MEMBERS OF
Poor People's
Economic Human
Rights Campaign
DeKalb
Alliance
for
Economic Human Rights
LINC (Low Income Networking and Communications) Project
Email
us!
vip_people@yahoo.com
VIP
People
c/o Vincent
Gervais
217 South
2nd Street #283
DeKalb,
IL 60115
815-758-3479
Cheri Honkala, Director of the Kensinton Welfare Rights Union and Spokesperson for the Economic Human Rights Campaign was arrested during the WTO/Seattle protests for speaking out for the rights of poor people in America and around the world. She was charged with obstruction and has been offered a plea bargain that includes a fine, a jail sentence, and gag order prohibiting her from participating in any demonstrations in the United States for two years.
We believe this is an aggregious violation of First Amendment Rights to Freedom of Speech an Assembly!
We are calling for the City of Seattle to drop all charges against Cheri Honkala. (Note: To date, of over 500 cases, all but 10 from the protests have been dropped .)
Update
on our Call to Action
The case
against Cheri Honkala, Director of the Kensington
Welfare Rights Union and Spokesperson for the Poor
People's Economic Human Rights Campaign was dropped March 16th.
In the
words of Judge Arthur P. Chapman, the actions of Honkala and Morehouse
"are not so significant as to warrant the condemnation of conviction, especially
in the light of the cherished nature of the constitutional rights upon
which the City reasonably infringed. I find the interests of justice have
been served here. These matters are dismissed."
We would
like to thank anyone that gave letters to us, or sent one out themselves.
March 16, 2000:
VIP People and DeKalb CAEHRs
complete letter writing campaign assisting in the Call
to Action.
February 14 2000:
VIP People and DeKalb Alliance
present comments
on CDBG Consolidated Plan regarding housing issues in the city of
DeKalb .
February 2-8 2000:
VIP People attend the EHRC
Planning Meeting.
November 12-14 1999:
VIP People co-sponsored
the
Poverty
& Community Organizing: DeKalb Conference on Economic Human Rights
October 1999:
Participated in the
March
of the Americas
October 28, 1999:
VIP People protested
in solidarity with the
Chicago
Coalition to
Protect
Public Housing
March
on City Hall