[CIMC-work] FW: [imc-us-process] SF-IMC Statement - Indybay Must Stop Using SF-IMC Press Cards

Thu Apr 8 16:18:13 PDT 2004

______

Please sign the petition calling for an Israel Accountability Act. We are
sending this to several hundred thousand Americans and we want to greet
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon when he comes to the White House on
April 14th with a large number of petitions to the President!

Don¹t just sign this petition, but share it with others!

http://www.cnionline.org/petitions/accountability.htm

------ Forwarded Message
> From: hep <hep at linefeed.org>
> Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 13:01:37 -0700
> To: imc-us-process at lists.indymedia.org
> Cc: sfbay at indymedia.org
> Subject: [imc-us-process] SF-IMC Statement - Indybay Must Stop Using SF-IMC
> Press Cards
> 
> In November, all of SF-IMC & Indybay consensed that it is irresponsible
> and foolish to continue shared liability of SFPD-issued press cards and
> that Indybay would quit using the existing press cards which say
> "SF-IMC" on them.
> 
> When Indybay found out they might have trouble acquiring new cards because
> of a pending investigation against all of us regarding counterfeit press
> passes, they decided to not fulfill their agreement to stop using
> SF-IMC press cards. The fact that Indybay was unsuccessful in their
> meetings with the local police does not change their agreement with
> us.
> 
> This situation is unacceptable -- we do not want shared liability or
> responsibility with Indybay on a matter for which we are under local
> investigation by the police. We also expect Indybay to uphold
> the agreement they made with us.
> 
> Indybay has proven their untrustworthiness by holding unaccounted meetings
> with the police on this matter without an attorney present, a violation
> of basic security culture, issuing a collective statement to this list
> which distorts their responsibilities in this matter, and taking
> advantage of the good will of global Indymedia volunteers to attack
> SF-IMC and try to get out of agreements they've made with us.
> 
> We provide below documented substantiation of what we're saying, as
> well as what we consider acceptable resolution of this issue.
> 
> (1) Indybay agreed to stop using press cards that say 'SF-IMC' on them.
> 
> On November 18 2003, Peter Maiden reported back that he spoke with
> SFPD and made arrangements to get new press cards for the SFBAY group:
> "I called Tully at SFPD Public Affairs today. He agreed to issue SF
> Bay Indymedia new cards with the new title ... All 'SF Bay Area
> Indymedia' reporters with SF-IMC passes will need to reapply."
> [imc-sf-int mailing list, 11/18/2003/, from pmaiden at pacbell.net]
> 
> (2) Then, SFPD tells Peter that there may be problems with getting
> new cards.
> "I tried to get cards with the new name for our group, and prepare the
> way for the other group to go ahead and get their cards. I thought
> they might make this an excuse to fuck with us, and they did."
> [imc-sf-int mailing list, 11/19/2003, from pmaiden at pacbell.net]
> 
> (3) Following this, Indybay people begin to regret their agreement with
> SF-IMC to turn in all the cards.
> 
> "the problem is that now our cards are in jeopardy. it might have been
> better to send a notice to sfpd that 'these reporters now report for
> this site' and 'this reporter reports for that site' rather than
> present situation where we agreed to turn in all the cards."
> [imc-sf-int mailing list, 11/19/2003, from mark at indymedia.org]
> 
> (4) Then, Peter receives a request to meet "face-to-face" with a local
> police sergeant who has monitored our website.
> 
> "I called today to the SFPD to discuss the press credential issue and
> they referred me to a Sargeant Gittens. He want to meet with me face
> to face when I get back to town, week after next. He said we've
> written about him [...]" [imc-sf-int mailing list, 11/20/2003, from
> pmaiden at pacbell.net]
> 
> (5) Peter goes through with this meeting, he is informed that we are
> under investigation for "counterfeit" press passes, and continues
> to discuss the matter with SFPD, without an attorney present.
> 
> "Well, it could have gone better. I met with Sgt. Neville Gittens of
> the SFPD Public Affairs office yesterday afternoon. ... [Gittens]
> mentioned that the making of these cards is not a crime. However, he
> also mentioned that the making of these cards could be considered
> counterfeiting." [imc-sf-int mailing list, 12/6/2003, from
> pmaiden at pacbell.net]
> 
> (6) Peter relays an offer to SF-IMC at large that only if someone
> turns themselves into the police, Indybay can have their new cards and
> will fulfill their end of the agreement.
> 
> "He said until the person who did this comes to him he will not issue
> any further SFPD press passes to us. If the person who put out the
> knock-off cards wants to face up to Gittens, great." [imc-sf-int
> mailing list, 12/6/2003, from pmaiden at pacbell.net]
> 
> (7) SF-IMC continues to try negotiation with Indybay on a local level,
> per the mediation agreement. We send them a collective, official
> letter explaining that we need to resolve the press pass issue and
> then we will transfer ownership of indybay.org, although athough we had
> been pointing indybay.org at their site for several weeks. Indybay does
> not respond to our email.
> 
> (8) Shortly after, Indybay takes the matter to global Indymedia by
> spamming several IMC work mailing lists, dozens of IMC newswires, and
> many other forums, saying that they don't understand why we won't
> transfer ownership of indybay.org to them and failing to even mention
> the press card issue.
> 
> (9) SF-IMC tries to explain again that we need resolution of the press
> pass issue, per the mediation agreement.
> 
> (10) Indybay sends an official email denying that they were ever
> supposed to stop using SF-IMC press passes:
> "The SF Bay Area IMC believes it is in the best interest of Indymedia
> and alternative journalism, generally, that these official passes be
> maintained and used responsibly for legitimate journalistic work."
> [imc-us-process mailing list, 01/17/2004, from sfschism at riseup.net]
> 
> We believe Indybay's actions are reckless and go against Indymedia
> principles of unity. We believe their careless meetings with SFPD are
> a flagrant violation of basic security culture. We believe that
> Indybay bears responsibility for four months of disruption of global
> Indymedia mailing lists on a matter which could have and should have
> been resolved locally.
> 
> We insist that any press cards which bear the name of our organization
> on them cease being used. We cannot accept Indybay's word that we are
> not responsible for the bearers of those cards in any way. We can
> accept one of two scenarios towards this end:
> 
> (1) All press cards are sent to an agreed-upon Indymedia escrow agent,
> until January 2005 when they expire, at which time they will be
> returned to SFPD.
> 
> (2) All press cards will be destroyed in the presence of an Indybay
> and SF-IMC representative.
> 
> Signed,
> San Francisco Indymedia
> http://sf.indymedia.org/
> 
> _______________________________________________
> imc-us-process mailing list
> imc-us-process at lists.indymedia.org
> http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-us-process
> 

------ End of Forwarded Message