Letters to the Editor
The Washington Post
1150 15th Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20071
April 20, 2000
Dear Editor,
I was deeply disturbed by both the tone and the content of the article titled “Nice Cop-Tough Cop Tactic Paid Off for District Police” (April 20, 2000). Rather than celebrating the brutal and repressive tactics used by police during the Mobilization for Global Justice demonstration in Washington DC, your readers should be deeply concerned by the continued trampling of the constitutional right to peaceably assemble.
A fact that Mr. Santana failed to note is that the reason the police had such an easy time harassing, intimidating, and often arresting peaceful, non-violent demonstrators was that the members of the movement for social justice are committed to a democratic, transparent process. There was no need for officers to “infiltrate” the movement, as meetings are open and decisions are made through consensus. This process is in juxtaposition to the closed-door meetings of institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, where decisions are made behind closed door and no public access media are granted press passes.
The closing of the convergence center on Florida St. was only the first in a series of attempts by the Washington DC police to prevent demonstrators from organizing. Besides trying to forestall non-violence training, the closing of the convergence center kept medics from their supplies, as police refused any entrance into the building once they had taken it.
Rather than focusing on the oppression of demonstrators by the DC Police, I hope that the Washington Post will consider running a story about the local churches, many of which opened their doors to the demonstrators so that non-violence training and organizing meetings could continue in spite of police harassment. The goodwill of the people of Washington DC provides a sharp contrast to the brutality of the police.
Sincerely,
Joe Rigney