attn Seattle 1999 WTO plaintiffs
they were wrong, 19.08.2007 21:39
read below a callout for WTO 1999 Seattle protest attenders: you've got $mail$ we need your help
a typical american citizen in Seattle 1999
Attention anyone who attended the WTO protests in Seattle in 1999. You may
eligable for money! This is essential info that needs to get spread as
quickly as possible. Please fwd!
Hello friends and allies,
I need help to get the word out quickly, so please forward this as
appropriate. Apologies for sending this out broadly but please read on a
bit and help us get the word to the appropriate folks. Please use your
resources to get this word out in your community.
We need to find ~ 175 individuals who were in Seattle during the WTO
protests in 1999.
We won an important lawsuit against the city of Seattle which violated our
rights and these folks need to contact the attorneys by AUGUST 28, 2007 if
they want their portion of the settlement $$ (see below to download claim
forms.)
Sooo.... WHO DO YOU KNOW who might have been in Seattle at the WTO
protests in 1999?
Please pass this along to them and to others who might have some
connections to those events. (Consider sending to your lists or specific
people, adding info to your blog, website or announcement lists, and
especially, talking to folks.)
Westlake, Dec 1, 1999? Nov 30, 1999: Nov 30 1999:
We're specifically trying to be sure all 175 people who were arrested at
Westlake on December 1, 1999 get this info IMMEDIATELY since they have
only two weeks left to return their claim (due August 28th, 2007.)
We settled with the city of Seattle for $1,000,000 and each person
arrested at that location is entitled to a portion of those funds.
(Hopefully it's clear that ONLY folks arrested at this particular time and
place are part of this suit and eligible to make these claims.)
A jury found that our 4th amendment rights were violated. See press
release about the case:
http://www.witheylaw.com/TLPJ-WTOVerdictNewsRelease.pdf and some news
about the settlement: www.witheylaw.com/WTO%20Trial.htm and
www.witheylaw.com/news.htm.
The problem is that after nearly 8 years (and not knowing who was actually
arrested there), almost everyone has moved or gotten a new phone or email.
We need to use our networks to reach folks so PLEASE HELP get this to
them by forwarding on to reduce those degrees of separation.
Again, apologies to folks who may not understand why I'm sending this to
you or who get this multiple times. Mostly I tried to think of people who
might have some connection to the issues, the tactics or the regions that
brought people to Seattle in 1999. The hope is that you will know how to
reach folks that were involved so we can use our networks to reach these
~175 people.
As an aside, let me note that many of the 175 folks we've already found
are still committed to their activism and are planning to put the funds
they receive BACK INTO their respective MOVEMENTS. Many of us recognize
that though ~175 of us will receive a portion of this settlement, the
victory of this case is a victory for us all. The work happening in the
streets in 1999 is ongoing...and I personally hope to support that work by
funneling my portion of the settlement money into groups still doing that
work. Though these arrests violated our rights, many of us of are people
of relative privilege which is another reason to give collectively with
these funds. That said, most activists I know rarely have large financial
means so this will be a rare opportunity for some of us to support
financially the causes we work so hard on with our other resources. (My
personal view of the money I'll be receiving is that it isn't really
mine...it belongs to all the people (~50,000) who were in the streets in
1999 opposing the WTO and, even more, to all the people affected by the
WTO's policies. In 1999, I was arrested (wrongly, the jury decided)
speaking out for what I believed in and trying to create change. In 2007,
I hope to see the funds I'll be getting used to continue that work.)
Thanks and solidarity,
Erica K
Jane WTO #890
can@drizzle.com
206-568-7110
(still in Seattle)
P.S. You may have heard that director Stuart Townsend has made a movie
about the protests called "The Battle in Seattle." It's supposed to be
based on true events...but we'll see how true it really is...
Taken in Seattle12-09-07 during the filming of the film:
I just saw that it will premiere at the Toronto International Film
Festival (Sept. 6-15) and I've heard that it will be released broadly
around....November 30th, 2007. Many folks recognize that this means our
little piece of history will be spotlighted again for a brief moment in
time, depending on how well the film does. I've heard of some great plans
to reclaim the voices of those actually here to tell the true history of
those days and to bring the multitude of globalization issues back into
our discussions. Hopefully the arrestees will be announcing our
collective donations at about the same time.
