Splitting-the-Sky -- one of my favorite regular radio guests -- was arrested yesterday while trying to arrest George W. Bush in Calgary. This happened shortly after my live interview with Josh Blakeney, one of the arrest Bush activists on the scene in Calgary. You can listen to the archive of the show at:
http://www.noliesradio.org
Here is a message from Josh Blakeney:
Fellow Activists,
Today Splitting the Sky was unjustly incarcerated by the Calgary Police and has been detained until now. Both myself and Professor Anthony Hall (among others) waited at the Calgary Police Station to no avail and with a, at best, vague response to our requests about Splitting the Sky's legal status. The Police firstly adduced that STS: "was no longer here", then hours later they revealed that "he was here but would be released today," then they told us that "we cannot tell you anything to protect his privacy."At the press conference it was stated that no assault charges would be prosecuted against STS, then we received a message from STS that he was "going to be incarcerated overnight and that the RCMP had broken his glasses". Moreover when the hour reached 4.30pm I stepped outside the Police station for a few minutes and when I attempted to rejoin my comrades in the Police station I was told that "no people can enter the station after 4.30pm." When my comrades tried to assist me in reentering the building, they were all forcibly removed from the premises. Our long haul to retrieve STS (particularly in the case of Professor Hall who was still in the doorway of the Calgary Police station at 1am) has been characterized by the Calgary Police's mixed messages, hostility and half-truths.
Please view the footage of STS being arrested. Do you see any "assault" on the part of STS?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aqgBV9lA7k&feature=related
On a second pertinent issue, CBC highly exaggerated the "pro-Bush" protesters today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nZ3hq1bxbw There were just 2 people with pro-Bush banners (evoking questions over whether they were paid. I noticed their banners were professionally printed unlike our genuine hand made banners). I felt that the CBC report sought to portray the pro-Bush, anti-Bush "camps" and being on an even par. I also note that they mention nothing about Bush's accused crimes against humanity, despite the extremely hard work of LAW (Lawyers Against War). I say, shame
on CBC for their disinformation campaign.
in solidarity
Joshua Blakeney
MAINSTREAM MEDIA VERSION:
http://beta.mytelus.com/telusen/portal/NewsChannel.aspx?ArticleID=news/capfeed/national/n0317151A.xml&CatID=National
Police keep protesters outside, while Bush cracks jokes inside at Calgary speech
at 18:29 on March 17, 2009, EDT.
Bill Graveland And Shannon Montgomery, THE CANADIAN PRESS
CALGARY - Former U.S. president George W. Bush was full of jokes as he spoke at a private luncheon Tuesday, while outside several dozen police officers worked to keep 200 to 300 unruly protesters under control.
At least four demonstrators were arrested outside the downtown Calgary convention centre where Bush was appearing.
"There is a war criminal upstairs that has committed murder," screamed one man, who identified himself only as Splits the Sky. "If I try to get in there you will arrest me. What is wrong with you?
"I am going in there and make a citizen's arrest," he said as he berated police officers and attempted to push past them. "Arrest George Bush. Arrest George Bush."
Some of those opposed to Bush's visit had already suggested before he arrived that he should be arrested as a war criminal because of alleged torture at military prisons in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay.
His speech to as many as 1,500 invited guests was one of his first public appearances since leaving office in January with a dismal approval rating and much of the blame for his country's collapsing economy...
