," said Alex Holznienkemper, international studies senior and long time friend of Banno. Holznienkemper said that Banno is devoted to helping the community, having taken part with Alternative Spring Breaks in helping impoverished Mexican communities improve their infrastructure, and with assisting prisoner support groups such as the Sherman Austin support group in Tucson.
"Josh has often been known to help homeless people by going around town and handing food to people who are less fortunate than most of us," he said.
Yusuke "Josh" Banno lies on a hammock outside a friend's home here with a "Free the Banno" sign that friends made for him.
After spending six days in jail, Banno said he feels sick from eating canned vegetables and other jail food, but he met others who understood the plight of the protesters.
snip
After Banno, who wore a black mask to conceal his face, was arrested, matches and an oven mitt were taken from him, the complaint said.
He didn't wear a black mask but a blue bandanna around his neck, and the matches were for his cigarettes, Banno said yesterday. The oven mitt was in case tear gas was thrown at him, he said.
Banno is now studying sustainable community development and settling in Tucson again after traveling over the summer.
He worked at a community center in the Bronx before the protest and said this was his first visit to New York.
Banno said that after he was arrested, he was taken to Pier 57, a detention center for most of the 1,200 protesters arrested that day. "We called it 'Guantanamo North,'" Banno said.
Banno was held there for nine hours in what he described as a crate with orange metal bars reaching 30 feet high and topped with coiled razor wire.
"The media's been trying to pin anarchists with a bad rep," Banno said. "Anarchy isn't about chaos, destruction or malice. It's about helping the community in the face of an ineffectual two-party government."
snip
"The protest wasn't about Democrats versus Republicans. They're both supporting the war, they push the same economics, they're both ... thriving off the backs of the hungry and the homeless," Banno said.
A bail bondsman was on hand in the court room to bail Josh out immediately after the hearing. Josh was heard saying "Sabrina (his lawyer) kicks ass!" after being escorted out the back of the courtroom.
Going to the G8 from Arizona
Saturday, June 22, 2002 until Sunday, June 30, 2002
Deadline: Saturday, June 1, 2002.
Contacts or Sponsors:
Josh Banno
Phone: (520) 850-5590
E-mail: fuckthepolice (at} fuckmicrosoft (dot) com
Accessibility
Age Restriction: 18+.
Cost: Your share of the gas from Arizona to Canada and back.
Languages: Some Spanish, Some Japanese.
