[mgj-discuss] suit seeks Seattle `99 arrestees

[todd eaton]

i know nothing about the following e-mail.

From: "Christine From: Joe Carr < joecarr at riseup.net> Date: Aug 13, 
2007 5:31 PM Subject: [joeupdates] File claim in 99 WTO protest lawsuit!

Checkout www.lovinrevolution.org for pictures, other reports, music 
and more. <snip>

We need to find ~ 175 individuals who were in Seattle during the WTO 
protests in 1999.

We won an important lawsuit against the city of Seattle which 
violated our rights and these folks need to contact the attorneys by 
AUGUST 28, 2007 if they want their portion of the settlement $$ (see 
below to download claim forms.)

Sooo.... WHO DO YOU KNOW who might have been in Seattle at the WTO 
protests in 1999? Please pass  this along to them and to others who 
might have some connections to those events.  (Consider sending to 
your lists or specific people, adding info to your blog, website or 
announcement lists, and especially, talking to folks.)

Westlake, Dec 1, 1999?        Nov 30, 1999:          Nov 30 1999:

We're specifically trying to be sure all 175 people who were arrested 
at Westlake on December 1, 1999 get this info IMMEDIATELY since they 
have only two weeks left to return their claim (due August 28th, 2007.)

We settled with the city of Seattle for $1,000,000 and each person 
arrested at that location is entitled to a portion of those funds. 
(Hopefully it's clear that ONLY folks arrested at this particular 
time and place are part of this suit and eligible to make these claims.)

A jury found that our 4th amendment rights were violated.  See press
release about the case:
http://www.witheylaw.com/TLPJ-WTOVerdictNewsRelease.pdf and some news
about the settlement: www.witheylaw.com/WTO%20Trial.htm and
www.witheylaw.com/news.htm.

The problem is that after nearly 8 years (and not knowing who was 
actually arrested there), almost everyone has moved or gotten a new 
phone or email. We need to use our networks to reach folks so PLEASE 
HELP get this to them by forwarding on to reduce those degrees of separation.

Again, apologies to folks who may not understand why I'm sending this 
to you or who get this multiple times.  Mostly I tried to think of 
people who might have some connection to the issues, the tactics or 
the regions that brought people to Seattle in 1999.  The hope is that 
you will know how to reach folks that were involved so we can use our 
networks to reach these ~175 people.

As an aside, let me note that many of the 175 folks we've already 
found are still committed to their activism and are planning to put 
the funds they receive BACK INTO their respective MOVEMENTS.  Many of 
us recognize that though ~175 of us will receive a portion of this 
settlement, the victory of this case is a victory for us all.  The 
work happening in the streets in 1999 is ongoing...and I personally 
hope to support that work by funneling my portion of the settlement 
money into groups still doing that work.  Though these arrests 
violated our rights, many of us of are people of relative privilege 
which is another reason to give collectively with these funds.  That 
said, most activists I know rarely have large financial means so this 
will be a rare opportunity for some of us to support financially the 
causes we work so hard on with our other resources.  (My personal 
view of the money I'll be receiving is that it isn't really mine...it 
belongs to all the people (~50,000) who were in the streets in 1999 
opposing the WTO and, even more, to all the people affected by the 
WTO's policies. In 1999,  I was arrested (wrongly, the jury decided) 
speaking out for what I believed in and trying to create change.  In 
2007, I hope to see the funds I'll be getting used to continue that work.)

Thanks and  solidarity,
Erica K
Jane WTO #890
can at drizzle.com
206-568-7110
(still in Seattle)

P.S. You may have heard that director Stuart Townsend has made a movie
about the protests called "The Battle in Seattle."  It's supposed to be
based on true events...but we'll see how true it really is...

Taken in Seattle12-09-07 during the filming of the film:
I just saw that it will premiere at the Toronto International Film
Festival (Sept. 6-15) and  I've heard that it will be released broadly
around....November 30th, 2007.  Many folks recognize that this means our
little piece of history will be spotlighted again for a brief moment in
time, depending on how well the film does. I've heard of some great plans
to reclaim the voices of those actually here to tell the true history of
those days and to bring the multitude of globalization issues back into
our discussions.  Hopefully the arrestees will be announcing our
collective donations at about the same time.
----------------------------------------------------------------

INFO for ARRESTEES
(those arrested mid-morning on December 1, 1999 at Seattle's Westlake Park)

If you are one of the 175 arrested in this situation and you haven't
already turned in your forms, please download the two files below and send
the claim form in by AUGUST 28th, 2007.

Notice of the lawsuit: www.zoopla.net/viewFile.php?fid=4044
Claim form: www.zoopla.net/viewFile.php?fid=4045

DO NOT DELAY!

-----------------------------------------------------

ALSO, let me make a pitch to Westlake arrestees: Let's join together 
and put some or all of our settlement money back into our movements.

A small group of arrestees has put together a preliminary proposal 
that we'd like you to consider about how we can magnify the impact of 
our giving (including hooking up some matching funds.)  From 
conversations with other arrestees, I know many of us do plan to 
donate most or all of our settlement money (after taxes) to our 
communities and to further the work we that brought us to Seattle in 
the first place in 1999.  This proposal provides a forum for us to 
figure out how to collaborate on that. I invite those who receive 
settlement funds to consider participating.

We'll try to send the proposal to anyone who makes a valid claim to 
the settlement dough but, in case we miss you, please email me 
(can at drizzle.com)  or wtosettlement at gmail.com if you are interested 
in this initiative.  Look for this in your email soon. (If you got 
this first email from someone besides me, we probably don't have your 
email so be sure to drop us your current email address so we can include you.)

Again, let's use these funds to continue the work we began in 
1999!  Even if you don't plan to pool your funds with us, we'd love 
to know what other initiatives you use the settlement to support.

In solidarity, Erica Jane WTO #890 can at drizzle.com 206-568-7110

PS.  WESTLAKE ARRESTEES: DON'T FORGET to DOWNLOAD and FILL OUT the 
PAPERWORK by August 28th!!!!

FYI: Sent by attorney Tyler Weaver on May 30, 2007 to a listserve of 
arrestees (but only a few folks are still on it after 8 years):

Only Westlake arrestees have access to this list.  If forwarding this 
to others in the community, please make sure the message contains no 
sensitive legal communications.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Attention all --

I am pleased to finally be able to send you the official, 
court-approved notice of the settlement and the claim form for the 
recent settlement on behalf of those arrested on December 1, 1999, in 
Westlake Park.  These documents are being sent to every person for 
whom we have a street address, and are also attached in .pdf format. 
[see download links above]

The notice describes in detail the settlement, the process for any 
objections and submitting claims, and the various 
deadlines.  Hopefully all of your questions are answered there.  If 
not, there are several avenues, as listed in the notice of the 
settlement, for you to ask questions and receive answers.  If you 
were arrested at Westlake Park on December 1, 1999, the deadline for 
returning your claim form is August 28, 2007.  There's no reason to 
wait that long, however.

I should also note that the settlement does not provide for any 
funding of non-profits or future protest or educational 
activities.  However, if anyone wants to pool all or a portion of 
their settlement funds for a collective action, you can email either 
wtosettlement at gmail.com, or can at drizzle.net for more information, and 
to express your interest and/or participate in the planning 
process.  This is completely and totally voluntary and is not part of 
the settlement, nor a condition to anyone's participation in the 
settlement.  I merely include this information in the event anyone is 
interested in banding together.

If you know of anyone else who was arrested at Westlake Park, please 
forward this message and the attachments to them as soon as possible.

Tyler Weaver Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP.



--
Joe Carr
Kansas Mutual Aid
www.lovinrevolution.org
+1-816-805-7133
joecarr at riseup.net
Checkout www.lovinrevolution.org for Joe Carr's other reports, 
pictures, music and more.

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