During the 11 days of the NATO summit in Chicago from May 12^th – May 23^rd, there were massive multi-day protests against NATO and the war machine. Many protestors and media personnel were severely beaten, run over by police vehicles, falsely arrested, exposed to intimidation tactics or otherwise harassed by the Chicago police force. Following the protests, several mainstream media outlets reported that the police handled it peacefully and that the entire police force would receive free White Sox tickets for “a job well done at the NATO summit.”¹

In response to the horrendous treatment of protestors and media personnel and blatant misrepresentation of reality in mainstream media, Occupy SLO members submitted the following letter:

To whom it may concern:

We, the undersigned, demand a full investigation into the Chicago Police Department’s handling of protestors and media members during the NATO Summit protests in Chicago from May 12^th - 23^rd, 2012. The City of Chicago Independent Police Review Authority shall hold officers, supervisory staff and decision makers accountable for extreme police brutality and abuse of authority.

The whole world watched as people participated in eleven days of protests, rallies and demonstrations against the NATO summits. The whole world saw police using excessive force against peaceful protestors. The whole world saw police punching, pushing, beating with clubs and running into protestors with their vehicles. And the whole world saw the results of this unnecessary force: individuals with bloody heads or missing teeth and people screaming for help, only to have would-be rescuers beaten down as they came to their aid. We saw individuals assaulted for no reason and we demand justice.

In addition to the violence against protestors, there were multiple incidents of police using their authority to intimidate members of the media. On the evening of May 19^th, police targeted one group of livestreamers by handcuffing and holding them at gunpoint while searching their vehicle. After the search, police informed them that they were looking for a similar vehicle, despite the fact that theirs had New Mexico license plates; an unlikely coincidence. Police also singled out other media members and arrested them during the protests in an attempt to intimidate them and hide their valuable videos, audio and images from the world.

We demand a full investigation into and prosecution of officers, supervisory staff and decision makers for violence against protestors and abuse of authority.

Sincerely,

Occupy SLO and friends

References:

¹http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Chicago-Police-White-Sox-Tickets-152585045.html ("Chicago Police Score Free White Sox Tickets")

http://www.democracynow.org/2012/5/21/chicago_police_face_accusations_of_entrapment (“Chicago Police Face Accusations of Entrapment, Brutality in Crackdown on NATO Protesters”)

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/22716864 (Tim Pool held by police during Timcast livestream)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVzP7ECdw94 (“NATO: Journos Held at Gunpoint for Live Feed” RT interview with Tim Pool and Luke Rudkowski)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2xdJaHiaEM (one of many videos documenting brutality: “Breaking: Chicago Police Department (CPD) clash with thousands of protesters At NATO Summit”)