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News :: Crime & Police |
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CHAMPAIGN POLICE CRACK DOWN ON JAY-WALKERS WITH POLITICAL OPINIONS |
Current rating: 0 |
by Sandra Ahten
Email: spiritofsandra (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified!)
Phone: 217-367-6345 |
19 Oct 2002
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Two anti-war protesters were issued citations by the Champaign Police Department at a protest organized by AWARE, the local "Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort." The demonstration took place on Prospect Avenue just south of Marketview Drive on Saturday, October 19, 2002. |
CHAMPAIGN POLICE CRACK DOWN ON JAY-WALKERS WITH POLITICAL OPINIONS
Two anti-war protesters were issued citations by the Champaign Police Department at a protest organized by AWARE, the local "Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort." The demonstration took place on Prospect Avenue just south of Marketview Drive on Saturday, October 19, 2002.
Those arrested were Ellen Fireman and Michael Weissman, both professors at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. They were issued $75 citations for jay-walking.
AWARE has organized various protests around Champaign and Urbana during the past year. The protests began in the spring of 2001 with a regular demonstration near the Urbana Free Library by "Ladies Against War," in opposition to the bombing of Afghanistan. These protests later moved to
Saturdays at the interstate exit at Prospect Avenue. The police have never objected to the protesters' presence.
Other demonstrations took place before the Chicago Bears' football games, initially at Lincoln near Green in Urbana. At that demonstration, literature was handed out for the first time. The next two protests took place on Kirby Avenue, and literature was again handed out. Police gave no warnings, formal or informal, that this was illegal or inappropriate.
ENRAGED DRIVER INDICATES HE WILL "RUN OVER" PROTESTERS
Last week, October 12, 2002 saw the first of what AWARE members hoped would be a weekly presence on Prospect Avenue. While the protesters were met with a lot of positive enthusiasm -- including having people who were driving by stop to join their effort -- they were also met with negative responses. In the most serious, a vehicle left the roadway, drove across the grass, and pulled onto the sidewalk -- threatening the protesters. A woman who had her back turned narrowly missed injury; she was pulled out of the way by her partner. The driver then pulled onto the grass several times -- all the while shouting expletives at the peace protesters. The police were called by the protesters and provided with the license plate number of the offender. The police assured Kimberlie Kranich, protest organizer, that they would "go talk to" the offender.
The Champaign Police department reports that the status of that investigation was "still open" and that no arrests have been made. The investigating officer is Officer Standifer and the Investigation number is #70212351.
The Champaign police acted with significantly more dispatch when the crime was jay-walking rather than endangerment. This week the protest started at 2pm, and the citations were issued almost immediately. Ms. Fireman, who had not attended protests or AWARE meetings previously, was not aware of the laws prohibiting her being on the street and was actually between two lanes of traffic as the police came over the over-pass, heading north. Mr. Weissman was simply stepping off the curb, offering a flier to cars stopped at the red light. Two police stopped their vehicle and ordered all of the protesters to gather in a nearby parking lot. When one of the officers indicated that they would be issuing a citation to the two on the street, the group asked if they could issue a warning instead."I could, but I'm not going to," was the answer. Several members of the protest group reported that the policeman insisted that the jaywalkers were responsible for the traffic jam at the intersection. This reporter noticed that throughout the afternoon, there was a traffic jam in spite of the fact that the protesters stayed on the sidewalk. There was high traffic volume, resulting in backup in all four Directions at the intersection, as is usual on Saturday afternoon on Prospect Avenue.
Fireman and Weissman were ordered to leave the scene, and the group was told that they would be arrested if they were on the grass beside the sidewalk or on the street. They were only allowed to be on the sidewalk. The group sustained a presence on Prospect Avenue through the afternoon.
AWARE meetings are held at the Indy Media Center, 218 W. Main, Urbana IL, every Sunday from 5-7pm. All are welcome. |
See also:
http://www.anti-war.net
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Police Activism? |
by Meg
blue2 (nospam) net66.com (verified) |
Current rating: 0
20 Oct 2002
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Nice to hear the serve and protect folks have such high priorities. So distributing information is more of an affront to society than vehicular harassment? If this is how expression is treated in the land of the free -- and the heartland, no less -- we are in for a bumpy future. Maybe fighting that war to protect freedom in Iraq will make this all better. |
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Correction |
by Sandra Ahten
spiritofsandra (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
20 Oct 2002
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The driver did not pull onto the grass -- only onto the sidewalk, according to correcting reports from an eyewitness. Sorry for the error -- it does not change the nature or scope of the endangerment -- but I wanted to be factually correct. |
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C-U Copwatch? |
by Paul R.
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: -1
20 Oct 2002
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When the cops are watching us so intently, who's watching the cops? Sounds like maybe little ol' C-U needs a cop-watch program to spring into action.
How consistent are the laws against jawalking enforced? My prediction: only when lots of people--especially businesses-complain.
Sadly, the activists of AWARE are probably experiencing just a taste of what the residents of Champaign's north end deal with daily.
Maybe the public i needs to publish more pictures of our local cops in action... at the Colonial Pantry... outside frat bars... north of Bradley Ave.
I hope Ms. Fireman and Mr. Weissman will challenge these citations in court. That they were handing out literature--consistent with their First Amendment rights--speaks volumes about the selective and harassing nature of these citations.
AWARE, keep up the good work. |
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Re: CHAMPAIGN POLICE CRACK DOWN ON JAY-WALKERS WITH POLITICAL OPINIONS |
by Lynette
lcbnew2005 (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
20 Oct 2005
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Need to pay a citation for jay walking in Alameda Co, dont have my ticket/docket slip.
Moved from that county to Sonoma co CA
Please let me know how I can find out about taking care of it. thanks, lcbnew2005@yahoo.com |
