PACIFICA RADIO/DEMOCRACY NOW, Wednesday, May 21st, 2003
St. Louis Police Stage a ‘Pre-emptive Strike’ and Arrest 27 Activists Prior to Demonstration
The activist community in St. Louis is still reeling from a string of arrests and building raids that were carried out on Friday, prior to the opening of the Biodevastation7 conference and the World Agricultural Forum.
All told 27 people were arrested including a group of bikers who were arrested for riding without a bike license. Two buildings closely linked to the activist community were also raided. Police claimed they had reports that weapons were inside though no weapons charges have been filed. Police did confiscate items ranging from CD-Rom drives to building supplies to diaries to puppets.
At one of the buildings, named Bolozone 15 people were arrested for allegedly occupying a condemned building. The residents of the house said the building, which the city sold to the occupants last year, was only condemned on the morning of the raids.
Matt LeMieux, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri, said the St Louis police used housing inspections as a “trick” to get in without a warrant. The ACLU also accused the police of pre-emptively arresting activists prior to the protest.
Guest: Molly Bupre, member of the St. Louis Community Arts and Media Project. One of 27 activists arrested last week prior to the World Agricultural Forum in St. Louis.
Audio linked from http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/05/21/1739232.
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FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS, May 21, 2003
Cops Stop Bike Activists Tour
As activists geared up in St. Louis last weekend for the Biodevastation conference and a rally opposing the World Agricultural Forum and genetically engineered foods, police lashed out at them with a series of pre-emptive arrests, raids, and harassment. Targeted were the Flying Rutabaga Cycle Circus, who were about to start a 1000 mile bicycle tour giving educational performances about biotechnology, the Bolozone, a collective house and sustainability project, and the Community Arts and Media Project, home to the Green party and Indymedia. Both building were raided and searched. Today the lawyer representing those arrested is filing for motions to drop the charges. Stacy Pettigrew has more from St Louis.
Audio at http://www.fsrn.org/news/20030521_news.html.
