Two more early morning arrests at Occupy Tucson
Occupy Tucson protesters at the corner of Church and Congress during rush hour. (Image Credit: Pamela Powers)
For weeks, Tucson Police and Occupy Tucson supporters played an orderly cat and mouse game.
At 10:30 p.m. every night, the police came to the park, rousted Occupiers out of their tents, gave them curfew violation citations, and left, allowing Occupiers to sleep in the park. To date more than 600 curfew citations have been issued. Some Occupiers have as many as 30 citations, each with a maximum sentence of $1000 + 6 months in jail.
Occupy Tucson protester: Are permits required to exercise your right to free speech? (Image Credit: Pamela Powers)
Now the game has changed. Since a stay was lifted earlier this week, police have the option of arresting people with three or more citations and taking them to jail for “interfering with judicial process,” the fine is $2500 + six months in jail. The other change is police tactics is that they are not coming to the park like clockwork at 10:30 p.m. They warned the Occupiers earlier this week that they could come at any time to make arrests or they may not come at all.
On Thanksgiving, police arrested former Green Party Mayoral Candidate Mary DeCamp, who has 30 citations, for refusing to sign and agree to the paper arrest and citation. On Friday night, two more Occupiers– Joan Zatorski Puca and Matthew Pence— were carted off to jail at 1 a.m. also for refusing the same reason.
Here is an account by Alex Maldonado, an Occupation peacekeeper and member of Veterans For Peace…
Tonight, at approximately 1am, two more from Occupy Tucson were taken into custody, after seven TPD vehicles arrived at Veinte de Agosto Park for the nightly citations for staying in the park after hours.
Joan Zatorski Puca sat passive and silent as TPD took her into custody for refusing her citation. TPD then proceeded to carry her limp body without handcuffs into a police cruiser.
A statement was read as Joan remained passive and silent with two TPD officers on each side of her.
“… who has never been arrested, much less walked into a jail…”
“… I ask you to surround me with your personal prayers this evening. That I may stay committed to my decision to display non-violent behavior, speech, and attitude in the face of (what may be) a physically and medically challenging experience for me tonight (and beyond).
Matthew Pence was also taken into custody after refusing his citation.
Matthew was escorted to another police cruiser, and handcuffed and physically searched.
Matthew, who was also passive, was then seated into the vehicle and led away.
Occupiers and supporters waved and yelled words of encouragement to both as they were led away.
35 comments on “Two more early morning arrests at Occupy Tucson”
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Attorney Paul Gattone has REFUSED to ask the Federal Court for a definitive ruling on whether or not Occupation is a symbolic act of protected speech: Until the Court rules otherwise they are just camping out–and following their Pony Tailed Pied Piper off a cliff.
BTW: Gattone MAKES MONEY from MUNICIPAL COURT APPOINTMENTS, AT $750.00 PER CLIENT. This self avowed communist is a capitalist wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Roy Warden
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It is my understanding that the federal case is still in the works.
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Roy the filing in federal court was done weeks ago you are mistaken.
It is being fought and has been fought at this very moment. The wheels of the court are slow but they are moving. Gattone must go at the pace of the courts filings briefs and dates. His request to expedite was denied by the courts so he is limited that he must move at the pace they set.
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If it wasn’t for the mentally deficient and overabundance of street people with nothing to lose and the brainwashed Obama minions there would be no Occupy movement.Don’t forget it was Obama at one of the union rallys that advised his followers to to go into the streets to voice their opinions.What he meant was to go out and cause anarchy so he can promote his liberal,progressive and communist ideology on the most free nation on earth.What better way than anarchy to take over a nation.Yes!even this one.
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This movement is not about Obama, no more than the Tea Party was about Bush. Please, get **smarter**!
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“The Brainwashed Obama Minions” LIVE at the Peppermint Lounge!
jpass, I spent many hours over the past few weeks talking and listening at Occupy Tucson – and can’t even recall hearing Obama’s name mentioned, though I am sure it must happen, occasionally. Frankly, there are bigger fish in this fryer.
It’s true, the people at Occupy movements, everywhere, have been attempting to include the most disenfranchised from their communities – the mentally ‘deficient’ and the ‘street people’, as you insultingly call them. Most of them have been able to become valued and helpful members of their groups… However, the more than 4 billion dollars moved out of major banking institutions and into local credit unions, over the past few weeks, was probably due to a larger, more general population.
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jpass: Going into the streets to voice ones opinion is an American Tradition of the Founders. Remember the Boston Tea Party? No permit was requested or granted and private property was destroyed. The only property destroyed in Occupy sites was done by the police. Of course I suppose you are right that Freedom of Speech is a liberal, progressive and communist ideology. It also happens to be foundational to the American Revolution and a keystone of the Constitution’s Bill of Rights. But I ask you, IS IT FREE SPEECH IF NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU?
But jpass, OWS is not about freedom of speech which you seem determined to abridge. It is about the opportunity to live and to work and to be responsible for oneself and ones society. It is about justice. Do you see justice in the bail out of banks that swindled citizens? Do you feel that some of your opportunities are diminished by corruption in government. Do you know anyone who seeks and deserves employment but cannot find it? Or anyone who has gone bankrupt because of accident or illness? Or anyone who has lost a home in foreclosure? One in four people in Tucson do know of one or more of these problems. And while your income rose a modest 20% to 40% the income of the top 1% rose 276%. Do you think they did 7 to 14 times more work than you did? Or are you among the deluded who think that you will someday be among the 1%. News flash! 99% of the people will never be in the one percent no matter how hard they work and how lucky they are. The vast majority of the one percent are there due to a wise choice of parents. Nothing more.
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With over 100 votes on this poll, looks like there is about 67 % support for the Occupiers. Let’s see what Mayor-elect Jonathan Rothschild does after he is sworn in on Dec. 5. I think Councilmember Romero will bring the issue back for another vote of the City Council.
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“Youth in Asia” might get her brain back on American soil and get used to some work ethic,, work hard and earn the reward. Doing drugs, and booze while having sex in a city park while camping out with out a permit & with no clear agenda =is not a free ticket to the Check Book. Trying to caomair other political support groups that have no arresat records to the OWS group is typical Obama “Blame others ” kind of hog wash. Gee ,,, it seems kinds strange the wording from Hussein Obama is the same as the OWS group,, of “easly fooled FOOLS ” commonly know as Pasasites. Try obeying some laws.
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Jimmy Chelada Drugs and alcohol are not allowed at Occupy Tucson. Unless you can prove your statement it is slanderous rhetoric.
We also are politically neutral as far as partisan politics are concerned. Individuals may have their own beliefs but Occupy Tucson has no Officially recognized party. We have democrats, republicans, green party, tea partiers, you name it here.
We unite under one banner and one common cause. The power of Democracy is being eroded by big business, money and lobbyists. The top 1% control 43% of the wealth. The top 20% control 80% of the wealth. The bottom 40% control 0.3% of the wealth yet hold 70% of the debt.
The Top 1% has seen their income rise by 230% while the bottom 40% has only seen their income rise by 6%
If you don’t see a problem there that is big enough to get out of your house stand up and shout about it 24 hours a day until it’s fixed then I don’t know what to tell you.
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Ariel, I saw firsthand an female occupier with white boots (if you are at the site you’ll know her) having sex in the park and saw her male using drugs. This was during the evening and she was not shy about it, as a group of us watched and cheered her on.
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I seriously doubt this. I know most people at occupy Tucson would not allow, encourage or condone such behavior.
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“This was during the evening and she was not shy about it, as a group of us watched and cheered her on.” You watched and cheered her on?
Sounds to me you set this up to make your outrageous claim.
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In white boots, no less! Was it Nancy Sinatra?
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Yes, if you goto the encampment you’ll know who it is. I do not know her name, but she does wear high white boots, which stands out. Her tent is on the west tip of the park and easliy seen from the overhead walkway. We saw them as we were walking to the TCC, didn’t believe what we were seeing, stopped and watched, cheered her a little bit and she even looked up saw us and kept going at it. On our way back from the TCC, the man had was standing at the tent with a beer and very ‘funny’ smelling cigarete.
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Oh, horsechit.
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I agree with Rai; this allegation is BS. First, there are always police close to the park; if someone was smoking marijuana the police would have been there lickity-split. Also, OT has its own security and peacekeepers, and if someone is using or under the influence they are immediately told to leave.
Second, I have observed the encampment on more than 70% of the days they have been at Viente del Augusto, and I do not know who this white-booted woman is nor can I recall seeing her there. I think it must have been Nancy Sinatra. And I think her “male friend” must have been Elvis Presley.
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However, one time I did see an intoxicated woman being removed from the park by police. She may or may not have been wearing white boots. But I have not seen her there since she was taken into custody. If this is the “white-booted woman”, then she is the exception rather than the rule.
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“Uri Jerkov” (uh huh) ought to start a Penthouse Forum – style zine for all the people who like to make up these fantasies about what takes place at Occupy… might be a real money-maker!…. Hey, wait a sec…. that’s actually a pretty good idea. Maybe I’ll start one and donate the money to the movement!
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Uri Jerkov???? I can’t help but think that your name is all I need to know about the validity of your tall tail.
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Kristi, would you like to be included in this supposed forum that I will be starting? I do know a Kristie K that I’d like to include.
Either way, what I said is true. I passed by the campsite today and it does appear the ‘white boot’ tent is gone…all that remains is a patch of dead grass.
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Moron, how bout if your banker pals try obeying some laws. You suck.
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We all see that the country is in trouble. We are polarized, as is the congress. This is a time to review and examine the facts. I’m sick of hearing lies presented and repeated. I’m sick of a press that is more worried about their advertising $ than they are about their duty and privilege to provide an informed populace. I’m sick that people no longer have the ability to think critically or creatively. Ask who profits? Our politial system is representative democracy. Our economic system is capitalism (exept for subsidies and Trade agreements, and bailing out banks, and the Fed, the loopholes, and corporations that now have free speach in the political system). IT IS NOT WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE. This is exactly when citizens are supposed to assemble, communicaate and petition the government for redresss of grievances. That is our Right and Duty. This is a new movement from the grassroots. It is open to all. It is commited to non-violence The opposition seems uneducated, brainwashed and mean. Get educated and speak your iece at occupy before the 1% shuts us down for airing their dirty works.
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RIGHT ON SISTER!
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Wow Roy Warden speaks, the burner of them mexican flags, the tough guy who beat’s up 15 year old kids for video taping his xenophobic events!:-)
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What will it take for people to wake up? Without universal health care, people are losing their homes when faced with catastrophic illness (and that is WITH health insurance). Too sick? lose your job, then lose your savings paying for Cobra and medical treatments, then lose your home, then you die. What a great country. I know several people who have gone through this. One nursed her husband through pancreatic cancer until he died–lost his job, his insurance, spent all their savings, then after many years of paying their modest mortgage of $400 she was late one month. The bank tacked on fees adding up to $1600. The foreclosed after 93 days even though she could prove to them that she was due to get a $30,000 life insurance check (a month after the foreclosure). Now she owes $5700 to keep her home, but she’s too numb with grief and loss to organize a fundraiser, etc. I know of several stories like this personally–hardworking all their lives, some savings, insurance, and then illness, lose everything and die. If being communist means that I am against the kind of rules that allow ANY bank to make a $400 debt into $1600 overnight and then can take your home when you can show a means to pay–well then sign me up. You people spouting “communist, hippie, ponytail wearing…etc.” You were Morons in the 60s and you still are. Universal healthcare is paramount. That and a country that enforces banking regulations as passionately as it enforces park regulations.
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Blunt, good example. I do not see the part where the couple was forced into their mortage terms. At a surface glance you could see late fees as unfair, but really, who is to blame for those fees? Two parties agree to terms and conditions, no matter how unfair they seem after the fact, at the time of signing the contract both parties are willing to agree to terms….seems one party doesn’t want to live up to what they agreed to.
If you cannot afford a house, do not take out a mortage. Stay a renter or save up until you can purchase a house with using a lender.
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Uri Jerkov: Who are you really? Who can be so blind and cruel? Are you the guy who yelled out the person who lost his insurance should just die? Where is your insurance from? Is it really so assured? Do you really think that Washington is not corrupted into gridlock by payoffs, bribery, no bid contracts, revolving door deals with industry, banks, military contractors and INTERNATIONAL corporations? And did you read every legal document you ever signed? Did you even read your ISP contract? Who are you really? It is probable that your anger is justified, but twisted and warped by histories most powerful cartel of international banks and corporations and their unlimited funding of the most sophisticated and long lasting marketing and propaganda campaign ever mounted. You are the victim dude. OWS is your Zoro. Listen to your heart and mind together. And get some therapy to help.
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What I say is without anger of any kind. Just stating that if two parties enter into a contract, they have agreed to certain conditons. Should a person be able to borrow money and not pay it back? Would you loan money and not expect it to be paid back…if so I am happy to be your borrower. If a person cannot afford something, simply do without that item….Don’t be a victim of our consumer based society. Simple concept.
And ‘Zorro’, really? Is that supposed to represent a hero….that is the best example you could use?
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70% supportive of Occupy Tucson with over 200 reader votes now, even more percentage-wise than before. I think the 99% are speaking, especially those w/o health care, a high-paying corporate job, or a job at all.
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Yea, 99%ers!!! keep up the good work!!!!
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Support still mounting on this poll, now with 375 votes and 75% supportive. Plus coverage of OT via Tucson Progressive in Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/07/offthebus-the-huffington-_n_1080209.html?ref=politics#130_tensions-heat-up-at-occupy-tucson
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This is what democracy looks like… Best wishes for a complete and speedy recovery, Scott.
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This is what democracy smells like…..Occupy Tucson.
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Jpass and Jimmy Chelada would do well being quiet until they know what they’re talking about. Simply casting aspersions contributes nothing to intelligent discussion.
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