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TRIAL BEGAN SEPTEMBER 12, 2011 at 8:30am
[RALLY at 7:30am on 12th, first day of trial]

Trial Wed (9/14), Thurs (9/15), Friday (9/16), Wed (9/21), Thurs (9/22) 
8:30am- 2:30pm  
Must have U.S. ID or Passport to go in

READ UPDATES:  1  2     Hear Interview 9/16  4

Martin F. Cotton II was BEAT TO DEATH by Eureka Police and Humboldt Sheriff's on August 9th, 2007. 

Please join us Tuesday August 9th, 2011 in Remembrance of Martin Cotton and in Resistance to the injustice system that took his life.

Martin Cotton won't be forgotten!  Stop Police Brutality

---1:00pm RALLY in front of the Courthouse in Eureka

and Walk to the Boardwalk for peaceful REMEMBRANCE of Martin

We have plenty of signs, some from past demonstrations and a bunch from folks in the Bay area- sent in support of Justice for Martin Cotton! 

Then, later on...

---6:00pm  "Tell It Like It Is!” Open Mic: Survival Stories about Police Violence

at Synapsis 47 W 3rd Street, Eureka

Police State Continues to Expand.
If we don't confront it now, then WHEN?

August 7, 2010: Humboldt County Sheriff's Deputies Murder Robert Garth in Blue Lake

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/08/08/18655719.php?show_comments=1#18655924

http://www.youtube.com/user/RedwoodCopWatch#p/u

August 8, 1978: Philadelphia Police Try to Kill MOVE Men, Women, and Children at MOVE Home; Police Kill One of Their Own and Lock Up Nine MOVE Members "for Murder"; The MOVE 9, U.S. political prisoners, have been in prison since 1978

http://move9parole.blogspot.com/

http://www.archive.org/details/AH-MOVE

This sounds much like what Redwood Curtain CopWatch was told by witnesses to the Eureka police beating Martin "Fred" Cotton II in August 2007. 

The Quality of Whose Life? Final Part

May 20, 2011 WRAP Comms

Linocut by Art Hazelwood

Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2011 10:21 AM
To: Garr Nielsen
Subject: homeless and freezing weather

Dear Chief Nielsen,

Again I must complain about the work that [Murl] Harpham and Sanchez do out in the bush. Sanchez wielding a machete around homeless people who's only "crime" is poverty and Harpham with his ridiculous "holier than thou" attitude do nothing to bring real safety or respect to this community.

Yesterday these officers walked out to a camp that has been kept clean and without heavy drugs, etc.and told the people there that they must be out by 1pm today or their camp would be destroyed with the machete Sanchez held. Where are
these people to go?

We have freezing weather upon us. There is no plan for sheltering on an emergency basis and the housing plan of this city clearly discriminates against the poor, so more homelessness is on the way. What is the plan to "control" the
larger numbers when the financial meltdown finally hits?

Please begin or continue to

*organize in the Bay area for the trial,

*send donations so Humboldt residents can attend the trial in Oakland,

*invite CopWatch to do a presentation regarding Martin's death,

*and fight police brutality in your region!

Contact us at (707) 633-4493 or
through email at copwatchrwc@riseup.net

January 3, 2011 Interview

http://radiozapatista.org/?p=1261&lang=en

Please note that the Civil Trial, Siehna Cotton and Martin Cotton I v. Eureka Police Department and Humboldt County Sheriff's Department has been postponed beyond January 10, 2011.  The new date has yet to be set by the Court.

Illegal To Feed Homeless- Man Arrested 2009 [Video]

The "soup wars" continue... If you don't buy it, if you don't sell it- you're a criminal. And not everybody who eats free food is homeless. The State just wants to make sure people who are really hungry and don't have money, can't eat.

In PEOPLE PROJECT, we say "This ain't charity, it's survival!" We know that the only way we'll all make it is through SHARING. Read about Grub-n-Grab's and PEOPLE PROJECT's Good Morning Neighbors Breakfast Program.

The federal civil trial regarding the deadly beating by police of Eureka homeless resident, Martin Cotton, was postponed (We learned mid-December) .  The new date was set for September 12th. 

Now there is more time to organize.

We have been getting together with groups and individuals in the Bay area to spread the word about Martin Cotton and the trial.  Also, we've been connecting to strategize and talk about how our communities are struggling against police violence.  And how we can strengthen our efforts.  So far, while the situations we are dealing with are so intense, our encounters in the Bay area have been enriching experiences! 

Martin and his daughter Siehna

please help spread the word

Holding Police Who Kill Accountable:

Justice for Martin Cotton event

December 21st

***

Long Haul Info Shop
3124 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley CA

Thursday December 16

7:00pm

Martin Cotton II was living houseless and unarmed when, on August 9, 2007, in Eureka California, he was severely abused by police, then brought to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility. At the jail, he was further attacked by guards and left to die on the cell floor.

On Monday, January 10, 2011 a civil trial will begin in Oakland: Siehna Cotton et al. v. Eureka Police Dept. and Humboldt County Sheriff's Dept.  The federal civil rights lawsuit was brought on behalf of Martin Cotton's baby daughter, Siehna Cotton, and by Martin's father, Marty Cotton.

Join Redwood Curtain CopWatch in a discussion about what happened to Martin Cotton and how to connect community struggles against police brutality. Help strategize to sustain public pressure during the upcoming trial.

Nov.3, 2010

This letter pertains to my June 2008 California Public Records Request, and follows my last correspondence of August 2008 regarding said Request. (I have included a courtesy copy of the August 2008 letter which was both hand delivered and delivered via certified U.S. Mail to your office.)

The Humboldt County Sheriff's Department [HCSD] has failed to comply with the California Public Records Act with regards to the June 2008 Request. Not only has the HCSD refused to provide most of the materials requested that are in its possession, but it also has 1) failed to assist me in identifying records and information that are responsive to the request or to the purpose of the request, as stated; 2) provided no descriptions as to the information technology and physical location in which the records exist, and; 3) made no effort to provide suggestions for overcoming any practical basis for denying access to the records or information sought.

BACKGROUND

KMUD news, May 12, 2008:   http://www.box.net/shared/iz6j5tdy3x  begin at 6 min, 21 sec

May 24, 2008:  Recent County Raids on Houseless People Spawns Forming of Community Group from North and South Humboldt

By Paul Boden Organizing Director, Western Regional Advocacy Project

What images do the words "quality of life" bring to mind? A peaceful beach? A beautiful park? A farmers market full of healthy produce? In the realm of policing, the phrase "quality of life" carries different connotations. It means a veteran getting hauled in for sleeping on the sidewalk, a homeless woman being prohibited from resting on a park bench, or even brutal scenes like these from San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Fresno.

The Quality of Whose Life? An Introduction to America's Modern Anti-Poor Movement

It's clear that there's a huge disconnect between our ideals and public policy. For example, The Huffington Post recently reported: "Americans vastly underestimate wealth inequality and support a more equal distribution of wealth." If this is true, why are we wasting billions of tax dollars locking people up simply for being poor? The chart below graphically captures the policy consequences of this cognitive dissonance. (Remember it when your Mayor or Chamber of Commerce promises that a Quality of Life ordinance will bring prosperity and security to your community.)

On March 03, 2008 I was driving from San Francisco to San Jose after having dinner at Fuzio’s restaurant in the Castro district around 10:45 pm where I had crispy calamari linguini and water. Driving a constant speed of 60 mph on Highway 101 I notice three Highway Patrol cars one on my left side and two on my right side driving at very high speed. When I looked in the rear mirror I notice a CHP car with the lights on. I thought the officer wanted me to move lanes since I was next to the HOV lane so, I did. The officer followed me to the other lane then, I realize that I needed to stop. I WAS TARGET OF RACIAL PROFILING FOR DRIVING WHILE HISPANIC. I had EUREKA, CA license plates.

A 50-something year old disabled man woke up getting his ass kicked by the Arcata Police during their recent sweeps at Anarchists' Field. His service dog was taken & is scheduled to be murdered after she defended her master from this sudden violent ambush.

The man is called Tweety, after a similar sounding part of his surname. The dog is named Dirtnap. She likes to roll around in dirt. I was unable to find any info of the incident online.

Save Dirtnap the dog! She was doing her DUTY! Free Tweety & start a lawsuit in his name. Paste this incident on all media; this was not an isolated incident! Prosecute the officers for assault in the first degree.

Saturday, August 21, 2010:

The cops have been slashing tents and terrorizing people with night raids.  Rodrigo Reyna-Sanchez, holding a machete, and 4 other cops have been out since Wednesday are the reports I'm getting from folks.

Saturday, August 21, 2010:

We don't have all the info yet; A friend has gone to see if he can help people get their gear safely away.

We have reports of destruction of property by the police who are slashing tents and bagging camps in the Redway/Garberville area.  

Also reports that people are being told they can't go back to their sleeping places or they will be arrested.  

Hamilton seems to be the deputy in charge at the moment. McCall is the other one according to my informants.