600 ARRESTED AS POLICE SWEEP IAC MARCH IN WASHINGTON AT IMF PROTESTS

If you were arrested in DC, email us with your information

April 15, 2000

On April 15, the International Action Center held the first big action of the convergence weekend in Washington to protest repression in the United States. And the Washington police showed that U.S. repression was alive and well in the capital by making sweeping arrests of 600 demonstrators without warning though the demonstrators were breaking no laws.

The protest was part of the attempt by what is expected to be 10,000 young people to shut down the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. The two bodies that regulate the world’s economy in the interest of the wealthiest and most powerful nations are scheduled to meet April 16 and 17 in Washington.

The arrests came as over a thousand people marched through downtown Washington from the Justice Department to the White House. The IAC had wanted to focus attention of the anti-IMF protests on the prison-industrial complex, the death penalty, rampant police brutality and the state’s attempt to execute political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Even at this early demonstration, it was obvious that students and other young people had come in massive numbers from all over the country. They joined chants to "Free Mumia Abu-Jamal," "Shut down the IMF," "Shut down racism, sexism and homophobia," and "Shut down capitalism."

Sarah Sloan, youth organizer for the IAC, said that "the demonstration started with a few hundred people in front of the injustice department, but the longer we stayed, the bigger it grew. Then when we marched toward the White House our drums and chants attracted many more until we grew to over a thousand people."

Sloan was caught in the police sweep that rounded up the first 600 of what may turn out to be thousands of arrests this weekend as the police roll over the constitutional right to protest.

Among the other IAC activists arrested were Monica Moorehead, who is the coordinator of Millions for Mumia—a group organizing a rally for Mumia Abu- Jamal at the Theater of Madison Square Garden this coming May 7. IAC national co-coordinator Brian Becker was also arrested.

The other IAC co-coordinator, Sara Flounders, said following the arrests that "this blatant show of repression will only make us redouble our efforts to carry on the struggle—to shut down the IMF, to fight U.S. military aggression against Iraq and Yugoslavia, to fight for freedom for Mumia, for all the activities that the IAC is known for."

The International Action Center, founded by former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, has been a leader in the anti-war movement in the United States since the early 1990s.

Press Contact: Deirdre Sinnott

DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF ANTI-IMF/WB/PIC DEMONSTRATORS

Many of the 1,300 people arrested April 15-17 are still in jail and facing very poor conditions, including being denied access to food, water and lawyers. Many are practicing jail solidarity, which means that they withhold identification and information to create pressure to negotiate a deal for everyone's release.

They need pressure from the outside to flood the DC police department, courts and Mayor's office with phone calls demanding their immediate release.

Phone, fax and email-- DC Police Jail Central Holding: 202-727-2894; DC Mayor Anthony Williams: 202-727-2980, email mayor@washingtondc.gov ; Superior Court: 202-879-1010; Chief of Police Charles H. Ramsey: 202-727- 4218, fax 202-727-9524, email: mpdcchief_org@excite.com  

International Action Center
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New York, NY 10011
email: iacenter@iacenter.org
web: www.iacenter.org
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phone: 212 633-6646
fax: 212 633-2889