UPDATED: Police State: Spokane, Orlando, your town next?

Allow me to echo the following request for support for the 18 anarchists and allied anti-authoritarian friends arrested and brutalized in Spokane yesterday, July 4th.

18 activists were arrested yesterday in Spokane after a peaceful march against police brutality. The police assisted in proving the point of the demonstration by responding with battery, violations of rights, and arrests. In response to this, we are calling out to the community for help, for solidarity and support is needed.

If you’d like to learn how to help out, or have ideas, send an e-mail to spokane18@hushmail.com. Additionally, if you are able to donate to their legal funds, contributions can be sent to the same address. Anything and everything is appreciated, and please repost!

The primary Infoshop News article on the arrests gives more details, but most of all please do read this extensive eyewitness report. Local media reports, such as this(photos), appear to be repeating police lies — as the eyewitness report denies that police gave any order to disperse or that any assault on a police officer was committed, as well as documenting police efforts to intimidate and provoke.

Meanwhile, Food Not Bombs activists in Orlando have also faced what appear to be politically punitive arrests.

I often argue for reconciliation and cooperation among free-market libertarians and those anarchists who classically identify as “libertarian socialist”. It’s real damn easy this time, libertarians. Just BE libertarians. Stand up for free speech and against false arrest. Contact the folks in Spokane and Orlando to ask what you can do to help.

UPDATE: More photos and info from Spokane here.

UPDATE II: A legal defense fund has been set up for the Spokane activists and you may contribute to it using Paypal (which, in turn, allows you to use Visa, Mastercard, deductions from your checking account and so forth). Here’s a donation button: