[imc-ontario] pre-emptive arrests in St. Louis - 24 clowns arrested

[resisto at dojo.tao.ca]

May 16, 2003

As St. Louis prepares to host both the World Aggricultural Forum and the 
BioDevistation 7 conferences this weekend, 24 clowns and assorted performers 
were pre-emptively arrested on Thursday May 15.  Most were participants in 
the "Flying Rutabega Bike Circus" planning a bike circus tour from St. Louis 
to Washington, DC to promote sustainable aggriculture and non-GE foods (see 
www.biodev.org for more on the circus).

Nine members of the 24 were arrested in Tower Grove park in St. Louis early 
Friday morning and initially charged with "cycling without a license", later 
to be change to "impeding the movement of traffic" (while in the park?!).  

Also, 15 were arrested when police raided "the Bolozone", a St. Louis 
housing collective. All were charged with "occupying a condemned building".  
Most of the Circus supplies, food, video equiptment, bicycles and personal 
belongings remain captive within the falsely condemned house and/or 
confiscated by police.

The nine cyclists were held for 7 hours and the other 15 were held for the 
maximum allowable time for a city charge (less than a misdemeanor), 20 hours.

Look for the flying rudabega cycle circus on their cycle tour from st. louis 
to D.C. this month. They will not let this stop them. 

The revolution will not be motorized!

for more check the St. Louis indymedia website (www.stlimc.org) and the 
BioDevistation site (www.biodev.org)

-- 
stand strong,
resisto

"i've been juggling for years.  i've juggled many strange and dangerous
objects and i've come to the conclusion that it is impossible to juggle
capitalism without dropping human, environmental and animal rights." 
                                                             resisto the 
clown