OBcian Curtis Williams being arrested. (Screen capture of video.)
In their continuing harassment of Occupy San Diego demonstrators at the downtown Plaza area, San Diego Police have arrested a well-known OBcian, Curtis Williams. Williams has been very visible during the nearly two -month old movement, having led several General Assemblies over that time, plus he is deeply involved in several of the movement’s committees. Doubtlessly, police knew him. He was also highlighted in a recent article by Matt Hall about the occupiers in the San Diego U-T.
Curtis, 28 – also a visible member of OB’s community – was arrested by police either late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning on or near the grassy section of space that abuts the Civic Center Theater. He was arrested for alleged obstruction of a police officer and for vandalism. As of this post (12/01/11), Curtis is still in custody, looking at $5,000 bail.
Police had laid out yellow caution tape along that grassy stretch after OccupySD demonstrators were forcibly removed from it earlier this month.
On the night of the crime, Curtis is alleged to have moved a piece of the yellow tape. His arrest was caught on video and you can determine for yourself if he did indeed, “obstruct” or resist a police officer.
This type of arrest continues a pattern of harassment that the SDPD has employed against the occupiers since the first big raid on October 14th. Police target individuals whom they perceive are “leaders” in this leaderless movement. Ray Lutz – very visible in OccupySd – was arrested for attempting to register new voters on Wednesday. Some see this pattern as their attempt to intimidate the movement.
In addition, protesters have been arrested for sleeping, for demonstrating; they have been cited for violating the cross-walk lights, for honking too loudly in support of the protest, and for even spitting on the sidewalk; they’ve been threatened with arrest for holding teach-ins.
When Curtis was interviewed by U-T reporter Matt Hall, he had this to say:
“Most protests are there to speak out against something or have proponents that immediately have a set list of demands. This one is a little bit different in that it is literally a think tank, a really huge nationwide think tank, where we don’t know exactly what it is we want other than our rights back, other than democracy.”
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
We at the OB Rag met Curtis during the Black boycott and subsequent shenanigans around the anti-homeless sticker.
my heart goes out to curtis as a dear friend. I hope he gets out soon!
If it’s the same person, I believe I saw him at the Veteran’s day parade marching with the San Diego Veterans for Peace group.
This is why over 500 San Dieagans have signed the petition demanding SDPD Chief Lansdowne resign as Chief of Police for his wasteful handling of the Occupy San Diego protest. Chief Lansdowne has mishandled the Occupy San Diego Protest. He has facilitated the waste of over 2.4 million dollars in 30 days on supressing free speech at Civic Center Plaza in San Diego. He has ordered the macing and beating of peaceful protesters and continues to waste over $57,000 per day on intimidating, harassing, and suppressing the peaceful protest rather than protecting and serving the interests of those exercising their freedom of speech and assembly.
We the Citizens of San Diego call on Chief Lansdowne to resign his post as Chief of Police immediately! http://www.change.org/petitions/san-diegans-call-for-resignation-of-police-chief-william-lansdowne
That’s excellent, Eugene. We’ll post something very soon about this. As a key organizer of this petition, how about sending us via obragblog@gmail.com a quotable quote from you for the article, plus an update on the exact number of sigs.
free curtis. he WILL have more to say after this experience.
There are some within our movement who – despite their wisdom and inspirational action – seek the media’s attention. Brother Curtis is not like that. Please donate to his bail bond. This blog has a number of social media sites for Occupy San Diego on its home page. Go to them to find out how to donate.
all we want is our rights and to watch a good friend be treated like so is heart breaking thank you curtis for every thing hope you get out soon…
Needles to say, this angers me very much. I have signed the petition to have Landsdowne removed but wish I could sign it over and over. I have seen injustice in many forms, but I have never become immune to it. Maybe I am naive, but I just cannot understand the cruelty of people to other human beings. I always react to this kind of wrong (inwardly). Am I supposed to become used to it at some point in time? Sometimes I think that human nature is the same from the time of Christm, though.
Curtis is taking you all for ride! And it’s working!