Westfield New Jersey - March 4th, 2005
The Latest Eyewitness Accounts And Actions - Thank To EVERYONE Who Wrote In!
http://www.cafepress.com/distressedgear
Be Prepared For Future Events With Protest Posters From Distressed American!
Did YOU See What Went On That Day?
CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS OF THE DAYS EVENTS AND THE ARREST!
(editor's note: I have received numerous accounts of the events described in this message. This is one of the most detailed - Thanks Adam!)
Hey great site!!!
My name is Adam. I moved to Westfield in November. I was standing right next to your Sister and her friend at some points last Friday and got the little handout about your sight.
The Rally was a great success and I am so glad that almost 500 people showed up.
Before the rally even began, there was a major meltdown by Chief Tracy, the Chief of Westfield Police. NJ Citizen Action for Change I believe it was had rented a flat bed tow truck for speakers to stand on. The Chief FLIPPED out on them and told them to move that truck! He threatened to tow it and had a tow truck ready to do just that. I called Air America Radio and was able to get through and they put me on the air so they could listen to what was going on.
The Chiefs head was turning RED ...he was over the top. I dont know if it was because I yelled hey Chief you are live on Air America Radio or what but the truck got to stay.
The Rally was really good with lots of people chanting and holding signs while listening to speakers including Congressmen Pallone and Menendez. The Unfiltered show on Air America Radio called me at the end of the rally and I gave my phone to the two Congressmen so they could speak to Rachel Meadow live on the air, so the coverage was great.
The king of liberal radio. Click here to listen live!
LISTEN TO LISTEN TO THE PALONE AND MEMENDEZ INTERVIEWS HERE (33 minutes- 43 minutes into the show)!!
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MY CALL IN TO MIKE MALLOY ON MONDAY MARCH 7
All of us then went to the Armory where they locked us down several blocks away. And as you have reported on your site with pics and video, several people including Emily Colvin and the kid with the mohawk were arrested and manhandled. I heard Emilys seven year old Brother was hit with a nightstick but I dont know for sure.
I had just left the area she was arrested in probaby right before it all went down so I didnt see anything but I saw the video and some pics and spoke with people so I totally believe that the cops overreacted and could have caused a riot.
This is sick shit. I moved to Westfield in November and didnt know it was a Republican haven.
I spoke with Emily on Friday and she seems like a good kid. I called to let her know I support her. She said the court date is I think March 23rd.
I think that the community and those who live outside of Westfield need to show up at court to support her.
As Im typing this you are on Mike Malloy. Right on!! Great job man!
You should contact Emily and her family and ask if you could post this and illicit support for her at court.
We cannot take this intimitdation and squashing of dissent of this evil hateful administration.
Please contact me to keep me posted if you can and I can help to hopefully get support for this.
The cops didnt win man, there is video and pictures and now we must STAND up at court and at the next council meeting in Westfield...this is not over.
Great job Brad!!!
Adam in Westfield, NJ
Hi - I heard your phone call to Mike Malloy on the Randi Rhodes show today.
I was at the protest in Westfield and I saw everything leading up to Emily's arrest. "Everything" isn't really the right word to use, since NOTHING really happened! I happened to be looking right at her holding a cloth banner up over her head, when suddenly some jackboot reaches into the crowd, grabs her wrist, and shoves her over to a patrol car to cuff her. She was handled quite roughly (which was highly uncalled for - she was putting up absolutely no resistance).
It looked to me as if she had a nosebleed by the time she was caged up in the paddy wagon, but it may just have been her hair across her face. Either way, her arrest was completely without basis. And EVERY SINGLE ARREST that followed hers was of her friends - juveniles who were protesting a grave injustice.
If you're in contact with the family and they're looking for another witness, feel free to direct them to me. I wrote a letter to the local papers as well as to the Star Ledger (the big NJ paper) explaining what I saw of Emily's arrest. I got word tonight that every single one of these papers will be printing this letter.
Thanks. Keep up the good work.
hi, guys!
i polished my letter up a bit. what do you think of it now? i'm going to send it to the star ledger, the home news and the westfield leader. i hope someone will publish it... karen
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As a would-be protester at George Bush's visit to New Jersey, I wanted to congratulate the Westfield Police on achieving their assigned objective of silencing our dissent. Your methods for sparing Bush from opposing opinions were innovative and effective. You handled that group of senior citizens, trying to make their opinions on Social Security reform known, very well. It was amazing to see them, using their walkers and canes to keep up, as you herded them to an area three blocks away. You could have moved your roadblock and let them walk 50 feet to the same location, but I imagine you knew that a lot of them could not walk that far. It was a brilliant move to thin down the huge, threatening crowd of 300 or so protesters.
You handled those uppity high-school kids who dared to express their opinions about the Iraq conflict very well also. You were so businesslike as you bundled that terrified, handcuffed fifteen year old girl into your squad car, accused of who knows what. At least it was a quiet offence. I was five feet away and didn't see or hear anything amiss until you took her away.
To those members of the myriad attendant police departments who treated us with dignity and respect, thank you! To the rest, what can I say but, "Mission Accomplished." You achieved your objective by efficiently subverting our first amendment rights in order to protect Bush's sensitive hearing.
I watched your video footage of the Westfield, NJ protest and was outraged. I graduated from Westfield High School right across the street from that armory and now live in Miami, FL. That is probably the most action those police officers will see the rest of the year.
Also, I don't know if anyone has told you but the high school across the street was named an official peace site back in 1985 when I graduated. This was done through student petitions and spearheaded by my history teacher Mr. Bruno. He has since been fired.
Ronnie
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