War protesters tell aldermen of police brutality/Chicago

Chicago Suntimes | 061803 | Fran Spielman

[chicagolady]

A mother separated from her child. A college student smacked so hard his nose gushed blood. Two women asked to buy Mary Kay cosmetics by a cop whose wife was selling the stuff. One woman asked out on a date by a police officer.

The March 20 anti-war demonstration that shut down Lake Shore Drive didn't just give Chicago a worldwide blackeye. Many of the 543 protesters arrested that night say it left scars, both physical and emotional.

On Tuesday, a parade of protesters told their stories at a City Council hearing called by three independent aldermen that dragged on for hours.

They invoked comparisons to the ugly clashes between police and Vietnam War protesters during the 1968 Democratic National Convention that scarred the reputation of Mayor Daley's father, Mayor Richard J. Daley.

They demanded that charges be dropped against those arrested and restitution paid to those injured. And they asked for an apology from Mayor Daley, who they claim personally ordered the March 20 demonstrators held in police lock-ups until 2 p.m. the next day because he was livid the protest had shut down Lake Shore Drive.

Protester Raven Coleman said she tried three times to take her daughter home, the first time near the Drake Hotel. Chicago police "let some white people and a couple of strollers" get through but stopped Coleman, who is black.

"They told me, 'You're not f---ing going anywhere. Stand right f---ing there.' Five male cops in riot gear threw me to the ground in front of my daughter. Two of them grabbed each of my arms. One cocked his hand around my throat. Another cop put his full weight on his knee in my back," Coleman said.

Indiana college student Brad Thompson said he was beaten bloody by police officers at Chicago and Michigan after chanting "shame" and pointing at officers who had tackled a fellow demonstrator.

Thompson held up the bloody shirt he wore that night, when police allegedly shouted, "Get him" after apparently mistaking him for a protest organizer. A video was also shown, but the grainy quality made it difficult to substantiate alleged police wrongdoing.

Two women told of being asked to purchase Mary Kay cosmetics while waiting to be booked.

"One of the officers came in and asked the group of women--the captive audience, if you will--whether anybody would like some mascara. He said, 'I'm selling Mary Kay cosmetics for my wife,' " said protester Catherine Hoffman.

"When I was in the booking line, he came up to me and asked me again, 'Are you sure you don't need any makeup?' . . . He began to ask me a series of personal questions about my own boyfriend, what his employment was and whether he cooked me good breakfasts. When I indicated to him that I found those questions inappropriate, I looked for a name or a badge number and there was none to be found. . . . He had somehow found out that I was a professor and he said, 'You know, I think I'd like to start dating a professor. Why don't we go out sometime?' ''

Chicago Police Department spokesman David Bayless said five internal investigations have been launched about alleged police wrongdoing in the March 20 demonstration. Three of them are being conducted by the Office of Professional Standards, which investigates allegations of excessive force. The other two are being handled by the Internal Affairs Division.

As for the range of allegations aired at Tuesday's hearing, Bayless said: "If they did take place, it's unprofessional. But people need to let us know through the complaint process so we can hold officers accountable."

Bayless insisted demonstrators were held only as long as it took to process them.

Independent aldermen Ricardo Munoz (22nd), Helen Shiller (46th) and Joseph Moore (49th) introduced their resolution April 9 and waited more than two months for a Police Committee chaired by one of Mayor Daley's allies to call hearings on the mass arrests. On Tuesday, they got tired of waiting and held their own renegade hearing.

[chicagolady]

I was outraged as I read this article. At our Chicago Rally for America, The Chicago Police did a stellar Job. They went over and beyond the call of duty. GUESS WHAT? We treated them with respect and they treated us with respect. I have written a letter to Fran Spielman of the SunTimes to be FAIR and Balanced..I invited her to come and interview the folks at Free Republic and Take statements from us about how we were treated. Also Any and all folks can Call David Bayless at the Chicago Police Department and tell him Kudos to the Police for such a fine job. Police news affairs 312-745-6110 Also write to the Sun Times and tell them your experience with the Chicago Police at the Rally for America. THEN EVERYBODY, Every FREEPER across the Untied Staes can e-mail the Chicago Alderman who are willing to stand up and Defend the Communist /Anarchist /A.N.S.W.E.R. people AGAINST the Chicago Police who put their lives on the line Everyday for us.

Alderman Helen Shiller 773-878-4646 e-mail Helen at ward46@cityofchicago.org

Alderman Ricardo Munoz e-mail ward22@cityofchicago.org

Alderman Joseph Moore 773-338-5796 e-mail49ward@cityofchicago.org

Give them a piece of your mind in taking the side of the ANARCHISTS!!

[chicagolady]

Please keep those cards , phone calls and letters coming!
Alderman who defend ANARCHISTS?
When is the next Election?

Rally for America Strikes AGAIN!!

[chicagolady]

For Clarification the e-mail address for alderman

ward46@cityofchicago

ward22@cityofchicago

ward49@cityofchicago

[chicagolady]

I spoke with Office of Professional Standards and they urged us to write letters thanking the Police for their fine job on March 22 2003 at the Federal Plaza
to

Gerald Mahnke
3510 s. Michagan
Chicago Il 60653

Internal Affairs takes Complaints ONLY!

[chicagolady]

Why do I always forget your screen name!

PING!

[dts32041]

Hey this is the land of king daley, cops do what he wants, so if you didn't buy any mark kay products it is your loss.

BTW whatever happen to Meigs field, can I still land there?

[chicagolady]

I am holding out hope for Meigs.
It looks glum

[chicagolady]

Ping alert

[sauropod]

"One woman asked out on a date by a police officer."

Yep, certainly looks like abuse to me. /sarc

[Colofornian]

Many of the 543 protesters arrested that night say it left scars, both physical and emotional.On Tuesday, a parade of protesters told their stories at a City Council hearing called by three independent aldermen that dragged on for hours...They demanded that charges be dropped against those arrested and restitution paid to those injured

Where were these liberals & media press accounts when we needed them back in '88-'93, when there were thousands of more folks arrested (and some brutalized)for "protesting" civil rights violations than in the entire civil rights movement altogether?

There, you twice had the LAPD use martial arts weapons (nunchuks) on peaceful protesters, breaking one man's arm above the elbow...causing tremendous pain & brutality (how do you train police to use nunchukus & how to know when enough pain is enough?)Or how about the San Diego police who brutalized similar protesters then? Or the West Hartford, CT police who did the same? Or Pittsburgh's finest, who sexually molested a few of those arrested

[Emma]

that can certainly be abusive behavior.

[cherry_bomb88]

Any and all folks can Call David Bayless at the Chicago Police Department and tell him Kudos to the Police for such a fine job. Police news affairs 312-745-6110 Also write to the Sun Times and tell them your experience with the Chicago Police at the Rally for America. THEN EVERYBODY, Every FREEPER across the Untied Staes can e-mail the Chicago Alderman who are willing to stand up and Defend the Communist /Anarchist /A.N.S.W.E.R. people AGAINST the Chicago Police who put their lives on the line Everyday for us.

I have pictures of the rally where the police did such a marvy job on March 22! Maybe I should email them to the witch at the Sun Times!!! They were all smiles and they were happy to have us there...in fact...as the rally was disbursing, another FReeper (whom I don't know) and myself were yelled at from across the street by some protestors...the gentleman I was with yelled back "next week I'll be paying 88cents a gallon for my SUV"...then looked at the cop apologetically and said "we'll go now"..the cop smiled and shook his head emphatically "NO" and motioned for us to stay. They WANT us there...we are peaceful, humorous and intelligent. My friends and I actually talked to a few off duty officers from the suburbs that there there in support of America.

((((((pinging non-chicago FRiends to help by writing a letter of support to the Chicago PD!!!)))))))))

THANK YOU CHICAGO PD FOR DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB OF PROTECTING US FROM THE ANTI-AMERICAN ANARCHISTS!!!

As for those Renegade Chicago alderman....

THEY CAN KISS MY PATRIOTIC REAR END!!!

CL...one has to remember, these are the same three city alderman defending Jessie Jackson's "involvement" in the E2 Nightclub disaster.....perhaps they are just taking the heat off their own problems????? Maybe the cops did defend themselves against hostile protestors that were bent on committing civil disobiediance...but at least the cops aren't responsible (directly or indirectly) for 23 people TRAGICALLY & needlessly dying in a night club!!!!!

[sauropod]

Let me get this straight. Asking someone out on a date is abusive behavior?

What are us guys supposed to do, draw numbers out of a hat? SHEESH!

[Poohbah]

War protesters tell aldermen of police brutality/Chicago

I have this vision of an aging hippie saying, "You call THAT police brutality? I got the s**t beaten out of me by one of Daley's cops for just chanting for peace at the '68 Convention, at let me tell you, Sonny, we didn't complain, no sir, we were GRATEFUL for police brutality back in those days."

[cherry_bomb88]

I disagree with you...to be asked out once is not abusive...from this woman's accounts, this officer was flirting with her...probably trying to lighten the mood...he asked her out ONCE (even according to the account in here) he did not harrass or stalk her.

Has harrassment become so ridiculous a gentleman can no longer flirt and ask out a pretty lady????

She was obviously answering his questions because it was a lengthy conversation....she should have stopped the flirting from the start. It would appear to me that she just wants charges dropped so she's making things up. IF the officer had been that offensive to me at the time, I would have immediately demanded his badge number and name.

[cherry_bomb88]

ROTFL!!!!

[Poohbah]

"Not only that, Sonny, we didn't drive to Chicago for our protest, we had to walk 578 miles through the snow and cold, uphill both ways! You lazy punks have it too soft, I tell you!"

[JustPiper]

Cherry, send those pictures in babee!

[Protagoras]

Looks like they are hiring the female cops by the pound.

[A_perfect_lady]

Mary Kay foundation is awful, orange, cakey... that is definitely police brutality. Now, if it had been Avon...