[Imc-cymru] Seattle 1999 claim deadline for arrestees 28th Aug.

[ilyan]

  Seattle 1999 aftermath

I-sis reader | 19.08.2007 23:24 | World 
<http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/world/>

I need help to get the word out quickly, so please forward this as 
appropriate. Apologies for sending this out broadly but please read on a 
bit and help us get the word to the appropriate folks.

Hello friends,

We need to find ~ 175 people who were in Seattle during the WTO protests 
in 1999.

We won an important lawsuit against the city of Seattle which violated 
our rights and these folks need to contact the attorneys by AUGUST 28, 
2007 to get their portion of the settlement $$ (see below to download 
claim forms.)

Sooo.... WHO ELSE DO YOU KNOW who was in Seattle at the WTO protests in 
1999?

Please pass this along to them and others who could help. (Consider 
sending to your lists or specific people, adding to your blog, and 
especially talking to folks.)

Westlake, Dec 1, 1999? Nov 30, 1999: Nov 30 1999:

We're specifically trying to be sure all 175 people who were arrested at 
Westlake on December 1, 1999 get this info IMMEDIATELY since they have 
only two weeks left to return their claim (due August 28th, 2007.)

We settled with the city of Seattle for $1,000,000 and each person 
arrested at that location is entitled to a portion of those funds.

A jury found that our 4th amendment rights were violated.
See press release about the case:
 http://www.witheylaw.com/TLPJ-WTOVerdictNewsRelease.pdf and
some news about the settlement:
http:www.witheylaw.com/WTO%20Trial.htm and
http:www.witheylaw.com/news.htm.


The problem is that after nearly 8 years (and not knowing who was 
actually arrested there), almost everyone has moved or gotten a new 
phone or email. We need to use our networks to reach folks so PLEASE 
HELP get this to them by forwarding on to reduce those degrees of 
separation.

Again, apologies to folks who may not understand why I'm sending this to 
you or who get this multiple times. Mostly I tried to think of people 
who might have some connection to the issues, the tactics or the regions 
that brought people to Seattle in 1999. The hope is that you will know 
how to
reach folks that were involved so we can use our networks to reach these 
~175 people.

As an aside, let me note that many of the 175 folks we've already found 
are still committed to their activism and are planning to put the funds 
they receive BACK INTO their respective MOVEMENTS. Many of us recognize 
that though ~175 of us will receive a portion of this settlement, the 
victory
of this case is a victory for us all. The work happening in the streets 
in 1999 is ongoing...and I personally hope to support that work by 
funneling my portion of the settlement money into groups still doing 
that work. Though these arrests violated our rights, many of us of are 
people of relative privilege which is another reason to give 
collectively with these funds. That said, most activists I
know rarely have large financial means so this will be a rare 
opportunity for some of us to support financially the causes we work so 
hard on with our other resources. (My personal view of the money I'll be 
receiving is that it isn't really mine...it belongs to all the people 
(~50,000) who were in the streets in 1999 opposing the WTO and, even 
more, to all the people affected by the WTO's policies. In
1999, I was arrested (wrongly, the jury decided) speaking out for what I 
believed in and trying to create change. In 2007, I hope to see the 
funds I'll be getting used to continue that work.)

Thanks and solidarity,
Erica K

Jane WTO #890

 can at drizzle.com <mailto:can at drizzle.com>

206-568-7110

(still in Seattle)

P.S. You may have heard that director Stuart Townsend has made a movie 
about the protests called "The Battle in Seattle." It's supposed to be 
based on true events...but we'll see how true it really is...

Taken in Seattle12-09-07 during the filming of the film:
I just saw that it will premiere at the Toronto International Film 
Festival (Sept. 6-15) and I've heard
that it will be released broadly around....November 30th, 2007. Many 
folks recognize that this means our little piece of history will be 
spotlighted again for a brief moment in time, depending on how well the 
film does. I've heard of some great plans to reclaim the voices of those 
actually here to tell the true history of those days and to bring the 
multitude of globalization issues back into our discussions.
Hopefully the arrestees will be announcing our collective donations at 
about the same time.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

INFO for ARRESTEES
(those arrested mid-morning on December 1, 1999 at Seattle's Westlake Park)

If you are one of the 175 arrested in this situation and you haven't 
already turned in your forms, please download the two files below and 
send the claim form in by AUGUST 28th, 2007.

Notice of the lawsuit: www.zoopla.net/viewFile.php?fid=4044
Claim form: www.zoopla.net/viewFile.php?fid=4045

DO NOT DELAY!

-------------------
ALSO, let me make a pitch to Westlake arrestees:
Let's join together and put some or all of our settlement money back 
into our movements.

A small group of arrestees has put together a preliminary proposal that 
we'd like you to consider about how we can magnify the impact of our 
giving (including hooking up some matching funds.) From conversations 
with other arrestees, I know many of us do plan to donate most or all of 
our
settlement money (after taxes) to our communities and to further the 
work we that brought us to Seattle in the first place in 1999. This 
proposal provides a forum for us to figure out how to collaborate on 
that. I invite those who receive settlement funds to consider 
participating.

We'll try to send the proposal to anyone who makes a valid claim to the 
settlement dough but, in case we miss you, please email me 
( can at drizzle.com <mailto:can at drizzle.com>) or  wtosettlement at gmail.com 
<mailto:wtosettlement at gmail.com> if you are interested in this 
initiative. Look for this in your email soon. (If you got this first 
email from someone besides me, we probably don't have your email so be 
sure to drop us your current email address so we can include you.)

Again, let's use these funds to continue the work we began in 1999! Even 
if you don't plan to pool your funds with us, we'd love to know what 
other initiatives you use the settlement to support.

In solidarity,
Erica
Jane WTO #890
 can at drizzle.com <mailto:can at drizzle.com>
206-568-7110

PS. WESTLAKE ARRESTEES: DON'T FORGET to DOWNLOAD and FILL OUT the 
PAPERWORK by August 28th!!!!

FYI:

Sent by attorney Tyler Weaver on May 30, 2007 to a listserve of 
arrestees (but only a few folks are still on it after 8 years):

Only Westlake arrestees have access to this list. If forwarding this to 
others in the community, please make sure the message contains no 
sensitive legal communications.

------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------

Attention all --


I am pleased to finally be able to send you the official, court-approved 
notice of the settlement and the claim form for the recent settlement on 
behalf of those arrested on December 1, 1999, in Westlake Park. These 
documents are being sent to every person for whom we have a street
address, and are also attached in .pdf format. [see download links above]


The notice describes in detail the settlement, the process for any 
objections and submitting claims, and the various deadlines. Hopefully 
all of your questions are answered there. If not, there are several 
avenues, as listed in the notice of the settlement, for you to ask 
questions and receive answers. If you were arrested at Westlake Park on 
December 1, 1999, the deadline for returning your claim form is August 
28, 2007. There's no reason to wait that long, however.

I should also note that the settlement does not provide for any funding 
of non-profits or future protest or educational activities. However, if 
anyone wants to pool all or a portion of their settlement funds for a 
collective action, you can email either  wtosettlement at gmail.com 
<mailto:wtosettlement at gmail.com>, or  can at drizzle.net 
<mailto:can at drizzle.net> for more information, and to express your 
interest and/or participate in the planning process. This is completely 
and totally voluntary and is not part of the settlement, nor a condition 
to anyone's participation in the settlement. I merely include this 
information in the event anyone is interested in banding together.

If you know of anyone else who was arrested at Westlake Park, please 
forward this message and the attachments to them as soon as possible.

Tyler Weaver
Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP.