Support Flag Three Arrestees

Support Flag Three Arrestees

On October 5th, 2006, a small contingent of Students for a Democratic
Society and anti-capitalists converged at the World Can’t Wait rally in
Seattle, Washington at Cal Anderson Park.  The group planned to attend the
rally then leave to hold workshops and skill shares with their peers.
While sitting in the park sharing a melon before the rally, a cop on a
bike approached the group and seized their red and black
anarcho-syndicalist flag.  Matthew Hyra of the Seattle Police Departmend
began to walk away from the crowd telling the person who had been holding
the flag that if he wanted it back he would have to follow him, alone.  At
that time everyone who was in the area stood up and followed Hyra,
demanding to know why he had taken the flag, abridging their right to free
speech.

As this happened, Hyra targeted an individual who was copwatching and
arrested him and two of his comrades.  The three were booked and processed
in the King County Jail. Two of the arrested were charged with obstruction
of (in)justice and resisting arrest. The third arrested was initially
charged with obstruction, which later evolved into an investigation of
assault of an officer. The first two were released on bail at 1:00am
Friday morning and the third was released on bail at 10:00pm Friday after
an earlier appearance before a judge.

Comrades of the arrestees, the “Flag Three”, already spent hundreds of
dollars in bail expenses. The Flag Three now need support to not only
reimburse their comrades but to secure consul and future legal expenses.

The Flag Three are all active members of Olympia SDS and are also involved
in media activism, Latin American solidarity, the anti-war movement and
labor organizing. They also helped organize protests around the
militarization of the Port of Olympia in May. Two of them are still facing
charges from those actions.

Solidarity and support is needed! You can help out by organizing a benefit
concert, house party, fundraiser, or by donating directly to The Flag 3
Legal Defense Fund. This case is a serious violation of free speech and
the First Amendment and has implications far beyond the Flag Three.

To contact legal support, email:  flag3legaldefense@yahoo.com

Or make checks payable to the Flag 3 Legal Defense Fund and mail them to:
Flag 3 Legal Defense Fund
910 4th Ave East
Olympia, WA 98506