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Fighting for Free Speech at the G20 in Pittsburgh

Sara Mullen,
ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û of Pennsylvania
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September 24, 2009

After the ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û of Pennsylvania to force the city of Pittsburgh to allow several groups to hold demonstrations around the G20 Summit, it seemed that free speech would prevail in the Steel City.

Unfortunately, this has not proven to be the case. Following the court ruling, the Pittsburgh police department has engaged in a pattern of harassment of G20 demonstrators, singling out the Seeds of Peace Collective, one of several groups providing food support to the protestors.

The police have repeatedly tried to intimidate members of the collective, citing them with minor traffic violations, illegally searching their bus, towing their legally parked bus, detaining and charging members walking home with loitering, repeatedly demanding identification, and pressuring private property owners to rescind their permission for the collective to park its bus.

Despite evidence of systematic harassment, a .

The ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û-PA is . Anyone witnessing a violation is encouraged to call the ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û G20 hotline at (412) 562-5015.

The ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û-PA and the National Lawyers Guild have dispatched over 150 legal observers to monitor law enforcement’s treatment of the protestors throughout the week.

More information about the ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û and the G20 is .

Check out , which includes a video featuring an interview with ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û-PA Legal Director Vic Walczak.

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