Call or fax DA Abraham

As you may know, several people have been in jail since Tuesday's BioDemocracy demonstration in Philadelphia. An unreasonable bail amount, in one case up to $100,000, has been set against our friends. While the charges themselves are unmeritted, the bail far exceeds what the misdemeanor charges call for. These extreme charges are clearly an assault on free speech. DA Lynn Abraham has a history of biased allegations against peaceful demonstrators which have been repeatedly thrown out in court. As Dr. Adam Tsai points out, " If he (Officer Williams) had been in an argument with a family member and died from heart related causes, would DA Abraham press charges against the family? Of course not. It seems that Ms. Abraham has a vendetta against the protestors". While we mourn for Officer Williams, we want the world to know that we came here to stand up for people over profits. All people deserve health care and have the right to live in a world which is not dominated by corporate greed.

Please send whatever financial support you can and call or fax DA Abraham, demanding that the bails be lowered or the charges dropped.

District Attorney´s Office, 1421 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102-1507
phone: 215-686-8000 fax: 215-563-0047

(I received the following message from agnet. Agnet delivers biotechnology industry propaganda to my inbox. Which is to say that agnet serves up valueless and hollow tripe, on the order of dozens of messages per day. It's good to know what the capitalists are thinking. I employ "thinking" with generosity...)

June 23, 2005 Associated Press Ron Todt PHILADELPHIA -- Five protesters were, according to this story, charged in connection with a skirmish outside a biotechnology convention during which a police officer who had a heart condition collapsed and died. Prosecutors were cited as saying that Guillaume Beaulieu, 23, threw water onto an officer during the protest Tuesday, and when Officer Paris Williams and others tried to arrest him, a skirmish ensued with protesters struggling to free Beaulieu from custody. Williams, 52, who had an enlarged heart, "was right there at the epicenter, and that's why he had this terrific cardiac event," District Attorney Lynne Abraham said Wednesday. Beaulieu, a 23-year-old Canadian, faced the most serious charges, two counts of felony aggravated assault. He and the four other protesters, all Americans, were also charged with resisting arrest, conspiracy and disorderly conduct.