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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Niketown 7 are Free! |
Current rating: 0 |
by VJW, photo by Paul Grubb
Email: vicwelle (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified!) |
27 Aug 2001
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Charges dropped in the case of seven Loyola Students Against Sweatshops charged with disorderly conduct and criminal trespass. |
 Charges dropped in the case of seven Loyola Students Against Sweatshops charged with disorderly conduct and criminal trespass. |
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Charges have been dropped in the case of seven Loyola Students Against Sweatshops charged with disorderly conduct and criminal trespass during a protest at Niketown Chicago. On the morning of August 27, Nike sent a representative to the courthouse where the jury trial was slated to begin for the seven Loyola students arrested in January. At that time, the prosecuting attorney revealed that Nike was not going to proceed with the case, and all were free to go. The lawyer for the seven, Melinda Power, speculated that the prosecution realized that the case against the seven was very weak, and Nike knew it would only be in for more bad publicity if the trial went forward. |
See also:
http://chicago.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=4178&group=webcast
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More: CHARGES AGAINST NIKETOWN SEVEN DROPPED |
by LoyolaSAS
vicwelle (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
27 Aug 2001
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Charges were dropped against seven Loyola University students, who were arrested on January 27th at Niketown for civil disobedience in support of workers at the Kukdong factory in Puebla, Mexico.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 27, 2001 CHARGES AGAINST NIKETOWN SEVEN DROPPED. Contact: Jamie Leslie 773-907-8021 jlesli1 (at) luc.edu Victoria Welle 773-338-1739 pazvic (at) onebox.com Chicago, IL: Charges were dropped against seven Loyola University students, who were arrested on January 27th at Niketown for civil disobedience in support of workers at the Kukdong factory in Puebla, Mexico. While trying to organize and independent union, workers at the factory went on strike and were subsequently attacked and fired. To help bring attention to this situation, the students entered the store, dropped leaflets, and hung a banner. After attempting to deliver a letter of the workers' demands to the manager, the seven members of Loyola Students Against Sweatshops were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing. The worker rights activists had asked for a jury trial and prepared seven months for it. During those seven months the defendants were prohibited from returning to the Niketown store in violation of their first amendment rights. "Although we are happy to have the charges dropped, we know that Nike did this only because it was a lost battle for them either way. The thought of having seven university students found guilty for civil disobedience would have created more bad press for them and raised more awareness of the situation at the Kukdong factory," said Tom Strunk, a fifth year Ph.D. student. Workers at the factory are still fighting to obtain recognition of their independent union, SITEKIM. Contrary to precedence, most of the workers who were initially fired have been rehired due to the workers' ongoing struggle and the international solidaritycampaign being lead by United Students Against Sweatshops. |
