LOCAL News :: Crime & Police
August 24: What Did Happen At The Progressive Action Center?
August 24 there were reports that the Progressive Action Center in Baltimore was raided by the police. These reports turned out to be inaccurate. But what did happen at the PAC, the home of Baltimore Indymedia, several activist groups, and Red Wagon Child Care Center? This report is based on interviews with anti-racist activists all of whom requested anonymity. [Earlier that day 28 anti-racist activists were arrested at the Baltimore Travel Plaza. Indymedia is investigating this story.]
After the counter-protests against the neo-nazi National Alliance rally in Washington DC, anti-racist affinity groups met at the Bloodshed, a warehouse space in east Baltimore rented for music shows. According to an anti-racist activist, people decided to continue counter-protesting neo-nazis by publicizing that the neo-nazis were to attend a concert somewhere in the White Marsh area with a meeting point at the National Guard Armory in Putty Hill.
At about 5:30pm, police officers began to gather outside the Bloodshed. The activists inside, concerned that a raid was being organized, decided to vacate the space. Arrangements were made to move their media work to the Progressive Action Center in east Waverly. After they left the Bloodshed, Baltimore City Police broke into the building and searched without presenting a warrant. Flyers and other literature were confiscated.
However, the police were not done. It appears that the police followed the anti-racist activists on their way to the Progressive Action Center. One car with four activists as passengers was pulled over by police officers as the driver turned from Loch Raven Boulevard onto Gorsuch Avenue. The activist who was driving was greeted by an officer who held a gun to her/his face. The driver asked "Why did you pull us over?" The police officers gave no reason. Rather, they responded by yelling at the occupants, "Shut-up! We don't have to tell you!" But then asked "Are you with the National Alliance? Or the anarchists?" The occupants responded "No. We are anti-racists!"
According to an anti-racist activist, as he/she approached on foot to the PAC he/she observed numerous police vehicles converging at the building, a squad car, two unmarked cars, and a van for transporting arrestees. When all the anti-racist activists got into the building the door was locked. Some began media work, while others dealt with the police.
According to an anti-racist activist, a police officer came to the door with a batch of arresting cuffs attached to his belt. The officer told the activists to open the main door to the building. Activists responded "Show us a warrant." A stand-off ensued for about fifteen minutes. Eventually, activists agreed to send a delegation to the base of the steps at the main door to talk to the police. According to an activist, the police claimed that they were there to protect the anti-racist activists against neo-nazi "retaliation," that they were concerned about a potential "fire-bombing."
As this exchange was going on, staff and volunteers of the Red Wagon Child Care Center were preparing for a social event at the lower level of the building. Some activists suggest that the presence of this predominantly African-American event was a deterrent to a raid and search of the Progressive Action Center, since anti-racist activists were the immediate targets. Additionally, the media work of the anti-racist activists paid off as Channel 2 News appeared at the scene and interviewed activists. With the appearance of the television media, the police left. The anti-racist activists continued with their work to publicize the neo-nazi concert. According to an anti-racist activist, the affinity groups later decided to find yet another location to discuss legal issues around the arrests of 28 anti-racist activists at the Baltimore Travel Plaza in the early morning. The television media had broadcast their location. The neo-nazis now knew where they were.
For a while on top of the Progressive Action Center in east Waverly, a banner hung "Anti-Racists Under Seige!" Readers may wonder why anti-racist activists appear to have been targeted by the Baltimore City Police?
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Comments
State Protection For Racists, State Repression For Anti-Racists
Another reason is their fear of outrage from the community. With just a few minutes notice, a spontaneous demonstration formed outside the neonazi show in White Marsh. How large of an opposition could they have expected had the residents known about it beforehand?
The final reason that show locations are being kept secret is a way for National Alliance cadre to keep control of their bonehead minions. To get them to turn out for a political demonstration, they have to be bribed with a show. To find out where the show is, you have to show up to the protest. If the venue were announced even just among nazi networks before hand, then alot of boneheads would skip the protest to start drinking earlier--such commitment from the aryan warriors!
Exposing this show in particular, and the failure of the venue to cancel the event when it's nature as a racist concert became known to everyone in the area through the mass media--provides yet another example of how the state not only tolerates, but protects fascism.
The Baltimore City Police protected the nazis meetings points and arrested innocent protestors (including a lawyer). With a notably shoddy arrest, even after leaving protestors in the rain for an hour, they were taken to Central Booking (whose conditions for women prisoners is already infamous). There negotiation between Baltimore Police Commissioners and the FBI that took over twenty-four hours, ludicrously charged twenty-seven of them with identical trumped offenses that amount to 1,117 years imprisonment; with bail amounts in excess of $400,000.
The DC police, Capitol police, Park police, Department of Justice, FBI, and Secret Service protected the nazis in DC, first by disrupting a non-violent blockade on H Street, escorting the nazis throughout the day with hundreds upon hundreds of police, blocks of temporary fencing, horses, motorcycles, squad cars, paddy wagons, busses, helicopters and armored cars. With this army of law enforcement, the few arrests that followed were all anti-racists protestors with minor offenses of disorderly conduct.
The Baltimore City police then harrassed anti-racist activists, conducted a warrant-less raid on on an anarchist show space, attempted another illegal search of a progressive media center, and intimidated activists at a third community space. They went on to follow and detain other activists, point guns at, interrogate, but ultimately release them because no actual crimes had been committed by those detained (this all completely legal thanks to a decision of a Maryland Court that is used for racial profiling). Indeed, they went so far as to harrass the jail solidarity vigil outside of Central Booking for those who had been arrested. Police have continued to follow local activists since that time.
By the evening, the Baltimore County and Maryland State Police mobilized to defend the now exposed nazi concert at a National Guard Armory. When questioned by the community about the concert, the police knowingly lied to the community. The active armory staff, even when informed of the exact nature of the concert, allowed the show to continue. Again, the state deployed hundreds of police and a fleet of vehicles; all ultimately again under the direction of the FBI.
A chant from the streets of DC seems particular accurate:
"The cops, the courts, and the Ku Klux Klan
Are all a part of the bosses' plan!"
Kaiser Bill White is still a neo-nazi moron.
The Concert And The Police
SUPPRESION OF THE TRUTH, SAME AS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
THAT IS NOT PUT ON THE NIGHTLY NEWS, SUCH AS THE RAID ON THE PAC. WHAT'S CHANGE LATELY? THERE ARE REPORTS THAT MORE AGGRAVATED ASSUALTS ON THE HEALTH OF INDIVIDUALS DUE TO THE BAD TOXIC AIR DAYS,
THAT BEEN SURPRESSED. WE ARE IN AN ESTABLISHED HORROR PICTURE WHERE THE POOR, ARE REPRESSED, AND SHIFT OVER TO JAILS.
AND NOW, WHERE IS THE JUSTICE! AND NOW, WHERE ARE THE FUNDS FOR THE POOR! AND NOW, WHERE ARE WE GOING WITH SUCH POLICE CORRUPTION, OF SUCH FLAGRANT POWER ASSUALT ON TEENAGERS, DISGUSTING!
Re: August 24: What Did Happen At The Progressive Action Center?
Re: August 24: What Did Happen At The Progressive Action Center?
Re: August 24: What Did Happen At The Progressive Action Center?