[van-announce] Fw: RADIO HOST BEATEN AND ARRESTED

Tue Oct 8 19:18:35 PDT 2002

For more information see: <www.generalstrikenews.ca>

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Alan Ward 
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:; 
Sent: Saturday, October 05, 2002 12:55 AM
Subject: RADIO HOST BEATEN AND ARRESTED

 AFTER 26 HOURS OF ARREST
"LATIN AMERICA AL DIA" HOST
TELLS ABOUT ARRESTS
THAT SHOULD MAKE US ALL WORRY
ABOUT MAINTAINING OUR CIVIL RIGHTS

  Last Thursday October 3rd  "Latin America al Dia" host Murray Bush was beaten and carted off to jail in handcuffs after witnessing police ram a defenseless clown's head into a stucco wall and carry away a 13-year-old child against his will.

  It was a sunny afternoon and about 40 people had congregated in front of a new literacy centre located at the North East corner of Grandview Park, close to the Britannia Community Centre.   There were also at least two dozen police, wearing sun glasses or helmets or helmets with sun glasses, surrounding the building, and there were also police motorcycles parked at the sides.

  Word had gone out that Premier Gordon Campbell was scheduled to speak at 3 p.m. on public/private partnerships in education to mark the opening of the literacy centre.  Canada still being a democracy, the neighbours went there with signs in order to show their disapproval of Campbell's agenda for B.C.  The mood was relaxed and the demonstration small and peaceful.  However, the event was not to be without incident.

  "When I arrived, there were approximately 40 people, some holding banners," says Murray, who had gone there on short notice to cover the event for his Co-op Radio program and to take photographs.  Murray is a free-lance photographer and his pictures have often appeared in Common Borders, Global Exchange, The Long Haul, the downtowneastside.ca website, and the Carnegie newsletter.   

  "There was a guy playing the saxophone, and there was also a clown, with a red nose, who was also an older man and a United Church Minister."  

  Murray has no trouble describing what happened to the United Church Minister, as the event is imprinted on his mind:  

  "There was a tussle with the United Church Minister.  He was surrounded by police who proceeded to brutally handcuff him and move him towards a waiting paddy wagon.  I had no idea why they were doing this.

  Local people called for the police to let him go.

  "Many of the onlookers came over and asked the police to let him go.  I took very good pictures of this.  The police refused, and some members of the community attempted to block the path to the paddy wagon.  

  "The police lifted the Minister's arms behind him.  He was in handcuffs.  They had knocked off his clown nose.  They had also knocked off his hat and his glasses.  

  "They rammed his head into a stucco wall creating a large gash in his forehead.  He was not resisting.  I don't know how old he is.  I guess he is in his 60s and he is a very thin guy."

  Attempts by community members to stop the paddy wagon continued for at least an hour.  The paddy wagon eventually got through the crowd and exited with the minister in it, but the police were not finished.  

  "Following that [the exit of the paddy wagon]," says Murray, "the police walked through the crowd pushing people, grabbing people, for intimidation.  That's when I got arrested.  

  "One of the police had picked up a very young boy and was carrying him out against his will. People were pleading for the policeman to let the boy go.  The policeman was wrestling with the child. The boy was screaming in pain."

  Murray tried to intercede on behalf of the 13-year-old, and he himself became a victim:

  "They kicked me and punched me and put the cuffs on me," recalls Murray.  "I was down on the ground so I don't know how many cops there were, but I could feel several boots kicking me and one hand ripping at my face:  fingers ripping at my nose and my mouth...  I have a cut and a scratch on my chin and nose.   I was then handcuffed behind my back and taken to a paddy wagon with four other people, including the boy, also in handcuffs.  

  "They took us to the parking lot of the Canadian Tire at Hastings & Clark.  There were at least 40 police officers in the parking lot and two paddy wagons and several police cars.  We were held at the parking lot for at least an hour.  We were taken out of the paddy wagon for 5 or 6 minutes each and had our personal belongings removed.  My handcuffs were double locked and I was then returned to the paddy wagon.  Two of the people in the van were juveniles, one of them was the 13-year-old and the other was a 17-year-old.  They were also handcuffed."

  Murray recalls that when they stopped at the Canadian Tire parking lot, some of the police were swearing.  They seemed to be addressing in particular a young fellow who was sitting near Murray in the paddy wagon.  "That's the fucking one," he heard one of the officers say.  The speaker was a policeman who had apparently been hit with something that contained liquid.  "Why don't you get out and we'll settle it," Murray heard the policeman say to the young fellow sitting beside him, while at least 25 other policemen stood at the back of the paddy wagon.  Murray heard his companion say:  "I'm not getting out."

  The prisoners' ordeal continued after they got to the Main & Hastings jail.  

  "We were stripped searched," says Murray.  "I was told to take off my clothes, hold up my genitals and bend over and spread 'my cheeks'."  No reason was given for this by either of the two officers who oversaw the procedure.

  Murray Bush was then held for approximately 26 hours.  

  "The cells were packed with people," Murray tells us.  "In cells designed for two people, they had four.  And we were moved around several times to different cells."

  Each time Murray was moved, he tried unsuccessfully to be allowed to call his lawyer.  "I was told either 'Not now,' or  'The phone has been turned off,' or 'You'll be able to do that soon,' and was never allowed to, nor were the other protestors."

  Murray Bush and others were finally released after a lawyer provided by a community group went to see them.  Murray was surprised at the conditions that were attached to his release:  a promise to appear in court in two weeks on a charge of assault, to stay at least two blocks away from Gordon Campbell, not to carry any explosives or weapons, and not to associate with the other people who were charged.  No explanation was given as to the reason for such strange conditions, totally unrelated both to the character of the person and to the circumstances in question. 

  Reporter Murray Bush can be reached at 604-253-2510, E-mail: mbush at direct.ca
  "America Latina al Dia" is aired at noon on 102.7 FM every Saturday.

  FOR THE BC LATIN AMERICAN CONGRESS 

  ALICIA BARSALLO
  604-879-3246

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