This week, the City of Miami is hosting talks around the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA), yet another "free traitor" sellout of the American people and the poor who live in the partner countries.

The bottom line is the city of Miami is actively trying to prevent people from exercising their Constitutionally guaranteed right to assembly and free speech by preventing us from gathering near the talks. They are also preventing us from finding adequate housing, threatening churches and other organizations who attempt to put us up for the night.

More details below. Please call or email Miami city officials and express your opinion about their brutish, undemocratic, anti-American behavior. Thanks!

MIAMI CITY OFFICIALS CONTACT INFORMATION

City Manager Joe Arriola:
jarr-@ci.miami.fl.us
(305)250-5400

District 1 Commissioner Angel Gonzalez:
agonz-@ci.miami.fl.us
(305)250-5430

District 2 Commissioner Johnny L. Winton:
jwin-@ci.miami.fl.us
(305)250-5333

District 3 Commissioner Joe M. Sanchez:
jsan-@ci.miami.fl.us
(305)250-5380

District 4 Commissioner Tomas P. Regalado:
t-@ci.miami.fl.us
(305)250-5420

District 5 Commissioner Arthur Teele Jr.:
artt-@ci.miami.fl.us
(305)250-5390

Mayor Manuel A. Diaz:
manny-@ci.miami.fl.us
(305) 250-5300

City Attorney Alejandro Vilarello:
la-@ci.miami.fl.us
(305) 416-1800

ORIGINAL POSTING
-----------------------------------------------
From: "Cathy Gilbert" ;
To:[list suppressed]
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2003 1:20 AM
Subject: [stoptheFTAA] FTAA housing effort needs your email/phone support

PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY
Thousands of us will be converging in downtown Miami in the next week
and a half, and the city has waged a two-pronged battle to make it
difficult for us to secure housing for that time period. The police
intimidated community spaces that traditionally open their doors to
activists by threatening the first church that offered its space
weeks ago with zoning violations, while also reserving most of the
large public gathering spaces for "staging areas."

One more way that they're trying to keep anyone from mentioning the
possibility that perhaps we could be making a mistake by destroying
the planet and trampling human rights.

All is not lost. Some community members here are aware of what's
going on...

...and are pressuring the City Council to open up spaces and
ease up on the police intimidation. There is contact information
below for all of them, please contact them as soon as possible and as
often as possible to register your opinion in the following areas:

1. The City of Miami has invited the Free Trade Area of the Americas
(FTAA) ministerial, and by extension thousands of demonstrators, to
its town on the week of November 16th - 21st. These people are
coming to town whether spaces are being provided or not; they will
not be deterred by a policy of protester antagonism. It behooves the
city to help provide secure accommodations for the demonstrators.

2. Support the efforts of the Community Relations Board in opening up
city parks within Miami for people to camp in.

3. Support the efforts of temples, churches, mosques, schools and
other community spaces that are willing to open their doors with
assurances that police will cease their policy of targeting such
places for selective zoning enforcement. Variances could be made to
allow for and encourage the opening of such spaces not otherwise
zoned for housing but traditionally permitted to house people for
short periods.

4. Likewise, assure landlords in the City of Miami that would like to
rent warehouse space out for activist housing that there will be no
harassment from the police department if they do so.

5. Open up some of the larger enclosed arenas in Miami that are not
being used for police staging areas for use by people participating
in the demonstrations. Spaces could include the area of the American
Airlines Arena, Orange Bowl stadium, Miami-Dade Community College or
perhaps available hurricane shelters (Coconut Grove).

6. There is a precedent of cities opening their spaces for activists
to sleep, such as in a gymnasium at Lavel University when the FTAA
met in Quebec City in 2001. We can make arrangements to provide
bathroom and bathing facilities in the places that do not presently
have such amenities. Thank you for your willingness to address our
concerns.

MIAMI CITY OFFICIALS CONTACT INFORMATION

City Manager Joe Arriola:
jarr-@ci.miami.fl.us
(305)250-5400

District 1 Commissioner Angel Gonzalez:
agonz-@ci.miami.fl.us
(305)250-5430

District 2 Commissioner Johnny L. Winton:
jwin-@ci.miami.fl.us
(305)250-5333

District 3 Commissioner Joe M. Sanchez:
jsan-@ci.miami.fl.us
(305)250-5380

District 4 Commissioner Tomas P. Regalado:
t-@ci.miami.fl.us
(305)250-5420

District 5 Commissioner Arthur Teele Jr.:
artt-@ci.miami.fl.us
(305)250-5390

Mayor Manuel A. Diaz:
manny-@ci.miami.fl.us
(305) 250-5300

City Attorney Alejandro Vilarello:
la-@ci.miami.fl.us
(305) 416-1800

Posted by Charlie Crystle at November 17, 2003 10:13 AM | TrackBack