Wednesday, August 22, 2007

North Providence Anti-Police-Brutality Rally

Repeating info from an earlier post, just to be on the safe side...

Despite our hopes of having a march from the North Providence Town Hall to the North Providence Police Station, after our meeting with the police and mayor the compromise solution is to have a rally at:
  • The North Providence High School (1828 Mineral Spring Ave, North Providence, RI; see below) on Sunday, August 26 at 1:30PM.

This event:
  • is a demonstration to make our peaceful nature evident to the entire state and region
  • will accomplish our goals of publicizing Alex's brutal attack while assuring the safety of everyone who attends against extremely hostile elements.
If you want more info call Mark Bray at (201) 669 0714.

We will post more info (an updated flier, etc.) soon. If you want to get involved with posting fliers near where you live, call the number above, e-mail albiorix80@yahoo.com, or download the one we will post and make your own copies.

Nebraska March in Solidarity with North Providence Anti-Brutality Rally

From a list-serv...

Nebraskans for Peace and the Nebraska Coalition for Peace are organizing a march starting at the Nebraska Capital Building and finishing at the Nebraska State Federal Building. There will be a vigil at the end for Providence IWW member and Nebraska native Alex Svoboda who was attacked by police on August 11 at an IWW picket in North Providence.

The march will begin at 12:30 CT to coincide with the start of the North Providence Anti-Police Brutality Rally, which will begin at 1:30 ET.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Workers group says it will seek permit for a second march in North Providence

Update, 8/22/07: The "second march" will actually be a rally, not a march:
NEW DETAILS ON THE RALLY!

From Prov IWW--

Despite our hopes of having a march from the North Providence Town Hall to the North Providence Police Station, after our meeting with the police and mayor the compromise solution is to have a rally at:
  • The North Providence High School (1828 Mineral Spring Ave, North Providence, RI; see below) on Sunday, August 26 at 1:30PM.

This event:
  • is a demonstration to make our peaceful nature evident to the entire state and region
  • will accomplish our goals of publicizing Alex's brutal attack while assuring the safety of everyone who attends against extremely hostile elements.
If you want more info call Mark Bray at (201) 669 0714.

We will post more info (an updated flier, etc.) soon. If you want to get involved with posting fliers near where you live, call the number above, e-mail albiorix80@yahoo.com, or download the one we will post and make your own copies.

More Projo Articles: Major Victory, Apparently Sympathetic AG, and "Tough" Mayor of North Providence

Thursday, August 16, 2007

15 Things You Can Do To Help Alex Svoboda...

From a listserv...

1. Join Alex’s union -- the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). For more information about how to join the local Providence IWW, contact Mark Bray at albiorix80@yahoo.com.


2. Attend solidarity actions organized to support Alex, including the Anti-Police Brutality March on Sunday, August 26 at
1:30 at the North Providence City Hall.

3. Make a donation to support Alex.
There are three ways to send whatever funds you can:
  • Providence IWW GMB, PO Box 5795, Providence, RI 02903
  • Or contact Mark Bray at 201-669-0714
  • Or for readers wanting to use PayPal, you can address contributions to our account, which is named "albiorix80@yahoo.com".
4. Call your state representative to voice your outrage over the North Providence Police’s brutal attack on Alex. If you know who your representative is, go here for contact info; if you don't, go here to find out.

5.
Write letters of support for Alex and either mail or fax them to not only the people and institutions listed at the bottom of this post, but also to the following. Call to voice your outrage (politely) as well!:

6. Contact friends, associates, or organizational affiliates and urge them to write letters as well.

7. Put an announcement about Alex’s situation on a listserve you belong to.

8. Make an announcement about supporting Alex’s case at a meeting or public gathering.

9. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or media outlet. Make sure your letter is under 200 words and is linked to an article about this event in that paper.

10. Take up a collection at your place of worship, union hall, school, etc.


11. Organize a fundraiser/outreach event such as a dinner party, musical event, film or lecture.


12. Offer to donate your skills (artistic, writing, music, research, outreach, canvassing, phone banking, etc) to Mark Bray (contact above).


13. Ask a band or entertainer to donate proceeds of a performance to Alex.


14. Check this blog often for updates and events!


15. Ask friends and associates to do all of the above!

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

"Svoboda" means "freedom" in Ukranian

From a list-serv:
one sad, ironic note i'd like to add to this dialogue which i've been following about the attack on alexandra svoboda, is that the word "svoboda" in ukrainian means "freedom". my heart goes out to her and i hope she's healing swiftly, and i await news of some form of justice being served. peace and svoboda
Look it up here; enter свобода.

More Media Reaction...

Latino Public Radio:

Projo Poll: Did the Officers Over-react?

Um, yeah, they did. (Registration required.)

What Happened in North Providence...

Welcome to the Support Alex Svoboda blog. We welcome comments.

Please support Alex! She has had two operations on her knee at Rhode Island Hospital already. There are three ways to send whatever funds you can:
  1. Providence IWW GMB, PO Box 5795, Providence, RI 02903
  2. Or contact Mark Bray at 201-669-0714
  3. For readers wanting to use PayPal, you can address contributions to the account named "albiorix80@yahoo.com"
Thank you!

(Projo coverage: here, here, here, here and here. A video and more here.)

This is what autocracy looks like. The Providence IWW, along with workers from the warehouses that supply Jackie's Galaxy restaurants in RI (who work 100 hours/week for subminimum wage, etc.), held a march, picketing the North Providence JG.

Here's what the cops, who were clearly out of their depth, did to a protester, who didn't move back to the sidewalk fast enough, reportedly.

(Click the title of this post for a slideshow of all the photos from this event.) Here's the North Providence Police Department Mission Statement:
The members of the North Providence Police Department are dedicated and committed to providing the highest quality police services to our citizens. We are dedicated to the concept of personal excellence at the highest level, uncompromising integrity, continuous improvement in order to enhance public safety, protection of life and property, and the reduction of crime and the perceptions of crime. We will fulfill this mission by developing a partnership with the community in a manner that inspires confidence and trust.

We acknowledge a community commitment to resolve issues and improve the quality of life for all residents. Members of the North Providence Police Department take pride in our professional accomplishments and abilities.

We are individually accountable for the reflection of the following core values in both our professional and personal lives:

  • Respect for human life;
  • Treating all people with the highest regard and respect;
  • Honesty and integrity through ethical behavior;
  • Professionalism and excellence demonstrated in all areas of duty;
  • Cooperation with all agencies of Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement and government;
  • Strengthen partnerships with the community.
Every citizen contact is an opportunity to demonstrate the mission and the values of the North Providence Police Department.

Touching, no? This is what hypocrisy looks like.

The victim, Alexandra Svoboda, has already had one operation on her broken, dislocated knee, and the affected vascular artery, at Rhode Island Hospital.


Another is scheduled for Wednesday.

If you can help Alex, send what you can to:
  • Providence IWW GMB, PO Box 5795, Providence, RI 02903
  • Or contact Mark Bray at 201-669-0714
  • Or for readers wanting to use PayPal, you can address contributions to our account, which is named "albiorix80@yahoo.com".
If you'd like to tell the mayor and chief of police of North Providence what you think of their protection of citizens availing themselves of their constitutional right to free speech and assembly, or if you'd just like to compliment them on the top-notch training their officers have obviously received, you can contact them here:



North Providence Mayor:

Charles A. Lombardi
North Providence Town Hall
2000 Smith Street
North Providence, RI 02911
Telephone: (401) 232-0900, ext. 226
Fax: (401) 232-3434

Police Chief:
Ernest C. Spaziano
North Providence Police Department
1967 Mineral Spring Ave.
North Providence, RI 02904
Business line: 401-233-1433
Fax number: 401-233-1438

North Providence Police Department Professional Standards Unit
1967 Mineral Spring Avenue
North Providence, RI 02904
(401) 233-1433 Ext. 114
Confidential Fax (401) 233-1425

Or use this nifty form (PDF).

(From the NPPD site: "The Commendation/Complaint form must be submitted to the Police Department. The form can be submitted in person, by mail at the above address, or by Fax at the above number.")