Few protester injury claims backed by evidence

KaMaKaZe

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Fulfilling today's promise...

Sounds like a bunch of wussie pansies to me..

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Few protester injury claims backed by evidence, newspaper reports

The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (August 20, 2000 9:59 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - Only a handful of allegations leveled by protesters regarding police abuse at the Republican National Convention are reportedly backed by medical evidence.

Protesters have accused police and prison guards of 295 instances of mistreatment and abuse, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. But in interviews with nearly two dozen activists alleging some of the more serious claims, the newspaper found only two cases yielded corroborating medical evidence.

Many of the more serious allegations were found to have no supporting evidence beyond eyewitness accounts, the newspaper reported.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the only lawsuit filed so far was by people who volunteered as medics during the protests claiming they were mistreated by police during convention demonstrations July 31 to Aug. 3.

No lawsuits alleging abusive jail treatment have been filed as a result of the 391 arrests of protesters. Lawyers said it will take time to collect evidence.

Those arrested have accused the police of everything from psychological harassment to torture. A number of protesters said officers regularly pulled plastic handcuffs extremely tight to inflict pain. Many said they were bound ankle to wrist, bending forward.

"It's absolutely absurd," said John M. Gallagher, special adviser to Police Commissioner John F. Timoney. "Where are all the injuries for all these people who were tortured?"

Some of the more serious accusations, such as of having been beaten or choked, were the result of incidents that allegedly took place while activists were, by their own admission, being uncooperative, the newspaper said.

So far, none of the protesters have filed complaints about jail treatment with the city Commission on Human Relations or the Police Advisory Commission, a police review board comprised of citizens.

However, Lt. Sean J. Doris, a supervisor in the detention unit, said that some officers had a few complaints about the protesters.

He said officers had complained of back strain from lifting people who refused to move and that a few officers requested earplugs to drown out persistent chanting and door banging by the protesters.

"The noise was unreal," Doris said.

Doris accused protesters of throwing back at guards the cheese sandwiches that they were given as food. He also said some, after drinking the iced tea that came with the sandwiches, used the empty cartons to splash urine from cell toilets onto the floor.

Protesters have denied the claims.

"Some of the claims may go more to the conditions in prison needing to be improved," said Larry Frankel, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania.

The police detention unit is monitored by 16 surveillance cameras.
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The story can be found HERE.

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God, Guns and Guts made this country a great country!

[This message has been edited by KaMaKaZe (edited August 21, 2000).]
 
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