Chicago Cops Raid Countermedia During Clinton's Speech

http://Mediafilter.org/guest/Pages/September.17.1996.23.36.45

This Event Happened in Chicago
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Date: Sun, 1 Sep 1996 23:29:56 -0500 (CDT) From: Dharma Subject: the brouhaha in Chicago Subject: Countermedia

Counter Media is a group of media makers and individuals who got together about four months ago to gather and disseminate information about protests and actions taking place here in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention. We planned five projects for the last two weeks of August: First we had a fundraising Unconventional Film & Video Festival, a two week shin dig showing flicks by and about activists such as "The Murder of Fred Hampton", "Gringo in Manana Land", "AIDSCREAM", and (Ms.)treating Prisoners. In all, we showed 26 films with discussions afterwards mostly led by the film makers' themselves. We also opened an office available to all national alternative media to use during the democratic convention to find the locations and directions of the many protests, etc. But mainly we were interested in facilitating the coverage of as many protests and acts of civil disobedience as we could find. Towards those ends, we worked with the national radio show "Making Contact" plus did both radio and TV broadcast of our own show "Off the Record." The last of which was uplinked through Deep Dish television to over 150 TV stations around the country. Not satisfied with that, we also developed a web site were we could give immediate updates on events as they occurred complete with pictures of scanned- in photos and stills from video.

Are you confused? Does this sound like a MEDIA project to you?

Apparently the Chicago police and whatever other law enforcement agencies that descended upon Chicago this week were unable to distinguish a camera from a bomb. Though we were doing nothing illegal and running a completely open office no law enforcement agency, to my knowledge, contacted us directly and asked us what we were doing. According to yesterday's Chicago Tribune, police claim activists were "posing" as journalists - and that "confused" them.

A few months ago it would have been illegal and embarrassing for the Chicago police to have several officers force their way inside of a media van full of videographers without a warrant while just ten feet from the front of a march of several hundred people, like they did this week to our clearly marked Counter Media van at the front of the Cash the Check march this week. But now a warrant is not needed because the police don't need a warrant when they "suspect" a bomb. Perhaps they thought the bomb was in the 35mm film cameras from which officers ripped the film out, exposing to light the images of them entering the van. They fell upon similar "suspicions" the very next day when they pulled over another Counter Media vehicle for "failure to use a turn signal." The videographer and driver were told that the vehicle which contained several individuals' video equipment and personal belongings was going to the FBI to make sure it didn't have "a bomb". By "bomb" did they mean the video tapes showing the illegal(?!) entry into our van the day before? Or the video of the arrest of yet another of our videographers at an abortion clinic during an Operation Rescue/Clinic Defense action? By "bomb" could they be talking about the video tape of several young black man from Henry Horner Homes, the housing project directly adjacent to the United Center where the DNC was taking place, rapping to us about the harassment by law enforcement prior to the convention: "They told us, there's *always* evidence. Even when there isn't evidence, there's *always* evidence." But what damage we did is done, our footage was edited and uplinked to public access and public TV stations all over the country.

Meantime we're still trying to deal with the damage the police did. The young black men that appeared on our TV show were arrested a few hours after they were interviewed in a sweep that all other media groups will tell you didn't happen -because they weren't there. We still haven't got the minivan or any of it's contents back. Charges are still pending against six of our camera people and as of today, we are still getting reports of individuals identified as involved with Counter Media being harassed and threatened by law enforcement. Many tapes were destroyed and cameras were purposefully broken as they were confiscated.

If all of this sounds deeply disturbing, perhaps you should take a breath before you read on. On the last day of the DNC, members of an anti-nuclear group who had been driving around a truck that has a mock-up cask showing how nuclear waste is transported were also arrested. Organizers of the Festival of Life, a week long free speech event taking place in two of Chicago's lakeside parks, were arrested in arrests that took place away from the crowds. The state's attorney is planning to prosecute them for trumped up federal offenses that carry up to two years in jail.

Just as the President's prime-time brouhaha began Thursday evening, one of the most disturbing events of all took place. Having assured themselves that no cameras were around, several police officers burst forth warrantless into one of the buildings leased for use to the Active Resistance conference. Active Resistance has been host to over 700 activists from throughout North America and Europe who came to Chicago to attend workshops and discussion groups on issues ranging from community organizing to alternative economics. Several participants report that when they demanded a warrant they were told, "We don't need a warrant, we believe you're conspiring against the US. Government." Police then proceeded to another property leased to AR, which was successfully evacuated prior to the officers arrival. Two people were hospitalized for pepper-spray injuries. Without a warrant and without arrests at either location, the police were able to successfully turn people from all over the world, terrified and without their belongings, out into the night streets and still maintain deniability that the raid took place at all. Yesterday's Chicago Tribune reports the police as claiming that the raid was a stunt caballed between Active Resistance organizers and Counter Media volunteers.

Considering that the 23 arrests we know of are spread among such a variety of groups (not including the Horner arrests), easily involving over 1500+ individuals, it remains to be seen how law enforcement intends to maintain deniability of the many violations that have taken place over the past few weeks.

This is the most accurate report I can give at this time. There is still information trickling in from the various individuals and groups involved. But since I worked in the CounterMedia office, where stringers were being dispatched, protestors were calling, faxing, and stopping by, and national alternative journalists were hanging out, I may be as likely a candidate as anyone to have a somewhat complete overview.

Dharma Dailey
CounterMedia Office Coordinator

CounterMedia (312) 243-8342. Fax: (312) 243-8406. http://www.cs.uchicago.edu/cpsr/countermedia/
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