Following the successful, effective, and by and large peaceful protests and alternative summits that the Pittsburgh community and its allies from across the country quickly organized around the G-20, many of us were shocked by the blatant police repression that we experienced. We faced the denial and delay of permits, illegal denial of actions (like the 3RCC encampment in Schenley Park) even when it had a permit, harassment of the Seeds of Peace Bus, police brutality, and, most dramatically, the temporary occupation of parts of Oakland and the Pitt campus on Thursday and Friday evenings, accompanied by unlawful mass arrests.

     The Thomas Merton Center and the Antiwar Committee held an emergency meeting last Sunday, Sept. 27, attended by about 30 people, to discuss how to respond to this. There was a concern that we had to stand up to this repression so that it doesn’t continue in Pittsburgh or other cities. At that point we called for a meeting this Tuesday at 7pm at the East Liberty Presbyterian Church, room 234.

     We would like to discuss forming a broad-based, democratic coalition, alliance, or at the very least a network with all other people and groups who have been and are affected by these attacks on our rights, including the arrestees, the Pitt students, the African American community that has historically been systematically targeted by police for harassment and brutality, and all other groups that were involved in the G-20 mobilization. I hope that you or representatives of your group can attend this meeting to begin the discussion about how to support the arrestees, achieve justice and accountability, and how we can work together in a truly broad-based alliance.

    Pete Shell
    Co-chair, Thomas Merton Center Antiwar Committee
    Detainee #2668

See also www.whathappenedatpitt.com and the online petition to support arrested students.

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A Community Meeting

7pm, Tuesday, October 6
East Liberty Presbyterian Church Room 234
(Penn & Highland, East Liberty)

Do you seek justice and accountability in the aftermath of the violent paramilitary supression of free speech that took place last month in Pittsburgh?

If you do, you are invited to this community meeting to share ideas and make plans for collaborative action in the days and weeks ahead.

Some of the topics to be discussed at the meeting include:

* How can people best support the arrestees and others who were victimized by the State's crackdown on dissent?

* How can the community help ensure the prompt return of personal property that the police or other agencies confiscated in September?

* How can we raise public awareness about the attacks on civil liberties and human rights that took place in Pittsburgh and hold accountable the individuals and agencies who were responsible for those violations?

* What steps can we take to thwart the "police state" at future mobilizations?

* How do we foster cooperation among the many groups and individuals already working to save and expand our human rights and civil liberties and to make links between the criminalization of dissent, police violence, criminal injustice, and the continuing assault on human rights in the era of Obama?

* What working groups might people want to form to address any of the these concerns?

Please send your suggested agenda items to: accountability@g20media.org

Or join the G20 Accountability googlegroup:
http://groups.google.com/group/g20-accountability

Sponsors:  Thomas Merton Center; Save Our Civil Liberties; 
 If your organization would like to join as sponsors, please email to accountability@g20media.org

For more and up-to-date information about G20 accountability efforts, visit www.g20media.org.