2007-08-15

Seattle 1999: Was anyone at Westlake on Dec 1, 1999? Please forward.

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.
(Hopefully it’s clear that ONLY folks arrested at this particular time
and place are part of this suit and eligible to make these claims.)

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
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.

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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

NOT DELAY!

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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.

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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.