Blood on the Bandstand
Kenosh, WI Punk picnic shut by cops, drummer brutalized.
see http://www.musicisnotacrime.org/
more video at Selfdestruckt’s site
I’m suggesting calls to Wisconsin’s Dem. Attorney General, Peg Lautenschlager asking for an independent investigation by her office. Office of the Attorney General 608-266-1221
From Kenosha News coverage of a rally in protest Monday:
More than 100 rally against alleged police violence
Terry Flores KENOSHA NEWS
Sep 6, 2005
At the southwest corner of Sheridan Road and 56th Street motorists honked over and over Monday night as dozens of local fans paraded with signs illustrating their disgust at the break-up of an annual punk rock picnic by police on Saturday. “It wasn’t bad until the police showed up,” said Erica Bates, 23, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. “I think what they did was entrapment. I don’t think it has to anything to do with the music. I think it was the people (they didn’t like).”Bates was one of more than 100 youths and young adults who attended the quickly-called rally at Civic Center Park denouncing what they said was unnecessary violence by police who halted the festival at the park grounds of St. Therese Church, 2020 91st St. A total of 33 officers from the Kenosha Police Department, Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department and Pleasant Prairie Police responded Saturday to the incident. Authorities said it took officers nearly an hour and a half to disperse the crowd.
Authorities said they responded to a confrontation between two young men that turned into a melee. Eleven people were arrested on municipal citations mostly involving inciting violence. The incident, police said, turned unruly when they tried to disperse the crowd. Festivalgoers, however, say police did more to incite the violence than they alleged was started by the crowd.
”This (protest) is in response to the police brutality at punk picnic. And, for the most part, people have been pretty supportive,” said Dil Falduto, 15, a student at nearby Reuther High School, who organized the protest….
