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"You'll have to get over that civil liberties bullshit" says SFPD

by Ben Saari (laidoff [at] sonic.net)
Our small Food Not Bombs group was leaving our van to attand the rally at Jefferson Park when we where detained and harrased by SFPD.
Santa Rosa Food Not Bombs had just parked our van on Eddy and where unloading some food and literature, when a SFPD car pulled up to us. Two officers got out: Faliano badge number 1890 and Ferrigno badge number 290. They approached us and asked what we were doing. We replied parking our van and going to the rally and asked why they wanted to know. They replied that we were dressed in black and had bandannas and fit the profile. We where immediately indignant and expressed it, I noticed 1890 writing down our license plate, I began to take their badge numbers.

1890 then asked for my id, I asked if I was being arrested, he replied I was being momentarily detained, I gave him my id. At this point one of us began to take pictures. 1890 ran a warrant check on me, asked if I'd ever been arrested in San Francisco. I replied not in ten years, the warrant check came back negative and 1890 returned my id. As I was picking up our boxes and preparing to leave I said to 1890 that this kind of harassment, profiling and intimidation has a chilling effect on our right to assemble, speak and protest. He replied "you need to get over that civil rights bullshit, this is the way things are now and you need to let us do our job." I replied he needed to be ready for folks to take down his badge number and resist repression.

At this point 290 who had been fairly quiet said our van had several vehicle code violations and we might be towed or cited. Both officers told my companions that they were free to leave now and this matter only needed my presence. My fellows stayed. Debate between us and the police began to escalate. Passers by, workers and security guards at the adjacent apartment complex where watching closely.

A sergeant then arrived and took over negotiation, while the two original officers went around the van to tally up out vehicle code violations. After some more debate they came back with a fix it ticket, for not having a front plate attached. 1890 said he let us off easy. I asked if he could sign off the ticket now since I had the plate and a screw driver in the van. He refused, as did 290 and sarge. I asked what other violations I had that they didn't site me for. They said nothing. I thanked them loudly for not citing my cracked windshield and we left for the rally.

This event is minor, but it is a part of escalating repression. Most of our crew is young and inexperience a confrontation like this can quickly escalate to arrest and/or violence. The police consciously singled us out for our "black-bloc" appearance, pursued us because of our questions and defiance, tried to split us up and were ultimately reduced to writing a fix it ticket because of our unity and the attention of the people around us
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