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'War on Terror'
anti-war actions -CNN/Atlanta |
As they listened to speeches and skits in front of the building, security guards lined up along the building and slowly advanced, squeezing the protesters against police already lining the street. When the space to move was all but eliminated, one man calmly refused an order to move forward out of the way. George Ward was handcuffed by security guards, and the crowd followed as he was led away to be charged with trespass.
Police then moved into the crowd and apprehended two others who had their faces covered. One man wearing a bandana, Matthew, was cited for the "mask" while another local activist, his head wrapped in a kaffiyeh, tried to get away from police, was tackled, then arrested and cited for the mask, battery, and felony obstruction. Before marching to the jail to await the release of the three, the group paused at CNN's side entrance to chant "Fuck CNN, Fuck the War - We won't take this shit no more!"
At the jail, one waiting supporter was briefly arrested and then released when he questioned a demand by police to produce identification. At their November 13th arraignment, Ward's trespass charge was dismissed when no evidence was presented, and the two mask charges were dismissed because an intent to intimidate, a key element in the charge, was not present. Matthew was also then free to go, while the third defendant, Samuel Sabel, posted bail and was released pending trial in December on misdemeanor battery, and felony obstruction of justice charges.
For more information, visit http://atlanta.indymedia.org.