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Submitted by Rafael on Wed, 08/15/2007 - 10:42pm.
via myspace - /R Hello friends, I need help to get the word out quickly, so please forward this as appropriate. Apologies for sending this out broadly but please read on a bit and help us get the word to the appropriate folks. We need to find ~ 175 people 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 to get their portion of the settlement $$ (see below to download claim forms.) Sooo.... WHO ELSE DO YOU KNOW who was in Seattle at the WTO protests in 1999? Please pass this along to them and others who could help. (Consider sending to your lists or specific people, adding to your blog, 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. 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@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@drizzle.com) or wtosettlement@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@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@gmail.com, or can@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.
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