Join us on July 16 on Pacific Avenue to protest the continuing efforts of the federal government to silence patients who use medical marijuana.

Old Time American Flag Burn.
A respectful ritual ceremony and orgiastic celebration of free speech.
FRIDAY, JULY 1st 7 - 10 PM
SEABRIGHT BEACH (right side)
Santa Cruz, CA

The Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana will host the WAMM March for Medical Marijuana on Saturday, July 16th, 2005 at 12 noon on the Pacific Garden Mall, in downtown Santa Cruz.

From racist attacks targeting Lodi, California’s Muslim community, to attempts to silence and imprison political activists in San Francisco and San Diego, dissent and freedom of speech are under attack. As government repression in general increases, so does the use of the federal grand jury to intimidate, incarcerate and render impotent activists across social movements. In recent years, pressure on the animal rights, environmental justice, anti-war and anarchist movements has increased exponentially. Government officials seem anxious to pin the label “terrorist� on anyone that is effectively campaigning against injustice. At a recent hearing before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, John E. Lewis, Deputy Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division of the FBI, testified that, “Investigating and preventing animal rights extremism and eco-terrorism is one of the FBI’s highest domestic terrorism priorities.�

Activists and people of color are not the only people being persecuted, lawyers are feeling the heat as well. On Febuary 10, 2005, New York civil rights attorney Lynne Stewart was convicted of conspiracy, providing material support to terrorists and defrauding the US government. Yet, Stewart never provided any financial support, weaponry or any other concrete aid for any act of terrorism. No act of terrorism is alleged to have resulted from her actions. Lynne and her supporters argue that all she did was represent her client effectively as a good attorney should.

audio: New York Human Rights attorney Lynne Stewart interview

updates:
San Diego: Judge to Hear First Amendment Objections
San Francisco: Reprieve for Activists

resources: FBIwitchHunt.com || Just Cause Law Collective || National Lawyers Guild || No Compromise

George Cadman of Free Radio Santa Cruz interviews New York Human Rights attorney Lynne Stewart about her conviction, the climate of fear and intimidation in this country and what people can do about it. Lynne Stewart will be sentenced in September and faces up to 30 years in prison. The judge has the descretion to give her no prison time, only probation, if he so chooses, so letters to the judge are encouraged.

Audio: download mp3 or download torrent (33:51 minutes / 31 MB)