There is a bit of city code that came out of some of the lawsuits around the Pershing Park case that reinforces the right of people to assemble and march spontaneously and without a permit. The general deal was that we can march without a permit on the streets as long as there's some kind of lane for traffic to get by.

This worked fine up until 2008 when quite suddenly the police simply started beating people up. An anti-war march on the 6th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq saw cops throwing teenagers out of the street and IMF/World Bank protesters in April--prior to any reported law breaking--were beaten, thrown off the street, a few were arrested, and then we were lined up against the wall with our hands on our heads and forced to sit for an hour until we were either arrested or allowed to leave one-by-one (who was arrested and who was let go was largely random and no one arrested actually had charges pressed against them).

A permitted march last April saw Officer Harold (I forget his first name) actually come up to us and tell us that he had the right to revoke our permit and we couldn't march in the street. The march went on as planned but only after he made sure to be seen as "allowing" us to march, rather than him being forced to allow us to march by virtue of the permit we held.

And this along with the usual barrage of homophobic insults.

So, Ms. Patterson, the police have only learned their lesson insofar as they've stopped mass arrests. They've shifted their attempts to shut down protests to tactics that are less lawsuit attention-grabbing: beating the ever loving shit out of you, driving motorcycles up the sides of marches and into people, using batons to knock people off the street, making random arrests, and then kicking the arrested out of the system like nothing ever happened.

Rather smart on their part but no less monstrous.

If this had happened in Mississippi & hundreds of people had been wrongfully arrested & mistreated, & local officials had done nothing for over seven years, the clamor for the Feds to step in would be deafening.

A special prosecutor should be appointed will full subpoena powers. If these accounts are true, Ramsey is guilty of perjury & guilty of violating these people's civil rights, subject to criminal penalties 18 U.S.C. §§ 241, 242, et seq. [see below].

Title 18, U.S.C., Section 241
Conspiracy Against Rights

This statute makes it unlawful for two or more persons to conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person of any state, territory or district in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him/her by the Constitution or the laws of the United States, (or because of his/her having exercised the same).

It further makes it unlawful for two or more persons to go in disguise on the highway or on the premises of another with the intent to prevent or hinder his/her free exercise or enjoyment of any rights so secured.

Punishment varies from a fine or imprisonment of up to ten years, or both; and if death results, or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years, or for life, or may be sentenced to death.

Title 18, U.S.C., Section 242
Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law

This statute makes it a crime for any person acting under color of law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom to willfully deprive or cause to be deprived from any person those rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution and laws of the U.S.

This law further prohibits a person acting under color of law, statute, ordinance, regulation or custom to willfully subject or cause to be subjected any person to different punishments, pains, or penalties, than those prescribed for punishment of citizens on account of such person being an alien or by reason of his/her color or race.

Acts under "color of any law" include acts not only done by federal, state, or local officials within the bounds or limits of their lawful authority, but also acts done without and beyond the bounds of their lawful authority; provided that, in order for unlawful acts of any official to be done under "color of any law," the unlawful acts must be done while such official is purporting or pretending to act in the performance of his/her official duties. This definition includes, in addition to law enforcement officials, individuals such as Mayors, Council persons, Judges, Nursing Home Proprietors, Security Guards, etc., persons who are bound by laws, statutes ordinances, or customs.

Punishment varies from a fine or imprisonment of up to one year, or both, and if bodily injury results or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire shall be fined or imprisoned up to ten years or both, and if death results, or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.