Gandhista Holds City of Seattle Accountable

Injury lawsuit makes progress in wake of WTO crackdown

personal account by Swaneagle Harijan

In late November of 1999 my dear friend, Life has Meaning, (who is a longtime Gandhian scholar and practitioner) and i traveled from the remote regions of the mountains of northeastern Washington to participate in shutting down the WTO secret ministerial meeting in Seattle.

Late in the day on November 30, globocops appeared on the scene in militaristic formation. They suddenly attacked peaceful protesters who had been keeping WTO delegates out of the Convention Place. The violence was so extreme and highly organized that we were all caught off guard.

The next day, we participated in the Steelworker's rally at Pier 62 on the waterfront below downtown. Once the speakers were done, thousands of us headed for downtown. Before we even reached the "no protest zone", we were assaulted by tear gas and concussion grenades with no warning. Panicked people stampeded in a frenzied backswell. National Guardsmen holding an intersection along with police began clubbing protesters and shoppers as they fled from the noxious gas. I called out, "They won't hurt you. They are leaving." A guardsman yelled back, "Get the hell out of here!" I replied, "I am a human rights observer. Those are your friends, relatives and neighbors. They won't hurt you." Strangely, they all stepped back to holding the line across the intersection. I then sang "Lay down your guns and join your people" until the chemical gas was too much.

I soon discovered that Life has Meaning had run back to get me and was shot in the eye by a globocop marksman who stood off behind the darth vaders. Within minutes all seven people in our affinity group came together helping Life has Meaning and others who were suffering from the gases. As we fled, we were pursued through the streets by the platoons and the humvee firing gas, rubber bullets and concussion grenades. A state of terror infused streets which were decorated bizarrely with Christmas lights. I drove Life Has Meaning to the emergency room of the Harborview Hospital where the seriousness of her injury was confirmed.

An amended complaint was served on the City of Seattle February 2, 2001, and filed in Federal District Court. It states that a squadron of police officers utilized tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and billy clubs to attack peaceful demonstrators near Third and Pike which was an area outside the city's so-called "no protest zone". (An initial complaint was filed last November.)

A week after the amended complaint was served, Life has Meaning received a threatening letter at her work that stated in part, "it is to bad they didnt blow your fucking head off." (spelled as in letter) It was signed by a man giving a Burlington, Washington address. Needless to say, it created a further state of terror for Life Has Meaning.

In March, i was able to participate in a deposition hearing with former police chief Norm Stamper. His only admission was that the police were indeed not wearing badges and were anonymous in their riot gear. He blamed it on the newness of the armor and difficulty pinning badges on.

I showed him pictures of Life has Meaning being beaten and right after she was shot in they eye. I pointed to the marksman in the photo and said i was looking for him. Stamper said "You'll never find him." If nothing else, i hope the encounter put a human face on the receivers of the outlandish violence utilized by police who will never be viewed the same by many of Seattle's residents.

In April, i was able to look through the discovery granted to us by the City of Seattle. The names of the attackers were all there with their badge numbers, commanders, guns and ammunition used, the driver of the humvee and the fact that they were a Chemical Agent Response Team, an elite element of SWAT. So it looks like we have our men. One has quit the SPD and left the state. How this unfolds will be very interesting.

As we see the blueprint for dealing with anti-globalization protesters escalating, it is critical to not let these brutal police activities go unchecked. Already many police in this country are militarized. Recently three demonstrators in Sweden were shot and one died. Live ammunition was present at the WTO, according to the "use of force reports". It is only a matter of time before live ammunition is used on those of us who have been relatively safe due to white skin privilege or class.

The trial for Life has Meaning's case is slated for February 4, 2002. It is not too late for anyone who was subjected to the terrorism of the police to participate in class action lawsuits. Any way we have available must be utilized in putting a stop to the growing fascism infecting the globe. May the spirit and strength of human conscience prevail.

For further information, contact the author at frontlinemom@yahoo.com, and see www.copwatch.com ("Anatomy of a Police Riot"), or call John Scannell 206-624-3685.