More and more activist dismissals!

topic : Flag 3 | Indian Island | Port Militarization Resistance | Port of Grays Harbor | Port of Olympia

The Port of Tacoma dismissals come in a string of other recent dismissals in court cases against local antiwar activists. Of particular note is the involvement of the activist legal team of Larry Hildes and Karen Weill, who were instrumental in securing dismissals in all of these cases and who have provided their services either pro bono or at minimal costs.

Olympia 22

20 activists were arrested for allegedly crossing an invisible line at the Port for Olympia on May 30, 2006. Following a mistrial, cases were dismissed for the final 16 activists on June 12, 2007, due to "gross negligence" on the part of the government. Incidentally, the Tacoma city prosecutors attended every single day of the Olympia 22 trial, taking notes for use in the Tacoma cases. No wonder they're losing!

Indian Island 37

On September 23, 2006, 37 activists were arrested in front of Indian Island naval base. The prosecution decided the case was not worth pursuing and skipped the court hearing on May 29, 2007, leaving the judge to infer that the case should be dismissed.

Flag 3

Three Olympia activists were arrested at a World Can't Wait rally in Seattle on October 5, 2006. Prior to joining the rally, the activists were sitting in a park eating a melon when their anarcho-syndicalist flag was snatched by Seattle police officer Matthew Hyra, who claimed that the flag was "a symbol of violence." When one of the activists attempted to photograph Officer Hyra, Hyra became enraged and initiated an altercation that resulted in charges of obstruction, resisting arrest, and investigation of assault of an officer. All the charges were eventually dismissed.

Aberdeen

On May 6, 2007, police pulled over a car that they recognized was carrying Olympia activists to a PMR march at the Port of Aberdeen. The driver was charged with DUI even though he had not been drinking and had passed two sobriety tests. The case was dismissed on July 19.