hydrarchist writes:

Solidarity Call with Camillo Viveiros, RNC 2000 Felony Arrestee

Dear Friends and Supporters of Camilo Viveiros,

We are just under one month away from Camilo's April 5th trial! We need to step up our support for Camilo, the only first-degree felony case remaining from the arrests during the 2000 Republican National Convention. Let's use all the available time wisely to keep mobilizing crucial support and keep Camilo from being put behind bars!With the 2004 Republican National Convention approaching, we must make sure that Camilo is not scapegoated to justify future police aggression. If they can get away with criminalizing Camilo then anyone who dares to speak out for justice could be in his same situation, a lesson reinforced during the recent attacks by Timoney's police in Miami.

Support for Camilo and criticisms of Timoney have been growing over the past few months. The San Francisco Labor Council recently passed a resolution in support of Camilo. The AFL-CIO called for a federal investigation and for Timoney's resignation after his horrendous role in Miami. Now is the time to mobilize additional support from labor groups in the form of letters or resolutions.

People have been creative about how they have been spreading the word, from producing radio shows and turning birthday parties into solidarity events, to publishing articles in the independent press and using puppets, spoken word and theater to inform others about who Camilo is while urging people to stand by him and stand up for our right to protest.

We all need to expand our activities and get more people involved!
What can you do? If you've written a support letter, you can ask an organization with whom you are affiliated to write one. If you've signed the petition, you can download a copy of the petition and get more signatures. If you've made a donation, you can pass the hat at an event, plan a houseparty or other fundraiser. If you've looked at the website, you can forward an announcement about the case to listserves you are on (see below).

And of course, you can sign and circulate the online petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/foc/petition.html (although we encourage you to still download the regular petition to circulate at meetings, or when tabling at events and conferences.)

If you care about justice and if you want to ensure our continued right to protest (and send a message to Timoney), then get more involved today!

Although a lot of hard work has been done, we must remember the work that is still desperately needed. We know that the Philadelphia Police department has over 500 detectives at their disposal and that John Timoney has political connections at every level of government. We must strive to out organize their connections with thousands of community groups and robust political support. We have to remind the residents of Philadelphia that they were charged with the expenses to protect republican policies, which are now reeking financial and social havoc on U.S. cities across the country. From the direct action activists to Democrat politicians we need to build a base that can threaten efforts to stifle our dissent. We must also remind members of religious, labor, civil rights, women's and other social justice groups that they were once criminalized and get them involved in fending off the present assault on our rights and camilo.

For updates and events check the website: www.friendsofcamilo.org
(If the page doesn't load, please try http://www.waste.org/~roadrunner/writing/camilo/ma in.htm)
Please forward us suggestions for contacts, events, activities and ideas.

With Love and Solidarity,

Friends of Camilo

Stayingstrong@hotmail.com

877-240-9517

To take an easy first step, please email the following announcement to listserves you belong to:

**PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY**

-ALERT-

SOLIDARITY NEEDED IN DEFENCE OF JUSTICE!

Community organizer faces decades in prison
April 5th Trial for Community Activist Camilo Viveiros

Camilo Viveiros, a community organizer and housing activist in southeastern Massachusetts was arrested along with over 400 other protesters in August 2000 during the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia. Camilo faces trumped up charges that could result in a prison sentence of over 30 years. We need to protect Camilo and preserve our civil liberties!

This is not simply a case of injustice against one individual. If Camilo is unjustly convicted a precedent will be set that will threaten our right to use public protest and nonviolent civil disobedience as a way to speak up against injustice. The push for Camilo's unjust conviction is an effort to legitimize the repression of our movements for justice.

People went to Philly during the Republican National Convention (RNC) to demonstrate against police brutality, the increase in construction of jails rather than schools, in favor of affordable housing, healthcare, labor and immigrant's rights and many other issues. They were met with repression, surveillance and brutality by the police in what civil liberties lawyers say was one of the largest violations of First Amendment rights since the Vietnam War.

In the three years since the RNC protest, of the 400+ arrested, 95% have had their cases either dismissed for lack of evidence or have been acquitted. As the prosecutor's cases fell apart in court, a series of investigative reports revealed how far police powers and the judiciary were abused to stifle dissent. Police deployed such tactics as the infiltration of groups, preemptive arrests, preventative detention and mass arrests. Authorities set outlandish and unprecedented bails of up to a million dollars for misdemeanors.

From the onset, RNC protesters where portrayed as violent thugs. Smears and lies, claimed that demonstrators where storing explosive materials in a warehouse that police had infiltrated and knew contained no such materials. Coordinated plans to disrespect protesters' rights where hidden by a smoke screen of anti-protester media manipulation. Police claimed that protestors carried "unknown substances" which turned out to be water bottles. They made absurd claims that arrested protesters smeared themselves with their own feces. Of the many falsified accusations directed at protesters the remaining charges against Camilo are important to expose. Timoney claimed that Camilo was violent to him and another officer, while witnesses and hospital records prove that Camilo was beaten by the police and received a concussion. After Camilo was brutalized he was charged with attacking police. Unfortunately it is a prevalent police cover up tactic to charge those who are attacked by the police with aggravated assault against the police.

Camilo is caught in the very system he was protesting for its inhumanity and brutality. He still faces severe charges. We need to work together to make sure he does not stand alone, after he has struggled to stand up for justice in our communities.

Camilo's trial is set for April 5th. It is the prosecutor's final attempt to try to claim "violent" protesters validate the city's misdeeds and wasted resources. For those who know Camilo and the behavior of Philadelphia's Police during the RNC the charges against Camilo are clearly false. He remains charged with a first-degree felony claimed by then-police commissioner John Timoney, a charge that carries the same potential sentence as homicide. If convicted, Camilo could face 15-40 years in prison!

While Camilo's history, as a non-violent activist is clear, John Timoney has advanced his career from his role in the often-violent repression of activists. He gained national notoriety by repeating his fictionalized accounts of fending off dangerous protesters in Philadelphia. He has replicated his tactics of repression as police commissioner of Miami. After Timoney trampled on protesters rights and the public's security during the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) protest, he earned widespread condemnation including a demand by the Steelworkers as well as the AFL-CIO that he be removed from office.

Timoney has a personal investment in portraying protesters as dangerous. He is presently on a leave of absence from a security firm that specializes in protecting corporate interests. With disturbing national trends that are reducing civil liberties and John Timoney's special role in repression it is important that we work to keep Camilo free and stop the build up of repressive government forces that will be used against social justice activists and people of color.

We need to support Camilo to fight increased government repression and defend our civil liberties!

STEPS YOU CAN TAKE:

1) Write a letter in support of Camilo. Letters from individuals are important, and letters from organizations, national organizations, community groups, tenant associations, unions, religious congregations, etc. are powerful in demonstrating broad based concern. Letters are vitally important for convincing the judge of Camilo's character, and for showing how much damage it would do to the community if he were imprisoned. Letters of support also help increase public and political pressure around the case. Support letters have been received from: U.S. Congressmen Barney Frank and James McGovern, the Boston City Council, the National Organizers Alliance, the National Coalition for the Homeless, Arthur Miller, Mel King, Howard Zinn, and numerous housing, religious, labor and social justice organizations from around the country. Send two copies of your letter, one addressed to the "Honorable Judge Mazzola", one addressed to "To Whom it May Concern", to the following address:

Friends of Camilo

P.O. Box 23169

Providence, RI 02903

For more information or assistance email: stayingstrong@hotmail.com

In your letter, try to address the following points:

*If possible write your letter on organizational letterhead and state your group's members and services provided. If you are not a member of an organization, you can mention community work or an institution you belong to and describe the communities served. If you are writing solely as an individual, it is useful to mention something about yourself (i.e.: you are a student, small business owner, union member etc.).

*Briefly state your concerns regarding the continued prosecution of Camilo. Explain why it would be a shame to deprive the community of the valuable work Camilo does. E.g. Taking him away from his work would be a crisis for the tenants he works with and would add insecurity to the lives of the seniors and low-income tenants who Camilo works with.

*Make a connection between the work you are doing and the work Camilo does. Contact us if you want to learn more about Camilo's work on a particular issue (the website does not contain a comprehensive listing of all the issues Camilo has or is working on.)

* Attest to Camilo's character and reputation as a nonviolent and peaceful person and a level headed community member.

Letter writing guidelines and sample letters can be found at: www.friendsofcamilo.org.
(If the page doesn't load, please try http://www.waste.org/~roadrunner/writing/camilo/ma in.htm)

2) Help generate support in Philadelphia; this is a community issue! We need to let people know that Camilo went to Philly to support the important programs that affect the average Philadelphia. Taxpayers funds have been used to support the criminalization of Camilo rather than to support needed social service programs that Camilo was defending in the first place. As the prosecution against Camilo continues, important community issues are drained financially in order to villainize Camilo with false allegations. If you have suggestions or contacts of Philadelphia community groups or individuals that can help, please contact us at: stayingstrong@hotmail.com.

3) Publicize information about Camilo's case in your internal publications and networks like newsletters, mailings, listserves or website. Having your labor union/labor council pass a resolution to support Camilo would also help (for examples and literature contact us).

4) Download a petition and collect signatures at meetings and events. Download the pamphlet "In Defend of Justice" from www.friendsofcamilo.org and distribute it.

5) Attend events in your area. (There will also be a vigil and solidarity events in Philadelphia during Camilo's trial.) Events are listed on the website.

6) Email: stayingstrong@hotmail.com if you are willing to participate in more, e.g. make phone calls, do research/outreach, organize solidarity events/fundraisers, attend the trial or a press conference, etc.

Note: You are receiving this message because you have expressed interest in Camilo Viveiros' case, or because someone has urged us to contact you. Please be advised that this is NOT a discussion list, but merely a means for us to provide periodic updates (the most bi-monthy) to thousands of supporters. If you don't wish to receive future updates about the case, please reply with remove in the subject heading."