Home > Halliburton Protest: 16 Arrested, a Dozen Trampled by Horses

Halliburton Protest: 16 Arrested, a Dozen Trampled by Horses

by Open-Publishing - Thursday 19 May 2005
4 comments

Demos-Actions Police - Repression USA

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Action Update: Four women and six men are at Houston Police Southeast, 8300 Mykawa and six men at at Houston Police Central, 61 Reisner. To donate to legal defense, use the paypal account.

There is a benefit concert tonight with Free Radicals at Helios at 411 Westheimer, where you can come and hear the latest update and party for your right to fight.

Several people have posted first-hand text accounts of today’s actions: 1, 2, 3. Post your own account (or video, photos, audio, etc.) here. Listen to the archives of the live audio webcast from the action: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. See photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

At the Four Seasons this morning, before 8 am, barricades were erected, over 30 Houston horse police, undercover cops and heavy foot police presence (photos) was amassed. By 8:30, the march had reached the hotel, with about 140 - 300 protesters with lots of puppets, and signs such as "stop cronyism." Dick Cheney flashed people video, photo, activists held signs, played a samba and did a funky dance. A break-away march was met by Houston Police, who attempted to corral them, with one arrest occurring. By 9 am, there were 12 activists inside the hotel. Four were escorted out by hotel security and Houston police, while the rest were detained. Outside, things began heating up with pushing, cops on horses and arrests (photos: 1, 2, 3, 4). Some concerns have been raised about cruelty to the horses. The horses trampled several people (videos: 1, 2).

Police used pain compliance on occupation inside hotel. Media were not allowed inside the shareholders meeting and protest. Police Officer # 4961, S. M. Forrester, admitted to a female activist that he had lost control of himself. Andrea Buffa and Medea Benjamin of Global Exchange, got inside meeting and directly questioned war-profiteer / Halliburton CEO David Lesar. Prathap Chatterjee of Corp-Watch had a private five minute meeting with him which ended in vague assurances.

Arrested: Herb Rothschild, David Graeve, Katie Heim, Ellie Shenker, Maureen Haver, Diane Wilson, Jonathan Kresha and Kendle Greenlee were arrested inside (photos, videos: 1, 2, 3). David Solnit, an anonymous male, James Foley, Baku, David Martinez, Andy Peterson, Rolando Maya, Chris McMullen were arrested outside. Baku and David Martinez, both out of town indymedia videographers, were arrested while shooting video. David was dragged by his neck by a cop while trying to go to the sidewalk as instructed (video, photos: 1, 2). There have been many class B misdemeanors, but it is possible some will be charged with assault.

http://houston.indymedia.org/archives/archive_by_id.php?id=503&category_id=1

Forum posts

  • This is very heartening to see the photos of the protestors many who are young people and also people of every age. This takes courage and awareness to oragnize and to carry out, it makes me proud of American’s people. Proud that they refuse to go along with the crimes of the government. Proud that they put themselves at risk and in danger because they care about America and want our country to go back to being a country we can support and defend. We have to start somewhere to try to reclaim our country from the corporate blood suckers that have taken over; The military industrial complex run by the forces of evil for the greed of a few to the horror of most of us in this country. Good for these brave citizens they all deserve our support.

  • The photos rock, keep up the good work.

    • Thank You for reporting on this story! I think it is of grave importance that the truth gets out around the world, that we Americans are not all in cahoots with this greedy administration. We as Americans have the constitutional right to voice our opinions in a peaceful, but voiceful manor. The claims that the police were acting on trespass charges to attack protestors are absurd!!! I was there, I know what happened. The orders and protocols of these demonstrations are for everyone to stay on the sidewalks and not block traffic and everything will be fine. But, when policemen on horseback charge the crowd, who were on the sidewalk as requested, and arrest people who were afraid for their safety and run to the street for their safety is an outrageous claim. We were only performing our patriotic duty as Americans to speak our mind in a peaceful manner. It’s the police departments fault that things got out of hand. Pardon the pun, but I guess we were eating in to their lunch break! This will not be an end to means, more people should take lessons from our European neighbors and come out in masses to protest if we want anything to change! Especially in the city that loves the Bush’s like Houston! Got to start somewhere, why not at the heart of the matter!

    • It was the students and the ordinary citizens who finally brought the Vietnam war to a close, if the government had had its way we would still be there, but because people were unwilling to just stay quiet the government could not continue with the carnage of 10 damn years of killing and 3million 58thousand people gone forever for NO reason. It is up to the American people to once again refuse to stay quiet and allow this government to commit crimes against humanity.