Tacoma SDS

This is a 30 minute film made by activists in Tacoma, Vancouver, Seattle and Bellingham. Represent!

Ground Noise and Static is a documentary report on the protests that occurred in connection with the 2008 Democrat and Republican National Conventions. The Seattle-based Pepperspray Productions and Vancouver-based subMedia.tv teamed up in Denver and St. Paul to take the pulse of the justice movement in the US. Corporate media went to these conventions to cover the platitudes of politicians and to fight with microphone brokers for their manufactured ideas.

Mixed animation and archival footage, “Chicago 10” explores the buildup to and unraveling of the 1968 Chicago Conspiracy Trial. Pacific Lutheran University will host a free premiere screening of “Chicago 10” before the show debuts on broadcast television as part of an Independent Television Service (ITVS) series airing on PBS. Local viewing of this intriguing documentary is sponsored by PLU’s MediaLab and ITVS Community Cinema Tacoma.

The 70-minute documentary will be shown in Rm. 100 of Ingram Hall at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25. A discussion will follow.

A police report claimed that the reason they attacked people last night and arrested others was because "[the protestors] were carrying rocks and other items that could be used to threaten public safety".

But a trained observer on the scene disputes that:

I was a Legal Observer working with the People's Law Project and the National Lawyer's Guild and as such i was right in the middle of all the action last night.

First, in regard to the reports from authorities that protesters were carrying or throwing rocks, I observed no one carrying or throwing rocks, that isn't to say that it didn't occur but as a trained observer who was every bit as well positioned as the police I saw no such activity.

Second, in the very first instance where pepper spray was used against the activists there was considerable distance between the protesters and police and the protesters were complying with the chants that were being shouted by the police to "Move Back".

Three Olympia activists and one Portland activist who have been involved with PMR and SDS at one point or another and groups and community organizing projects too numerous to list were arrested yesterday at the DNC demonstrations in Denver. They are Wally Cuddeford, Lillia Lassiter, Jeff Berryhill and Mary Sackley (from Portland). They were each charged with several offenses, including loitering, interfering with police, etc.

The bail is $530 each and we already have a few hundred. If they are not bailed out, they will remain in the Denver jail until September 2nd or 3rd. Please, please call Kelly Beckham if you can help out in any way. We need money. 360-561-6568

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