Cops’ attack on festival protested

Some 150 people gathered in uptown Charlotte Oct. 5 as part of the World Can’t Wait’s national day of action to “Drive Out the Bush Regime.” The protest in Charlotte had a special significance, as it was across the street from the site of a Sept. 23 Human Rights Fest that was violently attacked by police.

One man had suffered from broken ribs and a punctured lung, another was stunned with a Taser and had a gun held to his head, and six people were arrested. They are now known as the Charlotte Six.

That day, cops brutally attacked band members and the crowd attending the Human Rights Fest in uptown Charlotte. The event had been going great, attracting a multinational crowd of some 200. Many people passing by stopped and joined in.

The Human Rights Fest featured performances from Dirty South Revolutionaries, Tax Slave, 25 Minutes To Go and Southside Punx. Band members made political statements, speaking against Bush, police brutality and war, and making the point that uptown Charlotte was built by the working class and the people had a right to be there.

Even though demonstrators protested they had permits to stay until midnight, the police were determined to push them out. “I don’t care,” one said. “I got my boys coming.”

A member of Southside Punx yelled into the crowd that they had a constitutional right to be there. Suddenly dozens of cops charged into the crowd, jumping on people and using Tasers on some. One person was beaten by several cops. “My friend was held on the ground at gunpoint for no reason. This was after they tased him. Then I saw the cops shove another friend to the ground and jump on top of him,” said Elizabeth Arrowood. “No one did anything to deserve this.”

Brandon Magness with Southside Punx said, “The cops rushed in tasing people and pulling guns. I had at least three Tasers pointed at me. My roommate got beat up. We were being peaceful.”

To obtain more information, see www.charlotteaction.org or call 704-492-8527.