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Court Papers Reveal Political Reasons To Ban Protests in Central Park’s Great Lawn.
Internal emails and memoranda reveal that New York City officials including Mayor Michael Bloomberg were active participants in a pre-arranged plan to deny large political protests on the Great Lawn in Central Park. (Read NY Times article here) In one such email, the Parks Department wrote “it’s very important that we do not permit any big or political events for the between August 23 and September 6, 2004. It’s really important for us to keep track of any large events (over 1,000 people) and any rallies or events that seem sensitive or political in nature.”
Guest – Mara Verheyden Hilliard, one of the attorneys litigating the case, she’s also with the National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense.
Chicago Torture Cases Update – Chicago Mayor Richard Daley Involved.
The case includes a four-year investigation focused on allegations that 148 black men were tortured in Chicago police interrogation rooms in the 1970s and ’80s. The men say detectives under the command of Lt. Jon Burge beat them, used electric shocks, played mock Russian roulette and started to smother at least one to force confessions. Prosecutors described this “type” of criminal justice system where top officials in a position to put a stop to police torture appeared blind to the abuse. Among them Mayor Richard Daley, when he served as Cook County state’s attorney.
Guest – Flint Taylor – attorney with the People’s Law Office
Humanitarian Aid A Crime? – Humanitarian Aid Activists Charged With Felony
Two border activists face 500 thousand dollar fines, felony charges and prison terms up to 15 years for providing humanitarian aid to 3 migrants reported to have been suffering from extreme thirst and hunger. Last summer, Daniel Strauss and Shanti Sellz volunteered in Arizona with the group “No More Deaths”, a network set up primarily to prevent deaths of migrants. Daniel and Shanti were driving the three men to get treatment by volunteer medical professionals in Tucson when they were stopped by the United States Border Patrol and arrested
The two activists Daniel say they will defend their actions in trial and take on the United States. This trial is the first of its kind and will set ground rules for what can and cannot be done to assist people coming into the country.