Protesters: Video captured civil rights abuses during FTAA talks
CORALIE CARLSON
Associated Press
MIAMI - Protesters showed videotape Wednesday of last week's trade talks in which police in riot gear trampled a protester, shot rubber bullets at an attorney who had her back turned and chased away a demonstrator who had silently kneeled before them in prayer.
The footage was taped by the Independent Media Center, which had about 30 journalists with video cameras at the Free Trade Area of the Americas meeting and protests, said Sara Kendall, one of the journalists. She said four of their broadcast-quality video cameras were confiscated or broken.
The protests turned sporadically violent in the final days of the talks. Some of the thousands of demonstrators threw objects and fired slingshots at officers; police hit protesters with batons, zapped them with stun guns and dispersed them with gas and sprays.
The video, which Kendall said was edited from footage from about six cameras, was played at a press conference Wednesday in downtown Miami but was not immediately released to the public.
The footage showed a young man by himself on his knees with his hands folded in prayer in front of a line of riot police.
Several police ran out of the line, pushed him with their riot shields and he fled to the sound of gun shots. Police shot rubber bullets and bean bags during the sometimes violent demonstrations.
The video also showed a woman in a dress suit and red blazer holding a poster and standing in front of the demonstrators She identified herself to police as an attorney and said she was unarmed.
When she turned her back to the police, she was shot in the back of the leg with a rubber bullet. Another time, as police opened fire on the protesters, she huddled beneath her sign for protection, but was still hit in the face.
In another scene, police were moving forward in a line when a protester fell in front of them. His friend unsuccessfully tried to help him up as the police walked over him.
The rest of the video depicted protesters with bloody faces, police spraying pepper spray or tear gas at demonstrators, and scuffles between police and protesters.
Miami police did not return several calls Wednesday afternoon seeking comment.
However, in a letter to the AFL-CIO released Wednesday, Police Chief John Timoney said his department will review the FTAA security operation and produce a public report. Timoney also defended the police action, saying police placed primary emphasis on avoiding the use of force.
"I very much regret every occasion when police have to resort to force to overcome a violent attack," he said in the letter.
The AFL-CIO and other civil rights groups have said police abused demonstrators during last week's trade talks, arrested them without cause and denied them restrooms, water and phones.
Amnesty International and demonstrator's groups called Wednesday for a full and independent into police practices during the trade talks.
A coalition called Save Our Civil Liberties demanded that Timoney, Miami-Dade Police Chief Carlos Alvarez, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas be removed from their offices and held criminally responsible. The group also demanded that all charges against all demonstrators be dropped.
Protesters, journalists and a volunteer medic told how they were arrested or beaten or both.
"This was a paramilitary assault," said Naomi Archer, a spokeswoman for South Floridians for Fair Trade and Global Justice. "There has to be some accountability."
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Hang together or we will all surely hang separately.