"The Watchers" Legal Observers at the RNC Protests

[G_j]

http://www.villagevoice.com/print/issues/0432/nanos.php

Protesting at the GOP convention? Legal observers have your back.
The Watchers

by Janelle Nanos
August 11 - 17, 2004


Miami, November 2003: Legal observers brave the tear gas with free-trade demonstrators.

There are a few things to know when planning a protest in New York City. An archaic state law forbids multiple protesters from wearing identical masks at an event. Signs carried on sticks or poles are considered potential weapons and will be confiscated. And if you didn't know these facts already, you should at least get acquainted with the volunteer corps of legal observers. They do know the rules, and they're an essential element in preserving your right to free speech and assembly.

Armed with neon-green hats, video cameras, and a knowledge of the law, legal observers were witness to more than 2,000 arrests—some peaceful, some not—at New York City demonstrations in 2003. This past March, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau predicted in a City Council hearing that there would be up to 1,000 arrests a day during the upcoming Republican National Convention. To prepare for this likelihood, the progressive National Lawyers Guild is recruiting over 250 volunteers to observe rallies and marches, and is bringing in a bevy of lawyers to handle, pro bono, any civil rights cases that arise.

The guild has drafted an $80,000 budget for legal outreach during the convention. The group will also keep a database of arrests and arraignments, but won't stop there. "A lot of what we do is not only the protection of people's rights, but providing emotional support," said Bruce Bentley, who's coordinating convention work for the guild's Mass Defense Committee. "When someone is waiting for 12, 24, or even 36 hours to be arraigned, their friends and family members will often call us to find out more about their arrest."

While at protests legal observers often act as liaisons, passing along police warnings or conveying demonstrators' concerns, their primary responsibility is to document police activity, gather contact information and witnesses during arrests, and then head to the precinct to determine when the detainees will be released. The information they collect can be instrumental in preparing a defense.

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[Pow_Wow]

1. there is no way to say how reassuring it can feel at times to

see those friendly 'green hats' !
thank you NLG and volunteers