[news] Oregon Labor Videographer Arrested: The War On Terrorism At Home

[Gordon Flett]

THE WAR ON TERRORISM AT HOME.
Wes, 09.03.2003 19:29
http://rogueimc.org/2003/03/179.shtml

First Hand Account of the heavy hand of the law:

"Mr. Brain, put your hands behind your back. You are under arrest for
disorderly conduct." Wes Brain is the producer of the Labor TV show OPEU
D4 Productions and is on the Executive Board of SEIU 503.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Friends and Activists:

LAST FRIDAY I WAS ARRESTED WHILE IN MY OFFICE DOING MY JOB FOR THE STATE
OF OREGON.

At approximately 2:45 p.m. on 3/7/03 while at work for the Safety
Department at Southern Oregon University I was sitting at my desk when
an Ashland Police Department Officer stuck her head around the doorway
and asked if I could talk to her for a few minutes. Since the Safety
Dept. (occupational health and safety services for university employees)
shares the same building with the SOU Security Dept. it was not strange
at all seeing Ashland Police in our building. In fact I know many of the
officers and although there are a few bad cops on the local force most
of them do a good job, I have always thought.

I walked out back to the small porch attached to our building and
noticed there were three officers in attendance. Since no one said
anything I started the conversation, "What's Up?" The reply was most
surprising: "Mr. Brain, put your hands behind your back. You are under
arrest for disorderly conduct." They failed to reveal it, but later I
found out that the charges for diorderly conduct are twofold with an
additional impeding a police officer charge. Two days later as I write
this I am still in utter shock and disbelief...

Since anything I say can be used against me, and since I have not talked
to my lawyer yet, and since I am paranoid that the FBI monitors my
electronic messages, and since I believe our system of justice is
fundamentally corrupt... I will only give you the short and sweet
version right now...

On 3/5/03 in Ashland Oregon there was a very successful and well
attended peace march and rally called "Books Not Bombs", and ours was
part of a national day of action against the impending Iraq war by
students all across the U.S.. Our new Rogue Valley Independent Media
Center had the best local media coverage of this event:

 http://www.rogueimc.org/2003/03/143.shtml

So on the day in question I took 4.5 hours of vacation time to be a
journalist and video tape this event (activists never take real
vacations, they use such time for peace and justice). Here in Southern
Oregon we broadcast regular programming on Rogue Valley Community
Television (RVTV), that's our access televison station and the show
highlights progressive issues about Labor, Human Rights, and the
Environment (M & W, 6PM, Ch.#31)...

That day I shot one hour and 41 minutes of raw footage which shows the
colorful march and rally with 500 or 600 (some say more) students
demonstrating that money for war should instead be spent on education
(books not bombs). This footage shows some of the things not reported by
the local mainstream media like the SWAT team that was called in from a
neighboring county to square off against our peacefully protesting
students. This footage looks like it is taken from another planet, I
mean can you imagine riot cops squaring off against young kids? Blanked
from coverage in the local press, it happened. My footage also shows the
tail-end of a scuffle in the street which shows the Ashland Police
throwing people to the ground. I did not capture the beginning of this
incident but do have an interview of someone who says she saw it from
the start and that the police instigated the scuffle.

Well, two days later on March 7th they came and arrested me, I told you
that part... I have no idea why. But am fearful that the war on
terrorism is more a war against anybody who speaks out against the war
mongering and foolish, corporate bought & paid for leadership of this
country. Period.

Stay tuned. Arrainment is 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 11 in Municipal Court
here in Ashland. More vacation time required, damn it, so that I can
prove myself innocent and stand proud for protecting our First
Ammendment Rights here in little ol' Ashland, Oregon. It is an important
fight and I am ready for the cause. Please come to the court arrainment.
Attendance of supporters is encouraged and appreciated.

Wes Brain
Brain at mind.net