Postcards from Seattle
Questions to ponder
Who decided on the terror strategy?
Where did all the money come from for the equipment and training to carry it out?
Who conducted the training?
"We didn't expect any trouble. We just had a few
hundred of these $2,000 body armor
suits lying around back at the precinct."
Note the pouch on lower right. They were filled with concussion
grenades which were used liberally.
The officer in this picture is carrying some kind of rifle. Trained on
the backs of handcuffed arrestees. Take a good, long
look at the "violent" offenders they've nabbed. This picture says it all.
Rubber bullets...this time.
Photo credit: Paul Joseph Brown/P-I. Published by : http://www.seattlep-i.com
"(Police say) there were no major injuries to demonstrators."
- New York Times. December 1, 1999
December 6, 1999
Bitter truths
http://www.brasscheck.com/seattle
"Some of the damage I saw: these plastic bullets took off
part of one person's jaw, smashed teeth in other people's
mouths... People have been treated for concussion injuries.
There have been people who have been treated for plastic
bullet wounds. Lots of tear gas injuries, lots of damage to
cornea, lots of damage to the eyes and skin. They were using
a pepper spray, a tear gas and they were also using some sort
of nerve gas. We had reports of many demonstrators winding up
with seizures the next day."
Dr. Richard DeAndrea
What happened in Seattle was an atrocity pure and simple and
one of the most serious attacks on civil liberties in decades.
This should be read by everyone breathing...
(posted on www.emperors-clothes.com at 1 am 12-4-99)
My name is Richard DeAndrea. I'm a medical doctor. What I saw up
here was martial law. This turned into a police state. Everything you
have seen on television regarding local news broadcasts including
national public radio was a blackout. The police were using concussion
grenades. They were shooting tear gas canisters directly at protesters'
faces. They were using so-called rubber bullets. These are actually
hard plastic. Some of the damage I saw: these plastic bullets took off
part of one person's jaw, smashed teeth in other people's mouths. I saw
the police arrest people who had their hands up in the air screaming
we are peacefully protesting. The amount of looting that took place was
so minimal I don't even know where they got the footage from. I am
saying this beyond a shadow of a doubt. This is a definite sign that
America is heading towards a police state unless people start standing
up for their rights as individuals. I am actually shocked and ashamed. I
am ashamed of the police force, I am ashamed of the mayor I am
ashamed of Bill Clinton. I am ashamed of the whole thing.
Jared: These rubber bullets - what are they?
Dr. DeAndrea: They are made of polyester type material. They are
like a hard plastic toy. The idea is to hit your body, do damage, not
actually penetrate. But I did see penetration wounds, I did see people
bleeding. I did see teeth loss, I did see broken bones. There were
children present, there were families present, they were firing upon
families, mothers, grandmothers. They were just firing at them. They
came out in full police force. They brought out swat teams, they had
the national guard up here, there was CIA surrounding the delegates'
buildings. It was very obvious that there was an institutional control
that had no regard of human rights whatever.
In addition we have video footage of protesters being taken away as
well as human rights being violated. Prisoners were taken and they
were tortured. There is a case, I believe his name is Holm, Keith Holm.
He was tortured because he would not give his name. They
handcuffed, laid him on the floor, they smashed his face against the
concrete, they grabbed his hair, they ripped out a lock of hair. and
then placed pencils between his fingers and pressed on them until he
would give his name. He refused. They were also banging his head
against metal objects. He was actually the first protester released
because the Internal Affairs came in to do an investigation and they
wanted him gone because he would be able to give testimony.
We're treating people in a studio loft downtown. I just treated an ear
wound. People have been treated for concussion injuries. There have
been people who have been treated for plastic bullet wounds. Lots of
tear gas injuries, lots of damage to cornea, lots of damage to the eyes
and skins. They were using a pepper spray, a tear gas and they were
also using some sort of nerve gas. We had reports of many
demonstrators winding up with seizures the next day. It causes muscles
to clamp up, muscle contraction, seizures.
They have done several illegal things regarding these people in jail.
They have been telling them that they would not be let out, not have
their bail set if they didn't give their names. Its their legal right not to
give their name. They don't have to speak at all. Attorneys came up
and said we are representing these people. The police called the
attorneys liars. At this point they have still refused to let any of them
see their clients. There are close to 600 people who were arrested and
they have been holding them for two days on charges that are mostly
misdemeanors, such as refusal to disperse. A lot of people in there
have not gotten medical attention either. I have gotten calls from young
ladies in there who have had all sorts of emotional problems as well as
physical problems. They have called me for medical attention from
inside the jail. There are people still sitting in there who have not even
been processed.
Today there were fewer attacks by police, but they did arrest more
people. And there was no violence today by the marchers and all
through the day yesterday it was the same. What you are seeing on
television about looting and anarchistic protesters - there's
a straight-out blackout and they are basically pushing that [line]. There
is not much damage to property here. There are not many windows that
have been damaged or stores that have been looted. Those are
extremely rare cases.
I used to believe newspapers were telling the truth. But now I am no
longer behind that. This is the beginning of a police state. You can
quote me on that.
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