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Home: Topics: Rockstars:
Tifnee Smith of K.I.D.S protests Portland's curfew |
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(11/27/99) Hey this is Tifnee, one of the organizers of last years Day of Action Against Curfews. We have been still very active in trying to repeal Portland's curfew law as well as their new truancy law. We are also organizing a Youth Liberation Conference in June. We're a youth liberation group called K.I.D.S. and if anyone wants to be on our mailing list, they should write pdxkids%40hotmail.com with their address.
In the early hours of Saturday, November 20th, K.I.D.S. staged a small protest against the curfew law in Portland. This was no ordinary protest though. There were no signs, no banners, no bullhorns, and no chanting. We played games. We played duck-duck-goose, red rover red rover, olly olly oxen free, and others from our elementary school days. We were having fun and we got arrested for it.
At approximately 1:25 AM, a police car stopped in front of us and asked what we were doing. We stated we were exercising our First Amendment rights to protest the curfew law. We then went into a round of one-potato-two.
The cops proceeded to arrest us, one by one. A few were searched on the scene and gave their names and ages. One of them told police officers that he was 18, but they did not believe him and arrested him for curfew violation anyway. Another activist, who was 19, was not asked her age until they were at the juvenile detention center. We asked for their names and badge numbers, which they are required by law to give out, but they flat out refused, making fun of us for claiming that they were violating our rights.
We were all piled into a paddy wagon and were driven to the juvenile detention center. At this facility, the activists were charged and booked with curfew violation. When it was discovered that two of the activists were over 18, the police officers decided to charge everyone with disorderly conduct as well.
While in custody, one of the activists was sexually harassed by police officers. A male officer was searching her and when he started to feel around her breasts she asked to be searched by a female officer. He refused and the officer next to him told him that he would be his witness so it would be okay. The officer felt around her breasts and felt under her bra 3 separate times. He also felt in between her legs 3 times and put his hand under her shirt and on the inside of the back of her bra. The entire time the activist said loudly, "you are making me very uncomfortable. i want to be searched by a woman officer." at one point she stated "He's feeling me up" at which point another officer said "Honey, don't flatter yourself".
Please write to our mayor and let her know that this kind of abuse by police officers is despicable. We need many many letters written so please write. We need your help.
Her address is:
Mayor Vera Katz
1120 SW 5th
Portland,OR 97204
Web Contact
Home Page
This is exactly the kind of arrest situation we needed to pursue a court case, so we are now in touch with the ACLU, who will possibly be representing us. We hope to have the curfew law repealed in the courts.
Next: More news from Tiffnee
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