Citizens Demand that Seattle City Attorney Mark Sidran "Drop All Unjust Charges!" At The First WTO Trail Support Rally
January. 25, 1999

The first trials of those arrested at the World Trade Organization Ministerial in Seattle are scheduled to begin January 25th. Union members and Seattle citizens will rally together in support of those facing unjust charges at noon, in front of the Public Safety Building.

David Reid, a locked out Kaiser Aluminum Steelworker, the father of three, and a rank-and-file union activist from Spokane, Washington, is currently scheduled to be one of the first put on trial (now moved  to Feb. 15th, thanks to Sidran). 

Over 50 United Steelworkers of America members from Reid’s local union will travel from Spokane to Seattle to attend this event . Reid, other defendants, labor leaders (such as King County Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer Ron Judd and Teamsters Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer Bob Hasegawa), and the members of the Direct Action Network Legal Team are slated to speak at the rally.

Although Sidran dismissed charges against many arrested at the WTO, he continues to press his politically motivated charges as many as 100 people. Most of these people were arrested for simply exercising their First Amendment rights, as part of the tens of thousands of nonviolent concerned citizens who braved police violence, made history, and shut down the WTO.

"Seattle has a proud history of supporting labor organizing and free speech," said Katya Komisaruk, attorney with the Direct Action Network Legal Team.  "It comes as a shock that over 50 peaceful protesters -- including union members -- have been singled out for prosecution, when they were simply marching and carrying signs, rights guaranteed by the First Amendment."

Sidran is using an extravagant amount of the community’s resources to prosecute WTO protesters unjustly, while neglecting even to investigate police, sheriffs, and government officials who committed civil and human rights violations.

Many citizens plan to join with Reid and others to support them on January 25th and attend their trials and other support events during the coming weeks.

Among those arrested and still being charged for their non-violent civil disobedience actions during the anti-WTO protest in Seattle last November-December is Cheri Honkala. 

Cheri is director of the Philadelphia, PA based Kensington Welfare Rights Union, an organization that advocates for the poor. The plea bargain offered here by the prosecution in Seattle is 5 days in jail, $1,000 fine, and are you ready for this? A two year gag order prohibiting her from participating in any demonstrations, ANYWHERE, in the country for two years.

That would include, one must assume labor solidarity rallies, and picket lines. Understandably Cheri has rejected this attack on her First Amendment rights. This sets a dangerous precedent that could be applied to the rest of us. To demand her case, and the others be dropped.