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California State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Created: September 6, 2004
Latest Update: September 6, 2004
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu
Free? Media
"It's a little-known fact that defending civil liberties can also be a whale of
a lot of fun, requiring only beer, imagination and a mild disrespect for
authority to become a genuinely entertaining and even riotously funny pastime"
--Molly Ivins
From John Grady's signature, IVSA e-mail
John Grady
Hannah Goldberg Professor of Sociology
Wheaton College
User-Agent: Internet Messaging Program (IMP) 3.2.1
X-Originating-IP: 156.56.126.43
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2004 22:16:45 -0500
Reply-To: IVSA International Visual Sociology Association
Sender: IVSA International Visual Sociology Association
From: Jays Janney
Subject: Re: Fwd: Unconstitutional Incarceration!!
X-To: John Grady
To: IVSA@PDOMAIN.UWINDSOR.CA
Hi there. I'm a doctoral student at Indiana University and I was also arrested
on Tuesday August 31st in NYC while videotaping people peacefully walking on a
sidewalk in front of the World Trade Center. Like your student, I was
surrounded--with about a 200 other people-- by the orange netting and arrested
for "disorderly conduct" though I was simply walking on the sidewalk (and have
the video to prove it!). My IRB documentation didn't keep me from being
arrested and taken to Pier 57 and later the "tombs" (100 Centre) for
processing, but after reading the IRB documentation the police officer agreed
to put my camera and tapes in my "property" bag rather than in an "evidence"
bag. Those of us at the WTC were arrested shortly after 4 p.m. and included a
nun, a 17 year old girl scout, a Guggenheim fellow, tourists, someone on the
way home from the gym, and a Canadian who got her first sight of the Statue of
Liberty from our cage on Pier 57.
Best,
Jays
(Quoting John Grady :
> Hi All,
>
> this is a note that I just received from a former student of mine
> from the Salt Program. I'm sure she wouldn't mind my circulating it
> and wouldn't mind you doing the same.
>
> best,
>
> John
>
>
>
>
> >Date: Fri, 3 Sep 2004 10:21:23 -0400
> >Subject: Fwd: Unconstitutional Incarceration!!
> >Cc: robr@tomsofmaine.com
> >To: staff/faculty@mail2.wheatonma.edu
> >From: Sue Robinson
> >X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.63 (2004-01-11) on
> > www.me3technologyconsultants.com
> >X-Spam-DCC: :
> >X-Spam-Status: No, hits=-4.5 required=6.0 tests=AWL,BAYES_00,TO_MALFORMED
> > autolearn=no version=2.63
> >X-Spam-Level:
> >Status:
> >
> >
> >
> >Begin forwarded message:
> >
> >>From: betty bastidas
> >>Date: Thu Sep 2, 2004 11:18:22 PM US/Eastern
> >>To: sune woods , Supreme Supreme
> >>, salome weber ,
> >>Sara ROa , Sari Flores
> >>, sean mcgann , Seth
> >>Dyer , Shiv Puri , Shon
> >>Chapman , shona fang ,
> >>Sofiah Mackay , Steve Antonelli
> >>, Sue Robinson , Ram
> >>Parekh , Ramon Dosil
> >>, Rateb Raminq , Rebecca
> >>Robis , Rise Wilson ,
> >>Rita , ron Funderburk
> >>, Roy Raubeelack
> >>, Ryan Brown
> >>, Paul , Peter
> >>Brandenberg , Ogugua ,
> >>Nadia Cohen , Natasha Panza
> >>, Neil Menschel , Nia
> >>Lissamore , Lacy Austin
> >>, Lara Rosenoff , Laura
> >>PHOTO , Lauren Godfrey
> >>, LEANDRO Leandro
> >>, Lesley MacVane
> >>, Lili Venezolana ,
> >>Lillian Diaz , Lisset Melendez
> >>, Lucho , Luis
> >>Salazar
> >>Subject: Unconstitutional Incarceration!!
> >>Return-Path:
> >>Delivered-To: info@salt.edu
> >>Received: (qmail 14404 invoked by uid 89); 3 Sep 2004 03:14:19 -0000
> >>Received: from unknown (HELO web41314.mail.yahoo.com)
> >>(66.218.93.63) by www.me3technologyconsultants.com with SMTP; 3 Sep
> >>2004 03:14:19 -0000
> >>Received: from [63.13.151.163] by web41314.mail.yahoo.com via HTTP;
> >>Thu, 02 Sep 2004 20:18:22 PDT
> >>Message-Id: <20040903031822.91607.qmail@web41314.mail.yahoo.com>
> >>Mime-Version: 1.0
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> >>X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.63 (2004-01-11) on
> >>www.me3technologyconsultants.com
> >>X-Spam-Dcc: :
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> >>tests=BAYES_00,FAKE_HELO_YAHOO autolearn=ham version=2.63
> >>X-Spam-Level:
> >>
> >>I need to get this off my back by sharing what's
> >>happened to me during the last 2 horrendous days!!
> >>Iím asking for each of you to please take the time to
> >>read this as its good to know about the system you
> >>live in.
> >>
> >>I have just undergone one of the most inhumane,
> >>undignifying, and downright illegal experiences of my
> >>life during the past 2 days of being detained by the
> >>police. On Tuesday night, I was out photographing a
> >>street fair that was taking place on 16th street in
> >>response to the RNC- its part of a photo documentary
> >>on Union Square that I have been working on. The next
> >>thing you know, the police blocked off the street,
> >>both ways, and everyone, including innocent bystanders
> >>that were on the sidewalk not taking part of the
> >>march, were blocked off and cornered. I was one of
> >>them. After 2 hours of being on the ground and not
> >>being told why we were being detained, NYPD handcuffed
> >>us tightly and took us to an extra jail space they had
> >>arranged in response to the RNC. This space was an
> >>old warehouse garage (Pier 57) for buses and trucks
> >>hence the floor had toxic oil, and was so greasy and
> >>black (Iím not exaggerating!) I canít believe they
> >>actually expected people to sleep on this dirty ass
> >>toxic floor, but that is what we did. Nowhere to sit,
> >>just stand, we fell asleep awaiting to be informed of
> >>why we were being detained, and when we would have
> >>access to speak to a lawyer. This happened to 1800
> >>people, ìdetainedî from 24 hours to almost 3 days that
> >>night, taken from various locations. The cops were so
> >>disorganized, inconsiderate, and mad that they were
> >>working long hours and could give a shit about us. At
> >>5AM I finally I got a voucher for my property which
> >>they confiscated. My camera equipment (worth about
> >>$1800) was taken as ìevidence of arrestî and I wonít
> >>get it back until the date of appearance before the
> >>judge, which is a month from now. We were then
> >>escorted out the next morning at 11:30am, to only be
> >>taken to Central Booking downtown, again with
> >>handcuffs and dirty as hell from the oily floors we
> >>slept in. Central Booking is normally a male
> >>detention center and they placed us in a jail cell. An
> >>hour passed and they transported us to yet another
> >>cell to await to get fingerprinted- another 3 hour
> >>wait. Then another cell for another 2 hours before we
> >>got our pictures taken. And then more waiting, and
> >>then another cell until it was 1 am, I finally gave up
> >>on thinking I was going to be released. It was cold,
> >>and we slept on some plastic mats on the floor. NYPD
> >>came around with blankets at around 8am in the
> >>morning, and my name finally got called at 10:30am
> >>today only to be given a desk appearance ticket to
> >>appear before a judge on October 5. So for a summons,
> >>I waited more than 40 hours!! That has been my story
> >>for the past 2 days and I am VIVID. I feel this was
> >>downright illegal, degrading, and disgusting!!! and a
> >>tactic to keep people purposely off the street for
> >>stupid ass Bushís acceptance speech tonight Öand the
> >>cops ñ they were just tools for this fucked up system.
> >>
> >>
> >>Is it all worth it. I donít regret a thing although I
> >>feel like SHIT and emotionally distressed. This
> >>horrible experience has served to make me fight
> >>against all this dirty bureaucracy, and red tape
> >>system we have in place. To stand even stronger
> >>against BUSH and to fight for justice. I was
> >>basically detained since Tuesday at 7:30 ..fucking 40
> >>hours for NOTHING- practicing my constitutional rights
> >>and doing my job. This is the first time the city has
> >>detained this many people at one given day and the
> >>first time in my life, Iíve been arrested.
> >>
> >>Currently @700 people are being held, in spite of 3
> >>judge's orders to release people. The latest court
> >>order was to release 470 people immediately. The
> >>latest update I got is that the city in contempt of
> >>its ruling regarding the release of prisoners and will
> >>be charged $1000 per each of the 470 prisoners that
> >>should have been released by 5pm. Although I was not
> >>one of them, I feel bad for those that are still
> >>detained under these horrible conditions.
> >>
> >>Also, there was a dispute in court over the exact
> >>number of detainees who are currently "lost" within
> >>the system, meaning they are in limbo between being
> >>handcuffed and actually being charged. city has
> >>admitted there are 54 of these cases. Legal is saying
> >>there are up to 700.
> >>
> >>There is a supposed Class action suit against the
> >>city, which I am definitely being part of. The city
> >>has let me down and I want JUSTICE for my
> >>unconstitutional incarceration,
> >>
> >>If you made it this far, thankx for reading this guys.
> >> Your acknowledgment already makes me feel better
> >>about this.
> >>
> >>Both Theo and Hari, also photographers and friends of
> >>mine, were also detained with me but eventually after
> >>being moved around so much, everyone was split up and
> >>lost within the chaos.
> >>
> >>Iíll keep you posted and let you know what happens.
> >>You can get more info on
> >>http://nyc.indymedia.org/feature/display/114761
> >>The Indy media is good about covering news that tends
> >>to get overlooked by big media corporations.
> >>
> >>Your truly,
> >>Betty A. Bastidas
> >>
> >>=====
> >>___________________________
> >>BAB Photography
> >>www.babphotography.net
> >>
> >>
> >>bettyalexandra@yahoo.com
> >>30 Bradhurst Ave. Apt. 6A
> >>NY, NY 10030
> >>___________________________
> >>
> >>"Seamos realistas, demandemos lo imposible" -- Che Guevarra
> >
> >Content-Disposition: inline;
> > filename=1_fence.jpg
> >Content-Type: image/jpeg;
> > x-unix-mode=0666;
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> >
> >>
> >Sue Dion Robinson
> >Director of Enrollment & Student Affairs
> >The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
> >"telling stories in images, sound and the written word"
> >110 Exchange St.
> >Portland, ME 04112
> >info@salt.edu* www.salt.edu
> >(207)761-0660
>
>
> --
> John Grady
> Hannah Goldberg Professor of Sociology
> Wheaton College
> Norton, MA 02766 USA
>
> SECRETARY-TREASURER, International Visual Sociology Association
> MULTI-MEDIA EDITOR, Visual Studies (formerly Visual Sociology)
>
> phone: work: 508-286-3655
> home: 617-876-6155
> fax: 508-286-3640
--
"It's a little-known fact that defending civil liberties can also be a whale of
a lot of fun, requiring only beer, imagination and a mild disrespect for
authority to become a genuinely entertaining and even riotously funny pastime"
--Molly Ivins
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