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Tacoma Update #3

author: Tomas Caballito
Jun 06, 2007 03:53

Another update from the Tacoma actions.

There was a greater police presence at the Convention Center on Tuesday. Demonstrators first showed up at noon today, accompanied by some music and a large pile of shoes representing what occupation really looks like in human costs. More people showed up later in the afternoon to demonstrate. Some dialog did occur between the demonstrators and the weapons buyers and sellers (with some of the war criminals saying non-lethal weapons, the arms trade, surveillance technology, repression of dissenters is a-ok).

There were two arrests today. One was of Ian from Tacoma who was apprehended by an undercover cop after leaving the demonstration and arrested for allegedly vandalizing. The second arrest was of Brendan from Olympia who was charged with public disturbance (for using a bullhorn). He was given a citation and released on site.

Ian is spending the night in jail and has a hearing at Municipal Court at the County City building in Tacoma at 9:30am.

Tomorrow is the last day of the demonstrations. We all need to realize that the best way to end this war is directly; we need to confront the war machine wherever we see it. We don't see it in the yearly spectacles held by groups like World Can't Wait where people ritually, on the anniversary of the war no less, go to a rally and "march against the war" and then go home. The best way to disrupt the war machine is by hitting it where it hurts and where it is actually visible and real - places like the ports in the northwest when military shipments are going through and when the masters of war come to buy and sell the newest, most efficient weapons, counter-insurgency and surveillance technologies. If we had a few hundred people show up on Wednesday we could easily shut down the weapons symposium. Hell, if we had a hundred people show up, we could shut it down. If you're at all interested, show up at the convention center in Tacoma at noon Wednesday.

Let's show the war criminals and police protecting them that they are not welcome in our city!

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