[Seattle-editorial] feature proposal: LEIU 2

[jonathan lawson]

(rewritten from an earlier version based on Gentry's story). It's a bit 
long but is intended to archive all the relevant info (and thus can be 
updated)..

subtitle: "INTELLIGENCE" AND BRUTALITY
title: SPD Criticized for Aggressive use of Chemical Weaponry

<p>Protests against the Law Enforcement Intelligence Unit expanded this 
week to include criticism of aggressive police tactics which broke up a 
protest rally on Tuesday evening, including the use of bicycles as weapons, 
batons, pepper spray, concussion grenades, electric tazers and guns loaded 
with plastic, rubber and wooden projectiles. While these weapons are called 
"non-lethal," but which have been linked to serious injuries (see feature 
below). <br>
Apparently embarassed by media attention to the incident, in which <a 
href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=28345">legal 
observers</a> and both mainstream and independent journalists were injured 
by police attacks, SPD officers claimed that protesters were hurling glass 
jars, ball bearings and other objects at them. However, <a 
href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=28325">SPD refused 
to back up this claim</a> when questioned by a Post-Intelligencer reporter.

<p><a 
href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=28350">Unconfirmed 
reports</a> suggested that several protesters detained Tuesday by Seattle 
police were held because their names were part of a list of names "flagged 
for possible links to terrorist organizations." Nothing more is known, and 
the original posting has been removed by request of the author. <br>
The coalition opposing the LEIU includes police accountability activists, 
civil liberties organizations and anti-war groups. The week of 
demonstrations has succeeded in organizers' primary intention of "outing" 
the private intelligence network and its corporate sponsors, forcing LEIU 
officials to issue carefully worded statements acknowledging the 
organization's past abuses of information networks while denying present 
wrongdoing, claiming that the LEIU now only keeps tabs on "criminals."

<p>More LEIU <b>photographs</b>:
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=28307">1</a> |
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=28316">2</a> |
<a href="http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2003/06/1616221.php">3</a> |
<a href="http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2003/06/1616188.php">4</a> |
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=28249">5</a> |
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=28266">6</a> |
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=28267">7</a>

<p>LEIU <b>audio coverage</b> from Radio X (ogg vorbis/mp3)<br>
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=28291">
Undercover Police Instigate Unrest at Permitted March</a><br>
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=28387">
Legal Observer Shot Between the Shoulder Blades</a><br>
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=28294">
Spoken-Word/Die-In at Westlake 
Plaza</a><br>
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=28281">
Chemical Weapons Used by SPD</a><br>
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=28286">
Police Account of June 2 Anti-LEIU Protest is Flawed </a><br>
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=28288">
Who Gave the Orders?</a><br>
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=28283">
Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske Must Go</a><br>
<a href="http://images.indymedia.org/imc/seattle/060403cc.mp3">
Public Testimony at Seattle City Council (mp3)</a><br>
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=28293">
Deputy Mayor Says "Police Acted Accordingly"</a><br>
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=28289">
Democracy Now! Seattle LEIU 
Report</a>

image: 
http://images.indymedia.org/imc/seattle/2jun03_cops_make_big_push-thumb.jpg