Small Claims Occupation.

Occupy Eureka is not done yet.

On December 4th and 5th 2012 a number of Lawsuits were filed by members of the Eureka Occupation for violations of civil rights that occurred last November.

We decided to serve the city in public at the meeting of the city council. Several members were not able to file until tomorrow so they will be conducting service over the next few days.
I spoke to the city council. You can read my prepared remarks here. I will post the link to video when it is posted.

I have some papers for the clerk. This is a suit filed today naming the city of Eureka and 3 police officers, Murl Harpham, Patrick O'Neil and Stephen Watson as defendants. Others are here tonight to serve more suits and still more will be filed tomorrow. These are in response to the absolute total disregard for civil rights by the Eureka police department during the Occupy Eureka protest in front of the Humboldt County Courthouse beginning on October 7th of 2011. Hundreds of community members participated over a period of 9 months in an attempt to reform the corrupt capitalist system of socializing risk and privatizing profit. That system continues unfortunately as a rich company owner will get more then ½ a million dollars in subsidies paid for on the backs of the poor.

During my time in front of the courthouse I witnessed the casual disdain for the the poorest members of our community the police exhibit constantly. I witnessed a constant assault on first amendment freedoms by officers of the Eureka Police Department and the Humboldt County Sheriff's department.

Today we live in a country that is operating as a police state with indefinite detention threatened by our federal government and the militarization of local police and Sheriffs. The worst aspects of that trend were on display in front of the courthouse during Occupy Eureka. The slanderous email thread with the Rumsfeldian “we don't know who is in those tents” and the insinuation the some “professional protesters” were planning nefarious activities. Then those people Identified were arrested on false charges and held in some cases for over a week. This violation of personal liberty will not tolerated by the people of Eureka. You were given the opportunity to deal with these problems in the form of claims filed earlier and in the matter of hiring a new chief for Eureka PD. You made the wrong decision in both cases.

We also served the Chief of Police with more cops to be served in the weeks to come. It is a long struggle we are engaged in and Occupy Eureka is not any where near done yet.

This is what the Police State looks like

This is what the Police State looks like. In a small town they fire a man that is trying to demilitarize the police and replace him with a good old boy. 4 members of our community are murdered under his leadership so by all means let us sign him to a new contract. He is over the mandatory retirement age, he is over the mandatory retirement for length of service. Why is the city council violating the law to hire this thug?
Almost as bad is why is local media covering it up? Even Access Humboldt tried to keep these words from being heard by the public. What follows is a speech given in front of the City Council by Verbena Lea of the Redwood Curtain Copwatch. As she stepped to the podium the video of the council meeting mysteriously goes to vertical sound bars. as soon as she is finished speaking the video returns for the next speaker. Access Humboldt has since been forced to put up the whole video.

"With your plan, illegal plan at that, to make Murl Harpham the Police Chief, there is almost nothing more blatant that this Council and City Manager could do to tell the people of Eureka that you don't care if we are killed, or get abused, or spend all of our money on corruption. You, David Tyson, City Council, have proven yourselves to be the enemy of the people here, and should be treated as such.

Your plan to make Murl Harpham police chief proves that you are run by the thugs in this town, the SWAT thugs who want to be able to run around with weapons and aggressive, vile attitudes, terrorizing the people here, and have Murl Harpham lie, get the bribes and pat them on the ass for their criminal behavior. Last time Murl Harpham was interim chief, at least 4 people were murderd by the EPD, including two teenagers- murdered in cold blood by Terry Liles, part of Murl's psychotic fan club. Murl Harpham, this time around as interim chief, stood and watched in approval and attempting to block the view of onlookers while Terry Liles swung a metal baton about Andrew Hamer's head, while he lay prone on the ground.

Murl Harpham is not only too old according to 34.59 of the city charter, but he's too crazy and criminal.

Murl Harpham spoke of the 5 million dollar lawsuit, LOST by the city of Eureka due to the brutal beating and murder of Martin Cotton in 2007 as something that his officers should not have to worry about. That he didn't want them being found liable to be a deterrent to future excessive force and that they, who beat a man to death, were honorable men. Well, this city is not only culpable of the murder of Martin Cotton (and many others), but had its taxpayers pay over 5 million dollars just to continue trying to litigate about pain and suffering damages for the brutal beating of Martin Cotton.

Enemy of the people- Murl Harpham- and all of you who allow him and other thugs to terrorize the people."