IP: Another Side to the Battle of Seattle

[Dave Farber <farber@cis.upenn.edu>]

As I have said repeatedly I want to show all sides. Here is another that I 
can sympathize with djf


>Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1999 09:28:14 -0800
>From: Mark Boolootian <booloo@cats.ucsc.edu>
>To: David Farber <farber@central.cis.upenn.edu>
>Subject: Another Side to the Battle of Seattle
>
>
> >From: Peter Langston <psl@langston.com>
>Date: Tue,  7 Dec 99 19:55:24 -0800
>To: Fun_People@langston.com
>Subject: Another Side to the Battle of Seattle
>
>X-Lib-of-Cong-ISSN: 1098-7649  -=[ Fun_People ]=-
>X-http://www.langston.com/psl-bin/Fun_People.cgi
>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 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^