SANTA CRUZ, CALIF.
Anti-war protester charged after police attack
On May 22 police in Santa Cruz, Calif., violently attacked a
peaceful demonstration against the U.S./NATO war in Yugoslavia.
Pictured here is one protester who was assaulted by the
cops.
"Officer LaFaver attacked a woman with a screaming
4-year-old child," says local activist Steve Argue. "He had the
woman's hand twisted so badly her fingers were touching her
forearm and her hand was completely purple. She was crying out
in pain."
Argue intervened. "I and other protesters repeatedly told
LaFaver to stop, which he refused to do. I acted as any person
with any sense of dignity and humanity would to stop this
torture."
Argue was pepper sprayed and beaten, then arrested and
jailed for six days before being freed on $20,000 bail. He
faces up to four years in prison.
Local activists rallied June 14 at the Citizens' Police
Review Board meeting to demand that the charges be dropped and
an investigation into the police assault be opened. "My case is
one for the defense of the political freedom to speak out
against the government without police repression," says Argue.
To help the Steve Argue Defense Fund, readers can call (831)
425-4467.
--Workers World Santa Cruz bureau
This article is copyright under a Creative Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
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