Pier 57 leased by RNC during their convention?

[Earth_First]

from the nornc-discuss list:

The now-famous Pier 57 in New York, used as the jail facility for holding protestors arrested during the Republican National Convention, was leased by the Republican National Committee, according to the Certificate of Occupancy and the Fire Safety Inspection Certificate for the pier.

The implications of the Republican National Committee leasing the pier, and arranging for the NYPD to then use the pier as a detention facility for people protesting the RNC, are quite startling. The ramifications for both the Republican Party and for the City of New York (for entering into a partnership with an organization essentially operating a private jail
facility), both legally and politically, could be serious indeed.

More important, perhaps, are the possible ramifications for U.S. citizens when the political party in power is leasing out property for the state to use for detaining political rivals. Further, the fact that the pier had signs posted in plain view which declared the facility to be hazardous and warning that protective gear must be used when entering, could also complicate matters for the Republicans.

Several questions become obvious. First, did the city know what the
Republican National Committee intended to do with Pier 57, when the
certificates were initially issued? Second, what legal arrangement was made between the NYPD and the Republican Party for the use of the pier? Third, are there any laws governing additional permits etc that must be obtained for any organization to legally operate a private jail facility? Fourth, can such facilities use NYPD personnel, who are employees of the city? Finally, to what degree if any did the Republican Party maintain oversight or control of operations, conditions, etc at Pier 57?


...anyone have information they'd care to share?

[aquart]

1. Do you have a link to this info?

Because, yes, I believe this is extremely serious.

[Earth_First]

3. I do not...

This was a messaged posted to the NoRNC-Discuss listserve last night. I simply reposted looking for more information regarding this. This needs to be brought into the light...

[rog]

8. A few links ...

A quick search reveals: http://tinyurl.com/6f5ag

Excerpt from this longer account:
http://ming.tv/flemming2.php/__show_article/_a000010-001358.htm?time=1094549034

... e-mail, from a regular woman who's daughther was held for several days in a containment facility for temporary political prisoners ...

". . .My husband called the NYPD to ask who had issued a Certificate of Occupancy or Fire Safety Inspection Certificate and who wasmanaging Pier 57. He was given the number for the Republican National Committee. Yes. My husband and I looked at each other in silent, cold horror. In America?

My husband slowly dialed that number, got the RNC, and the Republican rep who answered the phone said, in answer to my husbands' inquiries about safety: "those protesters don't deserve a Holiday Inn, and they're all criminals anyway!" . . ."

Also reported in NYC Indymedia, via IndyBay:
http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/09/1695020.php

Looks like all the reports are based on this one source ... the email from the mom whose daughter was held. It would be good to find a more solid source of info.

ON EDIT: Mom's name is Erin Starr, Maui, HI
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/09/297083.shtml

More details, but still just that one source for this story.

.rog.

[qanda]

9. Kick

:kick: until we find more.

[NailsC33]

29. I have one link from a protester whom was held inside Pier 57

http://www.starhawk.org/activism/activism-writings/RNC_update12.html">Starhawk

"But let me just tell the story. When I left off in my last update, I and about ten to fifteen others from the Pagan Cluster had just been arrested with much of the Code Orange affinity group from the Bay Area, blocking traffic just south of Herald Square. We were handcuffed and loaded into a paddy wagon, and driven to the pier where we were lined up, our stuff was taken and bagged, and we were placed into pens, the women separated from the men.

The pens were big chain-linked enclosures in the huge, covered pier, that could each hold up to a hundred people or more. There was a narrow, metal bench around the edge but nowhere else to sit down or lie down except the floor, which was filthy asphalt, covered with stains and grease and old diesel fuel. Delylah had already warned us that people were coming to the medics with mysterious rashes after contact with the ground, so I tried to stay off of it. The pier was also loud, echoey and with the constant noise of machinery and motors, so conversation was difficult."

[qanda]

2. The only way this is going to be a big deal

Is that *we* make it a big deal. So, I'll give this a great big old :kick: I don't know enough about it to comment, but I'm looking for more info if anyone wants to post it.

[progressivebydesign]

4. I'd like to know more..

So, I'm kicking for the late risers this morning. Anyone got contacts or insiders on this?

[Toots]

5. If this is indeed true than the RNC can be quite liable

for risks and/or harm done to innocent people who were never charged with any wrong doing but held against their will on private property. Not to even mention the political ramifications.

[greekspeak]

6. Seems like it would be easy enough to find out this information Mon morn.

"Pier 57 in New York, used as the jail facility for holding protestors arrested during the Republican National Convention, was leased by the Republican National Committee, according to the Certificate of Occupancy and the Fire Safety Inspection Certificate for the pier." Find the office who issues this certificate to applicants and get confirmation. Does anyone here know who does this in NYC?

[qanda]

7. kick

:kick:

[Laughing Mirror]

10. The notorious Pier 57, Guantanamo on the Hudson

[Athame]

11. Indeed scary

Seems like it should be easy enough to check and that the various organizations sponsoring the protests would be able to pursue legal action against the Republicans and NYC. Reading the first-hand accounts of those held in that place was infuriating.

I am sure this is not going away.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

12. KICK

[AmerDem]

13. The shit never ends

It seems each day the stories get more and more bizarre!:wtf:

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[VOX]

16. Not ok.

Not ok.

[mreh]

15. All protestors arrested and illegally held during the RNC

convention should SUE THE RNC and the B/C CAMPAIGN. They have the deep pockets and they provided the "jail" withouth the proper equipment and man power to properly process those arrested and their rights to arraignment and/or bail were violated.

Great suit against the deep pockets of the RNC and the campaign!

[Tsiyu]

17. I posted about this yesterday from maui news

via rense. Look for "patriot Act Victims thread"

[qanda]

18. kick

:kick:

[smirkymonkey]

19. Preveiw of coming atttractions...

under 4 more years of George W. Bush:

"NYC holding pen's OVERSIGHT actually LEASED PRIVATELY to RNC(not police),holds 1000s illegally"

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/09/297083.shtml

"Who can name a political party in Germany in the 1930s that ran its own police..."

[Kathy in Cambridge]

20. KICK

[Generic Other]

21. And didn't a judge throw out the charges for most of those arrested?

Sounds like they were detained against their will by a private organization who had contracted with a public law enforcement agency to make illegal arrests.

[Stephanie]

22. IMPEACH BLOOMBERG

He brought this RNC nightmare to New York and gave them leave to trample all over our rights and hand us the bill.

[smirkymonkey]

26. Here, here!

I can't imagine he had NO knowledge of this either. It was probably his idea!

[Tsiyu]

23. Howdy here is a link to a story about this

http://www.rense.com/general57/vitmo.htm

and another:

http://mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=1082

[Tsiyu]

24. Kick

:kick:

[Rex]

27. Bloomberg should be removed from office.

In news reports last week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaking on his radio show, seemed to imply that the arrests of innocent people were inevitable.

“You can’t arrest 1,800 people without having somebody in the middle who shouldn’t have been arrested. That’s what the courts are there to find out afterwards,” he said.

Reminds me of the saying, "kill them all and let God sort it out!"

[robbedvoter]

31. Voice piece on arrests of passers by:

http://villagevoice.com/issues/0436/gonnerman.php

Bloomberg had declared that 4000 will be arrested - BEFOREHAND. While he didn't reach his quota, it would make sense that RNC pitched in to provide the facilities - as this was a joint venture anyway...

[Kathy in Cambridge]

25. Kick

[Pachamama]

28. This is precisely why many of us will likely be needing to leave the US

...if there is another 4 years of hell....our constitutional rights and the Patriot Act II will allow these people to round us up like cattle or simply have us picked up with no explanation or charges and our family and friends won't know how to find us....

:scared:

[WLKjr]

30. This will be ignored just like everything else

the RNC does. Remember, WE are the BAD GUYS <sarcasm>

[Eloriel]

32. Is this something Elliot Spitzer's office would be interested in?

Or how about the ACLU (tho it's hell to get their attention on ANYthing).

[Kathy in Cambridge]

33. Kick for Monday crowd

this is very important.

[Tsiyu]

34. Another Kick for the SLOWWWWW

Hello out there in DU land. Please read this!!!

:kick:

[Xenus Sister]

35. Hey, any more on this?

It's pretty explosive, if true. Is it true?

[KamaAina]

36. Hawaii activists were told to contact the RNC!

This came in an email from Not In Our Name during the repuke-a-thon:

When a Hawaii supporter called the NYPD to inquire about the adequacy of the fire-suppression system, she was given the official number of the RNC and was told that the Republican National Convention had control over the detention center. She then called the RNC. An official with the RNC informed her that he didn't know whether the building had such a system, and told her that the detention center wasn't the Hilton, and that those arrested were criminals anyway. This official attitude toward non-violent protesters attempting to exercise free speech is outrageous and yet another example of the very thing the protesters are speaking out against! And since when does a convention provide its own detention center?

"Wasn't the Hilton"?! :grr: Was it the Marriott? The Hyatt? The Holiday Inn, even? What a bunch of morans.

[Butterflies]

37. KICK!

This one needs to stay on the first page for awhile. I hope lots of public attention goes to this story.

[tom_paine]

38. kick

[karlrschneider]

39. Kick while we work on this scary stuff

:kick:

[tedzbear]

40. Kick!

Can someone get a copy of the legal certificate showing the RNC leased the pier? Wow!!!

[tedzbear]

41. I emailed this indymedia story to the NYT, Smoking Gun, etc.

asking them to investigate it.

[Stephanie]

42. The Lawyers Guild should have info on this

Also United for Peace and Justice, and Leslie Kagan (Cagan?) who organized the protest.

[tedzbear]

46. The editor of The Progressive told me he will investigate this.

He's on it like white on rice!

[Kathy in Cambridge]

43. KICK

[wildflower]

44. Another protestor's experience

(posted here last week):

"Guantanamo On the Hudson"
by Charles Shaw

http://www.newtopiamagazine.net/content/issue18/features/guantanamo.php

Frightening.

-wildflower

[smirkymonkey]

45. Kick!

:kick:

[Kathy in Cambridge]

47. KICK

[Tsiyu]

48. It's not like we all don't have a million things to worry

about. But aren't there any semi-retired or not-overwhelmed attorneys on this board? Perhaps we should post this in the Justice Forum? Anyway, another kick just because this whole thing hurts my heart....
:kick: