Philly BIO Protest Write-UP! : Miami IMC

The BIO weekend began with a Reclaim the Commons festival, featuring free food, music, a Really, Really Democratic Bazaar, and general party fun all around, along with the second annual Hugs for Puppies Anti-Vivisection Congress, which was an amazing experience. The event raised awareness on the cruel and inhumane practice of vivisection, and raised funds for the SHAC-7 (now SHAC 6) legal defense fund.

The next day was spent doing Home Demonstrations with Hugs for Puppies, a local Philly animal rights demonstration and education outreach group. I had never experienced a Home Demonstration before, and happily went along for the experience. How empowering! About 100 people walked throughout Center City Philadelphia, visiting the homes of executives and scientists at GlaxoSmithKline and other BIO companies, holding completely legal protests on public property. With microphones and posters, we shouted “Puppy Killers! GO HOME!” and “Your Money! Your Fault!” The home demos obviously aggravated the intended, but more importantly, they raised awareness throughout the neighborhood to the deeds and actions of their neighbors, and the abhorrent practices of HLS, and the acquiescence of GSK, who continues to do business with HLS.

For the past 18 months, Hugs for Puppies has successfully staged hundreds of Home Demos, resulting on over 11 companies ceasing to do business with Huntingdon Life Sciences, one of the worlds most cruel promoters and practitioners of Vivisection. Hugs for Puppies is leading the campaign to bankrupt HLS by the year 2006! Yeah for Hugs!!

After the Center City protests, about 20 activists (who had access to wheels) traveled to the suburbs to continue the Home Demo’s. The first home demo was extremely productive, both for educational outreach and impact. At the second Home Demo, at Mr. George Barrett, CEO of TEVA Pharmaceuticals home, the oh-so-friendly security guard crossed a public street and shouted at the protestors to leave, then sprayed them in the face with pepper spray. The police were called, but no action was taken. Hugs for Puppies states that Civil and Criminal charges are being filed against Mr. Barrett, the Security Guard, and the Company, for attacking peaceful protestors and infringing on their civil liberties.

On Monday, activists gathered outside of Trenton, NJ’s courthouse in support of the SHAC 7 trial. The rally garnered significant media attention in the North Eastern metropolitan area, leading to greater awareness of the SHAC cause.

Tuesday was the “Longest Day of Action,” as it was June 21, the Summer Solstice. The day began with a public ritual by the Pagan Cluster at LOVE Park, and then we moved downtown to the morning rally outside GSK. On the way, we helped FNB unload and move to the rally site, where they fed all the activists who had gathered for the morning rally. (We love you, FNB!)

From the morning rally, three marches formed and started at various points throughout the city. A march for better Healthcare began from GSK Headquarters, while a march for Environmental and Agricultural Justice began outside the EPA building. My collective and I began our day at the BioWarfare Justice March, which led throughout Philly, and stopped for a short rally at Jefferson BioWeapons Research Lab. The march was unpermitted, but was not interfered with by the 50+ “security escorts;” undercovers, bike cops, plainclothes, feds, and civil affairs officers. The march was lively and spirited, with drums, saxophones and bugles signaling our approach to the Rally at LOVE Park, where all three marches converged, before simultaneously heading down to the Philly Convention Center, where the BIOTECH conference was being held.

As the three marches became one, the energies increased dramatically, especially as Skateboarders from across the East Coast and Ohio River Valley began their simultaneous protest in LOVE Park, and added to the festive atmosphere.

The combined march now began its trek through the city, taking the street and stopping traffic. After only three blocks, the march was stopped by the PD and ordered to disperse. After Legal Observers and the PD Civil Affairs consulted, a new route was agreed upon, and the march continued to the backdoors of the BIO tech conference.

As the march approached the Convention Center, the groups began to rally and chant, while drums and puppets danced in the afternoon. While the protest was cordoned off to the side, we did have an unprecedented amount of sight and sound access. Also notable was the absence of Riot Police – Though an argument can be made that the fleet of Bike Cops, with “Philadelphia’s Strike Force” written on their shirts, were the bulldogs and riot police of the event. There was a heavy police presence throughout the morning, with police at every March and throughout the city focusing on the Rally at the Convention Center.

Suddenly, from the front of the crowd, shouting and screaming broke out. The Bike cops began shoving people backwards with their bikes, slamming them into people indiscriminately and brutally. Other cops began to grab kids and beat them into the ground, then drag them, two of whom were unconscious and bleeding from the head, behind the police line and arrested them. Several officers were beating one kid mercilessly, as he lay screaming. The bike cops continued to push people backwards, screaming in peoples faces to “Get Back!”

Behind the bike cops, a civil affairs officer lay on the ground, while other cops gave him CPR. A few minutes later, an ambulance showed up, and under heavy police escort, the cop was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced DOA. (The cause of death was ruled to be a Heart Attack.)

The kids arrested during the fight were taken to the jail and interrogated without lawyers for over 24 hours, while the DA’s tried to pin Homicide charges onto each of them, under the guise that the protestors had started a fight with the cop which lead to his heart attack. Luckily, all have been released as of now, and no homicide charges were ever brought.

As the police continued to push back the protestors, a line formed in front of the bike cops in opposition to the loss of public space. The situation was tense for an hour, until a dance and drum circle began, which released a lot of tensions. No arrests were made during this time.

Suddenly, a groups of about 300 skateboard kids skated to the rally site, amid cheers and shouts from the protestors. The skate kids briefly held a meeting, then skated away – unfortunately, right into a police barricade, where innocent skaters were snatched off their boards and thrown into a police van.

The skaters were shocked, not having much experience with mass protest activity and police oppression. A “street alliance” was created (I geeked out totally – it felt like a scene from a RiseUp Comic book!), and the Activists and Skaters stormed the Gov’t Plaza and into LOVE Park, where we confronted a police line.

At this time, there were about 500 Protestors and 2000 Skater Kids. Together, it was an unstoppable force, and the sound and rhythm of bucket drums, skater wheels and bugles took over the sounds of the city. As our 2500+ kids approached the police line outside LOVE Park, the police became visibly nervous.

As the skaters tried to enter LOVE Park, they were picked off by the cops and arrested for trespassing. We joined in solidarity in front of the police line and began chanting “Free LOVE Park! Free LOVE Park!”

After some very blood-pumping speeches, drum circles and a “Skater Critical Mass,” we all shouted as one and stormed the police line. The line fell!! The Park was ours!!

Into LOVE park we stormed, where gleeful skaters began to skate and grind on the edges they had so coveted (Apparently, a skate ban in Philly was the core reason for the skate protest on that day.) A drum circle formed inside the fountain, and puppets, people, and spirits danced all afternoon.

The Police did nothing to stop the event. Throughout the afternoon, there were two arrests, from when kids “bumped” into undercovers. But for 6 hours, the park was ours and the alliance of Activists and Skaters had prevailed.

In total, there were 15 arrests. After the death earlier that day, a new objective was formed at an afternoon spokescouncil. The previous plan of having a dance party was canceled, and a Vigil for Life was substituted, ultimately leading to a Jail Solidarity rally outside the Police Roundhouse.

Below is the official Legal Update from Philly IMC:

“There were 15 arrested around the Biodemocracy events. All have been released except for two of those arrested in West Philadelphia early Tuesday morning. Douglas Kurz was released from CFCF (on State Road) early Saturday morning, after activists paid his $960 bond ($9,500 bail) Friday evening. Jonathan Slick and Kenneth Holland are expected to be bailed out sometime Saturday, at $960 bond each. Each of the three are charged with 5 counts felony vandalism and 1 count possession of an instrument of a crime.

Seven of the arrests were considered part of the investigation into Officer William's death, which has since been determined to be from natural causes. Kaleb (MA) was released without charges and Tim Kozak (Philly) was released on his own recognizance (ROR) but with charges of 1 count disorderly conduct (misdemeanor), 2 counts resisting arrest (misdemeanor) and 1 count criminal conspiracy (misdemeanor). They were released from the 9th district Thursday morning. Charles Sherrouse (Philly) was released from the 9th district round 4 pm Thursday without bail (ROR), to the dismay of the DA's office, but with charges of 1 count disorderly conduct (misdemeanor), 2 counts resisting arrest (misdemeanor) and 1 count criminal conspiracy (misdemeanor). Guillaume Beaulieu (Canada) was released on $10,010 bond ($100,000 bail) that was raised by his friends and family. He was finally released from CFCF Friday afternoon with charges of 2 counts aggravated assault (felony) 2 counts disorderly conduct (misdemeanor), 2 counts resisting arrest (misdemeanor), 2 counts criminal conspiracy (misdemeanor). Caroline Colesworthy (CA), Mark Garcia (TX), and Brenton Hall (ME) were released about 1 am Saturday on $5,010 bond ($50,000 bail) each. They were each charged with 2 counts disorderly conduct (misdemeanor), 2 counts resisting arrest (misdemeanor) and 2 counts criminal conspiracy (misdemeanor). All 6 will have their first court date on August 11 at the CFC, 13th and Filbert Streets.

It should be noted that none of these 7 arrestees was allowed to make a phone call nor see a lawyer for over 24 hours while the DA's Office went to lengths to ring up murder charges. After it was clear that demonstrators were not responsible for the heart attack nor any serious crimes, the DA tried, unsuccessfully, to raise Guillaume's bail to $500,000 and did increase the bail for Caroline, Mark and Brenton from $2,500 to $50,000 each. Western Union was initially unable to come up with sufficient cash for any of these bails throughout the philadelphia area, delaying the release of Guillaume for over a day. When attempts were made to post bail for Caroline Wednesday night, she was lost in the prison system, between downtown and State Road, delaying her release by a day.

Particular thanks are due to Philly ARA and NEFAC in helping to raise and use these funds quickly amidst adverse conditions. Gratitude is also due to Up Against the Wall Legal Collective for coordinating the flow of information and maintaining the hotline.

Funds are still being raised to repay some short term loans and to help cover travel expense for those returning for trial from out of town. To contribute by paypal visit
http://www.reclaimthecommons.net/article.php?id=208

To read more details check updates at
http://boston.indymedia.org/feature/display/38966/”

The event was an amazing experience, one that is still being processed internally by most of the attendees.

Please refer to Philly IMC for continuing Legal Updates, as well as Media Updates and more Reports from the Streets.

For more information HLS and the SHAC 7, please refer to: http://www.shac.net/HLS

I am interested in starting a South Florida Anti-Vivisection/ SHAC Outreach group. More updates to follow. If you are interested, please e-mail me at annadavies99@yahoo.com

Best of luck to you all!

Solidarity,
AnnA

Hopefully, pictures will be added soon - I need to get my act together and develop the film! :)