WOW...Protest in Boston...Army recruiting office (photos)

[diamond14]

JP, full name Joe Privetera, has since been charged with a felony for exercising his freedom of speech.

full story here...
http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/98510/index.php

[tabasco]

1. Outrageous!

The felony charge will surely be dropped but this is still an unacceptable infringement of free speech. I hope the ACLU gets involved.

[bobbieinok]

2. article appalling ---------WHY FELONY???????

[diamond14]

5. because we are now in BUSH"S AmeriKKKa....no more civil rights...

all dissenters will be jailed....



you must understand:

any STANDING ON PUBLIC SIDEWALKS that is offensive to bush* will result in severe punishment...

[jpgray]

3. What the hell is he doing that is worthy of a felony charge?

Unless we're not getting the whole story here, this is just outrageous--standing outside the recruitment office is a crime?

[Eric J in MN]

7. The theory is that the crate could have been a bomb, so

The theory is that the crate could have been a bomb, so this is a bomb hoax.

Obvously, it's a crate and not a bomb.
------------------------------------------------
http://boston.indymedia.org/newswire/display/21879/index.php


Joe Previtera, a twenty one year old student at Boston College, was arrested Wednesday and charged with felonies after dressing as a hooded Iraqi prisoner in front of a military recruitment center on Tremont St. in downtown Boston. In his arraignment today a Suffolk County District Attorney suggested that Mr. Previtera's bail be set at $10,000. However, a National Lawyers Guild attorney and Mr. Previtera's mother, also an attorney, persuaded the judge to free Previtera on personal recognizance.

Previtera faces misdemeanor charges of disturbing the peace and felony charges of making a false bomb threat and using a hoax device. The charges apparently reflect the District Attorney's concern that Mr. Previtera might have been mistaken for a terrorist. Witnesses say that passersby seemed unconcerned by Mr. Previtera's actions.

After his release today, Previtera said his arrest took him completely by surprise. "I did this hoping that the image of an abused Iraqi prisoner might make people think twice about joining the military ... both for their own safety and because of the abuses they might be asked to committ. Is it reasonable that I face greater punishment for my free speech than do the soldiers who actually committ abuses? Well, this is post-911 America, isn't it?"

[jpgray]

10. I see

Seeing as he was examined by some inhabitants of the office, and the wires in his hands were likely not attached to the milk crate (which is open to view, being a mesh), and there is photographic evidence that this is the case, I hope some of these officers get the book thrown at them. Disturbing the peace?

[AbbeyRoad]

15. That excuse about a bomb is horseshit

God, that pisses me off. I can look at the pic and see there is no bomb. He faces a felony charge for exercising his freedom of speech? He is so right when he points out the irony of the seriousness of the charges he faces in relation to the people who frickin' TORTURED people.

They are using scare tactics. If you speak up against the Bush regime, you might go to prison so you all better sit down and shut up. Argh! :mad:

[thebaghwan]

16. Why don't we all send the Suffolk County Massachusetts District Attorney

some dog shit. No, No, don't do that it could be taken as a shit bomb. Disregard completely.

[Radical Activist]

26. I've seen that excuse used before

To tow away the cars of 8 people who went to a peace rally. The claim was that the cars could have contained bombs since they were abandoned at a shopping center. The protestors were directly across the street for two hours.

[struggle4progress]

11. They're accusing him of making bomb threats and ...

displaying a hoax bomb. This seems to be complete fiction. He should sue for malicious prosecution and abuse of process.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Are there special rules about what you can and cannot do

around armed forces institutions?

Vets, please let us know!

[Eloriel]

6. I LOVE THIS! Thank you, thank you, JP and colleagues! n/t

[sandnsea]

8. false bomb threat, hoax device

The mother fuckers. I knew that's what they'd done half way through the first story, when they said they'd looked at the wiring. Outrageous, this is going to get thrown out of court, has to.

"Previtera faces misdemeanor charges of disturbing the peace and felony charges of making a false bomb threat and using a hoax device. The charges apparently reflect the District Attorney's concern that Mr. Previtera might have been mistaken for a terrorist. Witnesses say that passersby seemed unconcerned by Mr. Previtera's actions."

http://boston.indymedia.org/newswire/display/21879/index.php

[Eric J in MN]

9. the disturbing the peace charge is as bogus as the bomb threat charge

The disturbing the peace charge is as bogus as the bomb threat charge.

The First Amendment is meaningless if any protestor can be charged with "disturbing the peace."

I hope he sues for false arrest.

[Straight Shooter]

12. G.I. Joe

Get Indignant

:yourock:

[kiahzero]

13. This is ridiculous

Previtera faces misdemeanor charges of disturbing the peace and felony charges of making a false bomb threat and using a hoax device. The charges apparently reflect the District Attorney's concern that Mr. Previtera might have been mistaken for a terrorist. Witnesses say that passersby seemed unconcerned by Mr. Previtera's actions.

First - that presumes that the individual being tortured was a terrorist.

Second - an individual is not responsible for the misconceptions of others when exercising their First Amendment rights.

This is a clearcut case; he was on public property, exercising his Free Speech rights. This prosecution is clearly a violation of the Free Speech clause of the Constitution.

[Oddman]

14. If you are not for us . . .

you are against us . . .

scary . . .

[ConcernedCanuk]

17. Sure a good thing they caught this "dangerous" person!

.
.
.











welcome to your new United States of America

Land of the Free!!


. .

[Poor Richard]

18. two words

Malicious Prosecution

what utter bull shit

[AbbeyRoad]

19. Yeah, Land of the Free...

where you can have your freedom taken from you for exercising your freedom of speech. It's quite sad and frightening at the same time.

[cease_fire]

20. Kick this - until the mainstream picks it up

Well, here it is folks - outright persecution of free speech. Complete disregard for 1st amendment rights. Utter contempt for anyone that doesn't "Stay On Message".

This cannot, must not go unreported.

Look what they've done to our country!

Can I be pulled over for a bumper sticker now? What about a T-Shirt, or a Button that says "Torture is Wong - see?"

What about this post? What if I write "The lack of moral character and fundamental planning of the * administration resulted in torture of POW's" - am I now subject to arrest on a trumped up charge of Internet terrorism?

Must...Not...Let...This...Go...

[Eloriel]

31. Just no wires, please. They apparently freak the cops out.

Even if they're not attatched to anything but your hands.

[newyawker99]

34. Hi cease_fire!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Oddman]

22. That is a scary sequence of photos . . .

Ashcroft at the helm . . .

[qanda]

29. These photos prove that they didn't believe it was a bomb

Unless we aren't privy to the bomb sniffing dog photos and the bomb squad photos.

[proud patriot]

21. A Felony ??????????????????

Nope that's just plain wrong

[elf]

24. How can we learn

what happened to this guy?

Does somebody try to follow the story??

[psychopomp]

23. Kick

Thanks, Joe.

[Th1onein]

25. Thank God for actions like these.........THESE are the heros.

[Elidor]

27. The policy is clear: Intimidation

They know the charges cannot stand. But many people will think twice before putting themselves in this situation. Just like the arrestees in "1st amendment zones." JP is a brave man. My hat is off to him.

The article does not specify exactly what the charge is. There is no such crime as "exercising your freedom of speech." Or rather, there is, but they must give it a technical name, such as disturbing the peace, which is generally a misdemeanor.

[John_H]

28. Fake it here it's a felony. Really do it in Iraq and it's a frat prank.

God, I hope this hits the major media.

[GreenPartyVoter]

33. Ouch! Well-said!

[AbbeyRoad]

30. Kick [n/t]

[Karenina]

32. Kick!

:kick:

[kimchi]

35. Welcome son to 1984!

Milk crates are strictly forbidden, as are hoods.
That is all.

[bloom]

36. Forcing people to face up to the abuse

seems to really upset some people.

Like the gallery in San Francisco and the abuse painting... the gallery owner punched in the face...

and the hoods on statues in Washington State...


we need more of this.

[jeff5]

37. Wishful Thinking...

I certainly hope there will be a thousand of these every day of the Republican Convention.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

38. I wonder how this will pan out... eom

[symbolman]

39. This reminds me of what I did

at Times Square in NYC last November -- I called it "Warnography" where I made a 5 foot coffin from black construction paper and cardboard (looked very real) draped it with an american flag and a lily and laid it at the feet of the Recruitment center on the Island center of Time Square - there was a 40 foot screen showing all the Army of ONE commercials - kids basically skateboarding into Iraq,etc..

You can watch it here: http://www.takebackthemedia.com/warnography.html

The cops were called eventually but I'd already made my speech in front of the 40 foot screen and left when they told me the ARMY owned that little concrete island in the middle of TS..

I have been urging people to do this, leave coffins everywhere public.. THAT will work..

COngrats to this brave and courageous young man, it's tough doing this, I was scared at what might happen..

Let's get the word out so that the gets a Lawyer!

[Karenina]

40. The A.D. says...

Back to ONE! :kick:

[Canuckistanian]

41. The new maxim

Anything that is not prohibited (free speech) is mandatory (praising Bush).

[roach23]

42. what it is

They are charging him with a felony to be sure he can't vote in the election. We'll see how long they drag the charges on, and he'll probably be on a purge list, even if all the charges are dropped!!

[bobbieinok]

43. kick

[thecrow]

44. KICK!!! eom

[usregimechange]

45. This guy is my hero! nt

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

46. Are recruiting centers considered federal property?

If that is true, would that have caused this "bomb hoax" bullshit to be taken more seriously, or carry a greater penalty?

[usregimechange]

47. kick, nt

[truthspeaker]

48. kick cause I like this guy

any news?