Israeli activist Jonathan Pollak jailed for Gaza blockade bicycle protest

[mudplanet]

A prominent left-wing Israeli activist Jonathan Pollak was sentenced to jail for three months and fined 1,500 shekels (£273) yesterday for taking part in a 2008 bicycle protest against the blockade of Gaza.

The Association of Civil Rights in Israel said the sentence was an "extreme punishment" and raised suspicion that Pollak was "targeted to silence him and prevent him from partaking in acts of protest".

In January 2008, Pollak participated, along with 30 others, in a mass bicycle ride through Tel Aviv. Police arrested Pollak but allowed the rest of the activists to continue with the protest, his lawyer said.

"Your honor said during the trial that a trial is not a political affair but matter of the law," Pollak told Yitzhak. "I have to say that in this trial there is nothing but politics."


Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/israeli-activist-jonathan-pollak-jailed-for-gaza-blockade-bicycle-protest-15040453.html#ixzz19SrTCcG5

Jailed for riding a bicycle in an "open liberal democracy."

[oberliner]

1. Is the United States an open liberal democracy?

Police Pursue & Arrest NYC Critical Mass Bike Riders

Friday, April 29, 7 p.m., Union Square - NYC

April 2005 is the 12th birthday of Critical Mass in NYC, and it may be its last. Police swarmed into Union Square attempting to stop and arrest participants. As police arrived on the scene wearing helmets and carrying batons with zip tie handcuffs prominently strapped to their legs, some of the crowd dissipated, while others hung around to see what would happen and to protest, but by this point a solid pack of riders had already taken off to ride together on the city sheets, as is their monthly tradition. Squads of Police soon took off on scooters in pursuit that wound it's way throughout the city. Witnesses reported seeing a large number of police vans and a few cars chasing critical mass up 8th ave, unalbe to get within 6-8 blocks of the group on bike. At one point a group of approximately 30 police on scooters turned down 18th street - going the WRONG WAY on a one-way street in an attempt to circumnavigate and cut off the group.

http://www.nowpublic.com/police_pursue_arrest_nyc_critical_mass_bike_riders#ixzz19SwQ6dnp

From the Minneapolis Critical Mass website:

"On August 31, 2007 hundreds of CM riders were attacked by police....ikers and bystanders alike were thrown against vehicles and arrested for simply asking questions. Bikers were tackled from their bicycles without any order being given for them to stop. Those who were documenting the event with cameras or other recording devices were singled out and intimidated or arrested. Personal property was destroyed, police cars were recklessly driven straight into groups of bicyclists, people were thrown to the ground, billowing clouds of chemical irritant were sprayed, pain compliance techniques were deployed, and tasers were used on unresisting people already on the ground in handcuffs.

http://cmsupport.wordpress.com/

In this case, Pollak refused the offer of Tel Aviv Magistrate's Judge Itzhak Yitzhak of a sentence of community service, arguing that he does not accept the claim that he did anything wrong and therefore he refuses to cooperate by doing civil service.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israeli-leftist-jailed-three-months-for-protesting-gaza-blockade-1.333445

[Ken Burch]

2. There are indeed questions about how "democratic" the U.S. is

But Pollak was right to refuse the offer of community service, because he DIDN'T do anything at all that merited punishment.

There is no reason EVER to punish people for nonviolent protest. End of discussion.

[UndertheOcean]

3. what the .. ?